Origin and History of the Gooseberry. 



Like tlie curraut, the gooseberry was apparently unknown to the ancients, 

 and it was prohably about the sixteenth century that it was first cultivated in 

 Europe. Since that time a wonderful improvement in the size of the fruit has 

 taken place. The Dutch are thought to have made the first marked improvement, 

 but its present development has been largely brought about in P]ngland. 



Varieties of English and European gooseberries are derived from the species 

 Ribes Gross ularia, a native of north Europe. Varieties of this species have not 

 succeeded well in America until latelv, being very subject to Gooseberry Mildew 

 which was thought to be very diflEicult of control. The past few years, however, 

 have demonstrated that the mildew can, if properly treated, be successfully corn- 

 batted. 



Fig. 2. — Black currant plantation of Mr. J. E. Henry, Winona, 



The American gooseberries are derived chiefly from Ribes oxyacanthoides. a 

 species native to America. Concerning the origin and history of our American 

 varieties, W. T. Macoun, Dominion Horticulturist. Ottawa, writes in his bulletin 

 on bush fruits, 1907, as follows: — 



" As late as 1846 no cultivated varieties of American species of gooseberries were 

 mentioned by writers, the first reference according to Bailey, being in 1849, in the 

 Northern FruH Culturist, by Goodrich, where the author writes: 'We have it from 

 good rjuthoritv that native sorts have been discovered both in New Hampshire and 

 Vermont well adapted to garden culture.' In 1847 the Houghton's Seedling was ex- 

 hibited at a meeting of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society, this being the first 

 improved form of the native gooseberry of which there is a record. This variety was 

 originated or found by Abel Houghton, Jr., Lynn, Mass. It is probably a seedling of 

 tlie native species, Ribrs o.ryncanthoirlcs. The first improvement on the Hougliton was 

 the Downing, a seedling of the Houghton, which was originated by Charles Downing, 

 Newburgh, N.Y., and first brought into notice in 1853. It is thought by some authori- 

 ties to have been a hybrid between Houghton and Ribes Grossularia. the European 



