HOW TO RAISE THE BEST GOOSEBERRIES. 



449 



Fig. 106. a, Meltitigs Crmon Bob. b, WoodwanVs White Smith 



powerful manure, and no plant likes richer 1 



soil than the gooseberry. 



Next comes my remedy against the mil- 

 dew. This is neither more nor less than 

 salt hay, (i. e. hay from the salt marshes.)* 

 As soon as I have made the top dressing of 

 soot, I cover the whole surface of my goose- 

 berry border with salt hay to the depth of 

 three inches. This keeps the soil always 

 moist and cool, not merely by covering the 

 ground with the hay so that it shall not be 

 made dry by the sun, but because the salt 

 in the hay always attracts moisture from the 

 air, and gives it out to the bushes. This pre- 



* [We suppose in districts of country where salt hay is 

 not produced, a substitute might be found in any coarse com- 

 mon hay soaked in brine. — Ed.] 



57 



vents the sudden changes from hot to dry^ 

 which always almost immediately cause 

 mildew. I have tried it now six years and 

 have never had a blighted berry from the 

 first, though in the same soil, and with these 

 very sorts, I had bother enough with this 

 troublesome thing before. 



My crops are regular and large. I send 

 you a rough sketch(fig. 106)of about the usual 

 size of my two favorite sorts, grown after 

 my fashion. They may not equal the prize 

 sorts of the Lancashire weavers, who put a 

 saucer of water under their show berries to 

 make great dropsical monsters of them, but 

 I will answer for it, they are higher flavor- 

 ed. Yours with much respect, 



A Jerseyman. 



