CULTURE OF THE GOOSEBERRY. 



559 



base or main stem all the superfluous 

 young shoots, in order to keep it to a sin- 

 gle stem. It is the plan generally prefer- 

 red, and that which gives the least trou- 

 ble. 



As a vertical or upright espalier. I have 

 always tied those which I have cultivated 

 in this way upon an arbor or trellis of 

 Provence reeds. After some years, they 

 are well filled up, planting them at the 

 distance of three to four feet. The long 

 branches should be slightly bent ; they 

 bear sooner and more abundantly. Trim 

 them boldly, and part all the shoots which 

 crowd or cross each other. This arrange- 

 ment has the advantage of displaying the 

 whole plant at a glance ; and besides, the 

 fruit is larger and more abundant. It 

 is so fully exposed, that it also ripens 

 sooner. 



As a horizontal espalier. This may be 

 accomplished in two ways : at a certain 

 distance above the ground, or upon the 

 ground itself. In the first method, the 

 bush is trained up to one stem, then the 

 branches allowed to spread over a sort of 

 rounded table, on which it extends itself, 

 the top diverging like a flat umbrella top. 

 This arrangement, which at first appears 

 quite original, has an undoubted advan- 

 tage over the others. It is that the fruit, 

 not being suspended, but resting on the 

 wood, acquires a larger size ; and this fact, 

 confirmed by experience, applies not only 

 to gooseberries, but to all fruits. Thus, 

 if a pear or a peach he accidentally supported 

 in this way, it will he larger than its neigh- 

 bor, which hangs by its own weight. It is 

 partly owing to this fact, also, that even 

 vertical espaliers, whose branches are well 

 fastened, produce larger fruit than stand- 

 ard trees, exposed to the wind, even 

 when the pruning has been done with care 

 and judgment. 



As to the gooseberry trained as an es- 

 palier upon the ground itself, it is doubt- 

 less the method to obtain the finest fruit, 

 and it is the most simple way of cultivating 

 these plants. This plan consists simply in 

 surrounding the bush at its base with tiles, 

 and making for it a circular area, slightly 

 raised at the circumference, so that the 

 rain and the watering of the plants may 

 descend directly to the roots, and not re- 

 main upon the tiles. Over these tiles the 

 branches, loaded with blossoms, are al- 

 lowed to spread from the centre to the 

 circumference. If they do not immediately 

 attach themselves to the area, they are 

 sure to do so afterwards, by the weight of 

 their fruit ; or, at least, they become so 

 much bent, that the extremities are cer- 

 tainly supported. Except the judicious 

 pruning of too numerous branches, there is 

 nothing more to do, but to await with con- 

 fidence the ripening of the gooseberries. 

 It is easy to perceive the advantages of 

 this mode of culture. The roots are pro- 

 tected from the heat by the tiles, all natui 

 ral or artificial waterings are carried di- 

 rectly to the roots of the plant, and larger, 

 earlier, and cleaner fruit are obtained at 

 scarcely any care or expense. Such are 

 the results of this method. 



In all these different plans of cultivating 

 the gooseberry, if the beauty of the fruit is 

 more desired than its quantity, a large part 

 of the fruit must be thinned out ; and this 

 operation should not take place until the 

 young berries have attained a certain size, 

 [say a fortnight's growth,] as the larger 

 and finer fruits may then be selected to 

 remain, which could not be done if they 

 were removed at an earlier stage. 



We are confident that in following with 

 success the principles here suggested, we 

 should be able to place upon our tables 

 such fruit as would here appear extraor- 



