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A VARIATION IN THE DOWNING GOOSEBERRY 



On a recent trip to northern Ohio my 

 attention was called to certain goose- 

 berry plants growing in a planta- 

 tion of Downing. The general aspect 

 of these plants and their fruit was not 

 dissimilar to that of Downing but a 

 closer examination revealed the differ- 

 ence in foliage shown in the illustration. 

 The normal form has lea\es nearly as 

 broad as they are long, while the aber- 

 rant plants have long narrow leaves. 

 This difference in foliage seems always 

 to be associated with complete, or 



nearly complete barrenness. The owner 

 thought that the plants changed from 

 one form to the other, but his son was of 

 the opinion that both forms existed 

 in the nursery stock. The one theory 

 suggests the possibility of an obscure 

 disease in the nursery similar to the 

 "reversion" of black currants described 

 in English publications. The other 

 brings in the possibility of a spurious 

 strain or variety, possibly like the 

 off-type lemon trees found by Shame) 

 in his citrus work. Paul Thayer. 



