Vermont Shrubs and Woody Vines 87 



2. Flowers in clusters of one to three, stems without thorns or 



bristles except at base of leaves 3 



3. Flower stems short (about one-half inclj, fruit smooth. 



Smooth gooseberry. 

 S. Flower stem one inch or more, frui*^ usually with prickles. 



Prickly gooseberry. 



4. Flower clusters erect, berries bristly Mouptpi-n r>urrant. 



4. Flower cluster drooping, berries smooth 5 



5. Flowers large, bell-shaped, whitish; berries black when ripe. 



Black currant. 

 5. Flowers small, flat, greenish; berries red when ripe.. Red currant. 



THE GOOSEBERRIES 



A considerable use was made by the early settlers of the 

 fruit of the wild gooseberries. That of the swamp gooseberry 

 is small and unpleasant, but both of the others are good. In 

 England the wild gooseberry is inferior to these, yet from it by 

 culture and improvement they have produced cultivated fruits 

 which are very productive with berries as large as small plums. 

 These European gooseberries are liable to mildew and arc not 

 fully hardy in Vermont, hence we must depend on American types. 

 The gooseberries commonly seen in Vermont gardens originated 

 from the American smooth gooseberry. Both this and the 

 prickly berry offer promising opportunity for further breeding, 

 selection and improvement. 



SMOOTH GOOSEBERRY. Ribcs oxyacanthoidcs L. 



This is frequent in cold wet woods and swamps throughout 

 Vermont. It is a spreading shrub a few feet in height, with slen- 

 der branches and thorns at base of leaf clusters short and some- 

 times lacking. The shape of the leaves is shown in the draw- 

 ing. They are thin and finely pubescent below, three to five 

 lobed and toothed. The flowers are on short stalks, bell-shaped. 

 The fruit is a smooth globular berry, one-third to one-half inch 

 in diameter, either green or reddish when ripe and delicious in 

 preserves or jam. This is the parent of the cultivated American 

 gooseberries like Houghton and Downing. 



