42 ANNUAL REPORT 



There were not a few baskets, bat forty or fifty of theni. I in- 

 quired of the party who it was that had them for sale and he said 

 he was one of the best growers there was in Illinois. I procured 

 his address, and this fall I wrote to him asking him if ' he would 

 give us a short paper on gooseberries, and he has kindly done so. 



GOOSEBERRY. 



By Phil. Strubler, Naperville, III. 



To grow gooseberries to perfection, the soil should be well en- 

 riched with stable manure about the same as for strawberries; they 

 like plenty of food, and the more they get, the better they thrive. 



We find a clay loam, well enriched, the best of all soils for the 

 gooseberry, but any soil will do when properly enriched and culti- 

 vated. 



Propagation. We propagate principally from layers by bendiDg 

 down the limbs from old bushes and covering them with rich soil; 

 they will readily take root and make fine plants. Some varieties 

 grow readily from cuttings, such as the Houghton, Smith's Im- 

 proved, etc. All varieties of coarse heavy wood will not readily 

 grow from cuttings. 



Planting. We plant in the fall of the year, every time, when we 

 can. The gooseberry starts so early in the spring that the best of 

 the growth of the season is lost when planted in the spring. 



We usually plant in rows five to six feet apart and three to 

 five feet apart in the rows. Strong growing kinds, such as the 

 Downing and Houghton, and some others, should be set not less 

 than four to five feet in the rows, and rows not less than six feet 

 apart. Such as Champion, Whitesmith, and Smith's Improved, 

 and a few others of dwarfish growth, can be planted nearer. 



Cultivation should commence early in the spring, as soon as 

 the ground is in good condition, keeping the ground well worked 

 and clear from weeds until frost. We use a cultivator and one- 

 horse plow for this purpose; in using a plow, we are careful not to 

 plow deeper than three or four inches so as not to disturb the roots 

 of the growing bushes. 



Pruning — This is of great importance, and right here is where 

 most people fail, in not pruning enough. Don't be afraid to 

 prune until you think you have nearly ruined the bush, especially 

 after they have borne fruit several years, and the bushes are in- 

 clined to become old. A good rule is to thin so that the branches 

 are six inches apart, and not more than from four to eight stalks 

 should be allowed to grow in a stool or hill; also the ends of bushes 

 should be cut back each year from one quarter to one half of 

 the previous year's growth. Unless pruned annually the fruit will 

 become smaller from year to year. 



Varieties — We are frequently asked what varieties of goose- 

 berries are the best, or which would you plant. If we were to 

 plant for market, we would plant first Champion, Downing and 

 Houghton in the order named; if for home use, Downing, Puyallup 

 Mammoth, Champion, White Smith and Industry. Downing is a 



