CULTURE OF GOOSEBERRIES. 



Z>1 p.^HE gooseberry, under favor- 

 able conditions, is enormous- 

 1\' productive. It is a fruit 

 that does not like too much 

 hot sunshine, or a hot, dry soil. The 

 best gooseberries I ever grew w as on 

 a rich, cool, moist, heavy soil, well 

 underdrained. It does better on a 

 clav loam than on a sandy loam, and 

 in a young orchard, where it will he 



the American Pomolo^ical Society 

 who, for health and pleasure, culti- 

 vates a good-sized garden, in which 

 he grows most of the species of fruits 

 that will mature in that climate. 1 

 saw there twenty varieties of the 

 English gooseberries, which he as- 

 sured me he had grown for nearly 

 twenty years, free from mildew. They 

 were planted on the north side of 



partially shaded, than in the open currant bushes, by which thev are 

 sunshine. I have seen many very partially sliaded. They are highly 

 productive bushes, or shrubs, of fertilized and well pruned. Last 

 gooseberries growing in rows of bear- summer I saw growing on the home 

 ing apples, pears, peaches and plums. grounds of Mr. Green, editor of 

 When planted in such positions they Green's hVuit Grower, Lancashire 

 should be heavily fertilized that Lad, a large English variety, exceed- 

 neither trees or shrubs should sufl'er ingly productive and free from mil- 

 for want of food. dew. These successful attempts en- 

 The great obstacle to the produc- courage the hope that the finer varie- 

 tion of the finer varieties oi' goose- ties of the gooseberry may be success- 



berries in this coimtry, has been that 

 powdery mildew, caused b\ a parasi- 

 tic fungus, called Sphaerotheca mors- 

 uvae, which attacks both leaves and 

 fruit. Our attempts to grow the 

 large, delicious English varieties have 

 been bafJIed b\' that fungus until most 

 horticulturists have abandoned the 



fully grown in this country with suit- 

 able effort. The gooseberry succeeds 

 in the cool, cloudy, moist climate of 

 England. If we as nearly as possible 

 approximate the conditions luider 

 which it flourishes there, by planting 

 on cool, moist soil, partially sliailed, 

 mulch heavily during summer and 



attempt and restricted their efforts to spray a few times with a simple solu- 



growing such .American sorts as are 

 but little subject to mildew, such .is 

 Houghton Seedling, Downing and 

 Smith's Improved. Of late years, 

 many have succeeded in producing 

 large crops of liulustry, an English 

 sort, less subject to the fungus growth 

 than the others. Recently there have 

 been some promising .American varie- 

 ties introduced, notably theColunibns. 

 In October, 1892, while on a \ isit 

 to Cambridge, Mass., I calleil upon 

 Benjamin Green Smith, Treasurer ol 



tion of copper sulphate, or potassium 

 sulphide (liver of sulphur) there is no 

 reason why we may not succeed. 



tiooseberries are propag.ated to 

 some extent by cuttings, but gener- 

 .ill\ b\ la\ers. The earth is heaped 

 in a nunind around the bushes and 

 the young' sprouts will strike roots. 

 Thev should be planted in rows 4 b\- 

 .(, on ;i rich, liea\ \ soil, well culti- 

 \aled and hea\ il\ primed. The fruit 

 grows on buds lormctl on two-\ear- 

 old wood and on siiurs ami buils of 



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