GOOSEBERRIES—ARE THEY I'ROFITAHI.E. 



In quality the best American sorts 

 are superior to the best foreign sorts, 

 as they have a much thinner skin and 

 more delicate flavor ; but fruit preserv- 

 ing establishments seem to prefer the 

 European varieties, probably because 

 the jam made from them corresponds 

 more closely to the favorably known 

 product put up by English firms. 



Though so much larger-fruited, the 

 foreign varieties are not as productive 

 as the natives, nor have they proven 

 quite so hardy. Large growers report 

 yields from the standard American va- 

 rieties of from half a ton to as high as 

 four tons per acre 



Industry is one of the best of the 

 European varieties, as it is a strong 

 grower and one of the most productive. 

 Its fruit is medium to large in size, pear 

 shaped or roundish oblong, smooth or 

 nearly so, dark red, mild sub-acid or 

 sweet, of very good flavor, and an ex- 

 cellent fruit for marketing green. Like 

 the other foreign varieties it often suf- 

 fers quite seriously from mildew, unless 

 preventive treatment is given. Crmvn 

 Boh is another excellent variety for the 

 early market, though it is not as ctrong 

 a grower nor as productive as Industry. 

 Its fruit resembles Industry in color, is 

 smaller, nearly round, almost sweet and 

 of good quality. Lancashire Lad is a 

 vigorous variety and suffers but slightly 

 from mildew. Its fruit is medium to 

 large in size, nearly round, almost wine 

 colored, slightly hairy, sub-acid or nearly 

 sweet and of good tjuality. Wellington 

 Glory has proven most productive of 

 the European varieties fruited at the 

 Station for four years, and has usually 

 escaped much injury from mildew, 

 though it occasionally suffers severely. 

 The fruit is of an attractive pale yellow, 

 medium to large, oblong, smooth with 

 slight bloom, sweet and good. Dominion 

 is a new variety of promise, as it is vig- 



orous and seems j)roductive. So far it 

 has not mildewed. The fruit is large, 

 varving from round to oblong, pale, 

 greenish white, nearly transparent and 

 thin-skinned for a berry of foreign type. 

 Trium/tli, while not as productive at 

 the Station as Wellington Glory, seems 

 one of the most desirable of the green 

 or yellow fruited varieties. The bush 

 is a strong grower and quite free from 

 mildew, though occasionally showing a 

 considerable amount of the disease. 



For home use as well as for market 

 gooseberries should be given shallow, 

 clean cultivation, and should not be 

 allowed to struggle along as best they 

 may in a fight for food with grass and 

 weeds and shrubs. If planted in fairly 

 fertile, well-drained soil of almost any 

 sort, given a show against weeds and 

 other enemies, and fertilized well after 

 they begin to bear, they will return good 

 crops of fine flavored fruit 



Pruning. — Two systems of pruning 

 are used, one producing the tree form, 

 which is common in England and is 

 adapted to well cultivated gardens; the 

 other, the bush form. Figs. 1188 and 

 1 189, which is preferable for general cul- 

 ture, as its productive life may be indefi- 

 nitely extended. 





l'i<.. llbS. — L\i<LMi;v. 

 (Uiish form, before pruning ; 9 years planted.) 



(irown in tree form the plants produce 

 no suckers ; if accidentally broken off, 

 they are destroyed ; and when the bushes 



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