GOOSEBERRIES— ARE THEY PROFITABLE. 



1 1,.. ,,^'.1 lilt .,a,iuc after pruning, 

 become unprofitable, as they are liable 

 to do after producing five or six good 

 crops, no restoration is possible. To 

 grow gooseberries in this form, it is 

 merely necessary to rub off all buds or 

 eyes from the below-ground part of the 

 cutting. Only one main stem will be 

 formed, and the top may be easily 

 shaped and preserved by cutting back 

 the new shoots each year to about three 

 buds, and removing weak or superfluous 

 branches. 



With the bush lorm, new, vigorous 

 canes are constantly springing from 

 below ground, and stand ready to take 

 the place of any worn-out stalk and to 

 maintain the productiveness of the par- 

 ent bush. Five or six canes, including 

 the new ones, should be left in each 

 bush, or even more if the variety be 

 one with slender canes. Little pruning 

 will be necessary for two or three years 

 after planting, except to clip off the 

 ends of the shoots to favor development 

 of the fruit spurs along the cane. The 

 upper buds frequently grow so strongly 

 if this is not done, that the lower ones 

 fail to start, and the fruit is nearly all 

 borne toward the end of the canes, and 

 its weight forces them to the ground. 

 Besides this " heading in " weak or bro- 

 ken, or too vigorous branches, old canes 

 and those too close to the ground, 

 should be removed. The centre of the 

 bushes need not be kept open to the 



sunlight, as the fruit may become 

 scalded if not shaded by foliage, but 

 free circulation of air underneath the 

 branches should be promoted. 



DisE.'^SEs — The worst disease attack- 

 ing the native gooseberry is leaf spot. 

 a parasitic disease due to a fungus 

 which causes spotting of the leaves and 

 consequent weakness and defoliation. 

 It can probably be successfully treated 

 by spraying once with Bordeaux mix- 

 ture, before the fruit begins to grow, 

 andresuming the applications in midsum- 

 mer, after the fruit has been picked and 

 is not in danger of spotting by the spray. 



Mildew affects most seriously the 

 European gooseberries and their seed- 

 lings, and has almost prevented the cul- 

 tivation of the species in America. 



It can be largely prevented by plant- 

 ing on well-drained soil, in high loca- 

 tions, where good air drainage will 

 promote rapid evaporation of dews and 

 rains, and where circulation is not hin- 

 dered by tight fences, windbreaks, groves 

 or buildings ; by sliallow cultivation, to 

 keep the soil light and dry and free 

 from weeds ; by prunmg, to give the 

 air currents free access ; and by spray- 

 ing with fungicides. The best fungicide 

 fur this purpose is probably potassium 

 sulphide, as Bordeaux mixture is liable 

 to spot the fruit and decrease its market 

 value Spray the bushes thoroughly 

 as soon as the buds begin to open, and 

 every ten days thereafter until the fruit 

 is nearly ready to market, using a solu- 

 tion of I pound of the potassium sul- 

 phide in 32 gallons of water. If heavy 

 rains immediately follow the spraying, 

 repeat the application, and each time 

 use great care that all parts of the foli- 

 age are reached by the spray. If leaf- 

 eating insects are present, the poisons 

 which are fatal to them may be added 

 to the spray and a double protection 

 secured. 



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