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Gooseberries in Simcoe Co. 



Sir, — I have read the letter from Mr. 

 Stanley Spillett, in the August number, and 

 feel sorry that his gooseberries turned out 

 so bad this year, as lie has given us some 

 good adviee about mulching, etc. I have 

 two kinds of goo8el)erries growing in North 

 Simcoe ; 1 do not know their names, but 

 they are both large and prolific, and there 

 is no sign of mildew on them. In the spring 

 I put a small half ounce of bluestone in a 

 large bottle and till up with water, and when 

 1 spray with I'aris green, I put in a small 

 talilespoonful out of this bottle to the pail ; 

 perhaps that may have souielhing to do with 

 keeping otl' mildew. 



Robert H. Platt. 



Insect on Gooseberry and Currant 



Sir, — In the August number of the HoR 

 TicnLTUKisT, the Rev. \V.' A. Adcock, of 

 Kast Angus, Que writes about a small insect 

 which has blighted his gooseberry and cur- 

 rant bushes, and upon which Paris green had 

 no effect In Qucljec there is (|uite a lot of 

 tobacco grown, and if he would get some of 

 the dry stalks, which arc no good for other 

 use, and cut them up and make a decoction 

 in a pail or barrel of water, ami as soon as 

 he would notice the leaves turning dark, 

 give them a good spraying with this tobacco 

 water, I think he would settle tliem for the 

 season ; and if done for two or three seasons, 

 would exterminate them altogether. 



If I am mistaken in the insect and the 

 recipe does not answer, then try spraying 

 with kerosene emulsion. 



KOBKHT H. Pl.ATT. 



Whitesmith Gooseberries. 



Sir, — The illustration of Mr. F. \V. Por- 

 ters gooseberries, given on page 296 of the 

 HoRTicCLTURi.sT of last year, taken with the 

 writers statement that "The samples of 

 W'hitcsmith were so fine tliat we photo- 

 graphed one branch for the public benefit, 

 exactly the xi'ce of t/ie oriyinii/," (the italics 

 are mine, T. B. ), showed— as 1 then thought 

 — the berries much too small for a good sam- 

 ple as grown here : and if so, then the picture 

 did not do that excellent variety the justice 

 it so well merited ; but the season w&a then 

 too far advanced (about 1,5th September) to 

 compare the picture with our specimens ; but 

 now, when we can do so, the superior size of 

 the fruit grown here is apparent. As big 

 gooseberry stories, like fish stories, do not 

 receive much attention without good corrobo- 

 rative proof. 1 herewith send one dozen ber- 

 ries taken from a one gallon measure of fruit 



3 39 



that was being cleaned for market (and the 

 sample was not thereby sensddy injured), 

 which weighi .7', ounces. Compaie these 

 with the size of the berries ao shown on iHU'e 

 ■2<tO. ' ^ 



By the way, .Mr. Editor, might it not be a 

 good idea, now that so many persons are 

 interested in growing this k nd of fruit, for 

 you to ask growers to send you samples of 

 their berries anotlier year, so that you might 

 compire the fruit grown in seveial districts ? 

 You could ask ior a iiireii mimhi'rui berries 

 from each and have each lot accurately 

 weighed. Or, you could ask for a gh-tn 

 i('(fiij/it (which you should verify), and then 

 count the berries. In the first case, the num- 

 ber weighing most would be the best, and in 

 the second case, the best sample would be 

 the least in number. 



Thomas Beall, 



Lindsay, July 21tk, 1S97. 



The Gooseberry. 



Sir, — We often read of the success and 

 failure of those who are raising gooseberries, 

 and to the average reader it would seem 

 almost useless to venture into this branch of 

 fruit growing, as the present prices realized 

 by some would hardly pay for the labor 

 spent on them. As to the real cause for this 

 widespread dilHculty, it is hard to determine, 

 but as each grower has a theory of his own, 

 aud no doubt the result of success or failure 

 is to some extent iu the grower himself. 



I do not think that there is an over-pro- 

 duction of this fruit, anyway, not in this 

 section. However, as readers of this Jour- 

 nal, let us reason the matter, in a brief con- 

 sideration. We all know that all fruit must 

 be ripe, or nearly so, to be fit for using, and 

 especially the gooseberry. 



Just think to harvest the rasjiberry before 

 it is ripe, what it would taste like ; much 

 worse, we think, the gooseberry. I do think 

 it is perfectly apparent, upim a moment's 

 thought, that the gooseberry is gathered too 

 soon in many parts ; and I am not surprised 

 we have no market for this fruit. Nearly all 

 of us know the delicious Havor of the g<x)se- 

 berry at its best, and for pies, tarts, etc., it 

 has no eijual. 



Now the result is in pressing this fruit 

 on the market too soon. We discourage 

 buyers of this article or any other fruit, and 

 conse<iuently they have no desire for it. I 

 have known Downing, Whitesmith and others 

 pushed into our market here three and four 

 weeks before they were ripe. Think of this ; 

 would you buy them 'i 



No iloubt we may improve in other direc- 

 tions in this matter, but let us improve in 

 this. 



K. HF.R.SEE, WoodMocl: 



