CURRANTS AND GOOSEBERRIES 173 



it seems that the plants were not cultivated in gardens 

 until about four hundred years ago. Between the years 

 1500 and 1600 the plants were frequently cultivated in 

 Europe, especially in Holland and England, and various 

 distinct varieties were developed. At a later period 

 the cultivation of the Gooseberry became a hobby with 

 the weavers of Lancashire, England. They had Goose- 

 berry exhibits every year and did a great deal to im- 

 prove the size and quality of the fruit. Thanks largely 

 to their interest there are now many varieties of these 

 English Gooseberries grown in England and to a less 

 extent in America. 



From time immemorial, also, a species of Gooseberry 

 (called by botanists Rihes oxyacanthoides) has been grow- 

 ing wild in North America, especially in the eastern 

 United States. The ripe fruit had doubtless been 

 utilized by the Indians centuries before the Pilgrims 

 landed at Plymouth, and probably was eaten by both 

 Indians and Whites thereafter. But so far as we know, 

 no one took the trouble to grow these Gooseberry plants 

 in gardens until about 1833, when a seedling was raised 

 from a wild Gooseberry fruit at Lynn, Massachusetts, 

 by Abel Houghton. It proved so valuable that it was 

 introduced as a new variety, and named the Houghton, 

 after the originator. It is still grown, though better 

 sorts have since been obtained as seedlings from it. It 

 is probable that the original Houghton plant was a 

 hybrid, the pollen that fertilized the seed coming from 

 one of the English sorts growing near a wild plant set 

 in Abel Houghton's garden. Many sorts since intro- 

 duced are also such hybrids. 



Thus it happens that we have in America today two 



