AHEL HOnJHTOX 



ticulture, and many are now living who recollect his 

 In -a ut if ul flower garden, almost the only one of note 

 in Lynn in those early days. Mr. Hough ton was not a 

 native of Lynn, as we understand it, and there are no 

 descendants of his that we know of. He was called 

 Abel Houghton, Jr., so we infer that his father's 

 name was Abel. Mr. Houghton died many years ago, 

 but when our society was organized, about twenty 

 years ago, many of the chief promoters of the move- 

 ment, recalling the lovely flower garden of Abel 

 Houghton, Jr., decided to pass his name down by 

 having it placed in Article I. of our Constitution." 



The second development in the evolution of Amer- 

 ican gooseberries was the production of a seedling 

 of the Houghton by Downing, at Newburgh, N. Y. 

 The earliest account of it I know is by "Rusticus," in 

 the "Horticulturist" for 1853,* as 

 follows: "Downing's Seedling Goose- 

 berry, the largest yet known, being 

 about twice the size of Houghton's 

 Seedling, its parent. Pale or light 

 green, without any blush, and smooth. 

 The skin is very thin, and the fruit 

 as delicate and tender as any European 

 gooseberry in its native soil. The 

 flavor and aroma are perfect; sweet, 

 with plenty of vinous subacid. The 

 first describer says: 'I experienced 

 the same satisfaction as I did in tast- 

 ing the Delaware and Rebecca grapes. It comes up to the 

 best English varieties in our very different climate.' " 



This berry, now known as the Downing, is the 



*Vol. viii. 313. 



Fig. 96. Crown Bob, 

 an English goose- 

 berry. 



