8 



fruit it must be thoroughly ripe, as otherwise its flavour is not developed 

 and it is somewhat indigestible. For culinary purposes the fruit is 

 mostly used before it becomes ripe. Gooseberries are used in a green 

 state extensively for puddings and tarts, being, when cooked, both 

 wholesome and palatable. The unripe fruit may be kept for a long 

 time in bottles with water, and large quantities are preserved in this 

 way. In preserving in this way, the bottles are filled nearly to their 

 tops and then plunged for two or three minutes in boiling water, after 

 which they are tightly corked and sealed to prevent the admission of 

 air. For canning the Gooseberry is one of the best of fruits and is in 

 steady and increasing demand. In the form of jam the Gooseberry 

 makes an excellant and popular preserve, and for this purpose it may be 

 used either when green or ripe. Gooseberries yield an excellent and 

 palatable wine, which when carefully made from the most suitable kinds 

 and well matured, is somewhat similar to champagne. Wine is made 

 by pressing thoroughly ripe berries (as in the case of Grapes), straining 

 off the juice, and allowing it to ferment. When fermentation ceases it 

 should be put into casks, and after standing five or six months, may be 

 racked off and bottled. The wine may be used as soon as it is bottled, 

 but it will be improved if allowed to stand for a few months. If 

 carefully made, Gooseberry wine may be kept for many years, and its 

 quality will improve with age. 



CULTIVATION. 



The .Gooseberry thrives to perfection in a cool and moist climate, and 

 is a fruH specially adapted for elevated localities and mountain ranges. 

 It is useless to attempt its culture in the warmer districts. The flavour 

 of the fruit is more highly developed in a cold region, as long as there is 

 sufficient warmth to ripen it. Fruit grown in the north of Scotland is 

 by general consent admitted to have a higher flavour than that which is 

 grown in the southern parts. In England also the Gooseberry is more 

 highly flavoured in the northern than in the southern counties and more 

 generally cultivated. Lancashire, in particular, has been, specially noted 

 for Gooseberry culture for a long period, and many of the best varieties 

 have originated in that county. Under the most favourable conditions 

 the Gooseberry will attain a great age, and instances are on record of 

 plants in Great Britain that were over forty years old and then yielded 

 good crops of fruit. As a rule, however, there is a falling off in the yield 

 and size of the fruit when the plants have passed their prime, which is 

 usually the case when they are six or seven years old. The finest fruit 

 and the best crops are invariably obtained from young plants, and 

 plantations should be renewed at intervals of not more than seven or 

 eight years. 



Though the Gooseberry may be grown successfully in any fairly good 

 land, yet it thrives best in a rich, medium-light soil. To some extent the 

 size and quality of the fruit is influenced by the character of the soil, 

 For highly flavoured dessert fruit a rich, light, sandy loam, resting upon 

 a gravelly subsoil, is the most suitable. If large Gooseberries are 



