THE GOOSEBERRY. 561 



after being set is thinned out, as well as the branches, and not more 

 than one or two berries are allowed to a branch when the object is 

 prize fruit ; we have, indeed, seen not more than two berries to an 

 entire bush, the shoot being pegged down to within a few inches of 

 the ground, and a saucer of water placed under each berry, in order, 

 by its evaporation, to keep its surface moist and promote its swelling. 

 The berries intended for prizes are protected from heavy rains by a 

 cap of oiled paper, or by a bell-glass, or any other suitable contrivance ; 

 because should a slight shower fall on them at the time they are 

 ripening, they are very apt to burst. These caps, however, must not 

 be put on except when rain is expected, in order not to deprive the 

 leaves of sun and air. Prize gooseberry-bushes are thought to be at 

 their best when five or six years old from seed, and four or five years 

 from cuttings. 



Gathering and Keeping, fyc. Unripe gooseberries for tarts are in a 

 fit state for that purpose by the end of April, and they may be thinned 

 out from those that are to remain for ripening till the middle of July. 

 If two-thirds of the produce of every plant is thinned out in a green 

 state, it will add considerably to the size of those which remain. Ripe 

 gooseberries should be gathered on the day in which they are sent to 

 table, but both these and unripe fruit may, when necessary, be kept a 

 week or more, by being placed in the icehouse-room or in the fruit- 

 cellar. Gooseberries may be preserved on the trees, either by matting 

 up each bush separately; by covering with canvas or matting both 

 sides of an espalier or gooseberry-hedge ; or by enclosing a square 

 of bushes by pales or canvas frames six feet high ; constructing the 

 framework of a roof over this space, and covering it with canvas. 



Insects, Diseases, and Casualties. No pest is more common in gardens 

 than the gooseberry caterpillar, by which is meant the larva of several 

 kinds of moths, saw-flies, and some butterflies. They are all hatched 

 on the leaves, and the great art of preventing them from injuring the 

 plants is to watch for the appearance of the eggs, and, as soon as any 

 are seen, commence syringing the plants powerfully with lime-water, 

 using an inverted rose on the syringe, so as to throw the water against 

 the under-sides of the leaves, as it is there that the eggs are deposited. 

 Lime-water, when properly prepared and applied, will destroy, in its 

 young state, the larva of every insect that lives on the leaves of plants ; 

 but to those who find it insufficient, we would recommend, first, to 

 moisten the leaves by the syringe or watering-pot, and then to dust 

 them, either with powdered quick-lime, coarse tobacco powder, or the 

 powder of white hellebore (Veratrum album) ; or if either of the two 

 last means be used, the powder may be mixed with soap-suds, and 

 the plants watered or syringed with it ; but in this case the skin 

 of the fruit will not escape being covered with the liquor ; and 

 hellebore is less deadly in its effects than if it is applied directly to the 

 insects in the state of powder. Dusted on in a fresh state, it kills every 

 one that it touches. As the caterpillars are mostly under the leaves, 

 it should be thrown up with a puff, or the finger and thumb, directly 

 on the insects. If merely scattered over the surface of the bushes, more 







