Small and Bush Fruits: Gooseberries 145 



appearance and show signs of browning at the edges. If the under side 

 of the leaves is carefully scanned, minute red dots will be seen; with a 

 moderate magnifying glass, that these dots are spiders will be clear. 



To get at this pest it will be necessary to spray the under side of 

 the leaves. The nozzle must be turned up and held at the bottom of 

 the bush. A good poisonous spray that is not injurious to foliage must 

 be used here also (see p. 147). 



Although a good many varieties of the Gooseberry figure in the 

 catalogue of the nurseryman, the number of them that are worth plant- 

 ing for market purposes is small. 



May Duke or May Queen (the names seem synonymous for the same 

 berry) is the earliest for picking. This variety does best in sheltered 

 positions on warm soil. The fruit is of a light-green colour and swells 

 quickly. In favourable situations it is big enough to pick green at the 

 end of May. When ripe it is red in colour. 



Lancashire Lad. A red berry when ripe, of elongated shape and 

 medium size. The bush does not grow to a great size. It is useful either 

 for green or ripe picking. 



Whinham's Industry. A berry very much like the one just referred 

 to. The bush grows to a greater size, and it comes into full bearing 

 very quickly, but does not seem to stand as long. The fruit is smoother 

 than the last, slightly larger, and does not ripen such a red colour. 



Crown Bob. A strong -growing bush, with fruit medium to large. 

 Not quite such a free bearer as the two varieties just mentioned. It 

 ripens very slowly, retaining its green colour longer than any other red 

 variety. For this reason it is very useful, because it can be used for 

 "green" work when other red sorts have put on too much colour. 



White Lion. Bush growing to a great size; fruit very large, white, 

 almost transparent when ripe; sweet in flavour. A very prolific variety, 

 bearing fruit in double rows along the shoots. A variety very much 

 grown in Middlesex. The fruit can be sold for green later than any 

 other. At first the berries are of a dark-brown tint near the stalk, so 

 that they cannot be picked so early as other varieties. This brown dis- 

 coloration goes off in June. 



Other market-garden varieties are Crown Bob (red), Keepsake (yellow), 

 Monarch (deep red), and Whitesmith (white). 



Gooseberries cost about 4 per 1000 to buy. Planting will cost about 

 Is. Qd. per 100. The bushes will come into remunerative bearing on 

 the fourth or fifth year. Pruning for full-grown bushes costs from 34s. 

 to 40s. per acre. Cultivation will depend upon the system of cropping 

 followed. A full crop of Gooseberries, with nothing between, will cost 

 3 an acre to keep clean; if, however, intercropping is practised, then 

 the cost depends upon the nature of the crop introduced, and how much 

 of the cost can be set to the debit of that crop. Picking costs from Is. 

 per half-sieve, when the fruit is small at the commencement, to 4>^d. and 

 3d. when they are full grown and there is a good crop. Prices vary 



VOL. III. 40 



