150 STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



ripe. In some localities, in fact, most of the gooseberry crop is 

 shipped "green." In this case the fruit is often stripped from 

 the bushes, run through a fanning mill to free it from leaves, 

 twigs, «&c., and then packed in boxes. In short it is treated in 

 much the same way as is the blueberry crop in our own State. 



CULTURE AND TRAIXIXG, 



Under good culture gooseberries will succeed well on a 

 variety of soils but as with the currant the best results are 

 obtained on a strong rather moist but well drained clay loam. 

 Thorough but shallow- cultivation should be given whether for 

 home use or in extensive field culture. 



As a commercial crop gooseberries are often grown between 

 the trees in young orchards. While the best results can not be 

 expected as the trees get older, the gooseberry does fairly well in 

 partial shade. In ordinary field culture the plants should be 

 set about five feet apart each way or in rows six feet apart 

 and four or five feet distant in the row. Gooseberries like 

 currants are trained both in the tree form and in the bush form. 

 Ordinarily the latter is preferable as in this way the canes may 

 be removed as they pass their most productive age. 



As a rule little pruning is required during the first three or 

 fourth years except to head back the strong new shoots and 

 remove a few of the less vigorous ones for the purpose of devel- 

 oping fruit spurs all along the canes. The latter treatment con- 

 sists in annually removing superfluous branches and checking 

 growth sufBcient to keep the bushes within bounds. The top 

 should be renewed by training up new canes as often as once in 

 five or six years. In order that there may be no cessation in the 

 production of fruit two years should be taken in renewing the 

 top. 



PROPAGATION. 



The gooseberry may be grown from cuttings as described for 

 the currant. The European varieties are, however, very diffi- 

 cult of propagation in this way and the usual method practiced 

 with all varieties is that of mound layering. 



By this method the old plants are headed back to induce the 

 formation of strone new' shoots near the surface of the ground. 



