1360 



GOOSEBERRY 



GOOSEBERRY 



European (of most general adaptation) : Whitesmith, 

 Industry (Fig. 1671). 



European (least affected by mildew at Central 

 Experimental Farm, Ottawa, Canada): Companion, 

 Eagle, Glenton Green, Queen of Trumps, Snowball. 



European (grown by R. B. Whyte, Ottawa, Canada, 

 under garden conditions): Tri- 

 umph, Lofty, Green Ocean, 

 Conn, Weatherall, Sportsman. 



Scalding of the fruit. 



In a very hot dry time, goose- 

 berries are often scalded, become 

 unfit for use and fall to the 

 ground. If the gooseberries are 

 planted in heavy, cool soil and 

 the ground kept well cultivated 

 and the currant- worm prevented 

 from eating the foliage there will 

 be little trouble. Unfortunately, 

 in many plantations the foliage 

 is very scant, either on account 

 of poor cultivation or injury 

 from the currant-worm, and it is 

 under such conditions that the 

 greatest injury occurs. 



Insects and diseases affecting the 

 gooseberry. 



Currant - worm or imported 

 sawfly (Pteronus ribesii, Scop.). 

 By far the best known of all the 

 insects which injure currants and 

 gooseberries is the currant- worm. 

 The black-spotted dark green 

 false caterpillars of this insect 

 may unfortunately be found in 

 almost every plantation of currants or gooseberries, every 

 year in almost all parts of the temperate regions of 

 North America. The white eggs are laid in rows along 

 the ribs of the leaf on the lower side, toward the end 

 of May. From these the young larvae hatch and soon 

 make their presence known by the small holes they 

 eat through the leaves. Unless promptly destroyed, 

 they will soon strip the bushes of their leaves, thus 

 weakening them considerably so as to prevent them 

 ripening fruit the first year, and also reducing the qual- 

 ity of the crop of the following season. There are at 

 least two broods in a season. The first appears just as 

 the leaves are attaining full growth, and the second just 

 as the fruit is ripening. The perfect insect is a four- 

 winged fly which may be seen flying about the bushes 

 early in spring. The male is blackish, with yellow legs 

 and of about the same size as a house-fly, but with a 

 more slender body. The female is larger than the male 

 and has the body as well as the legs yellow. Remedy: 

 For the first brood a weak mixture of paris green, one 

 ounce to ten gallons of water, may be sprayed over the 

 bushes, or a dry mixture one 

 ounce of paris green to six 

 pounds of flour may be 

 dusted over the foliage after 

 a shower or when the leaves 

 are damp with dew. For the 

 second brood paris green 

 must not be used, but white 

 hellebore; this is dusted on 

 as a dry powder; or a decoc- 

 tion of this powder, one ounce 

 to two gallons of water, may 

 be sprayed over the bushes. It 

 is, of course, far better to treat 

 the first brood thoroughly, so 



1670. Crown Bob, an ^ to reduce the number of 

 Engish gooseberry. females which would lay eggs 

 ( x *A) for the second brood. 



1669. Gooseberry trained in tree form. 



Gooseberry fruit-worm (Zophodia grossularise, Pack.). 

 Just before gooseberries ripen, clusters of two or three 

 may sometimes be noticed, which are prematurely 

 colored, and which are joined together by the webs spun 

 by the caterpillar of a small moth. These caterpillars 

 are pale greenish white and sometimes have a reddish 

 tinge. They live inside the ber- 

 ries and, when the contents of 

 one berry are consumed, attack 

 another near at hand, joining it 

 to the first by a silken web. 

 When full grown they fall to the 

 ground and spin brown parch- 

 ment-like cocoons, just beneath 

 the surface of the ground. The 

 moths, which are pale gray, 

 marked with dark streaks and 

 bands, are very rarely observed. 

 They fly early in spring, and 

 there is only one brood in the 

 year. Remedy: The best method 

 of controlling this insect, which 

 fortunately is never very abun- 

 dant, is to pick by hand the 

 clusters of injured berries. It is 

 thought that chickens and other 

 poultry are useful in destroying 

 the larvae and chrysalids; and it 

 is certain that, while chickens 

 are very small, they are useful in 

 a garden in destroying a great 

 number of injurious insects. The 

 old hen, however, should be 

 kept securely cooped up and not 

 allowed to run at large. 



Gooseberry mildew (Sphxro- 

 theca mors-uv&). The goose- 

 berry mildew has prevented the general culture of 

 the European gooseberry in America. This disease 

 attacks the leaves, twigs and fruit. When the attack 

 is bad it destroys the foliage, covers the fruit and causes 

 most of it to drop. It saps the growing shoots to such 

 an extent that they do not ripen properly, and dry up 

 without setting fruit-buds. It thus practically destroys 

 the crop. The disease is apparent early in the season in 

 the web-like covering which coats the leaves, shoots and 

 fruit. This is the mycelium from which is given off the 

 spores which propagate this disease. It is usually 

 noticed first in the lower and most shaded parts of the 

 bush. When the spores are being given off, the mildew 

 has a powdery appearance. Winter-spores are formed 

 later which germinate in the spring. As the mycelium 

 and spores are both on the surface it might be thought 

 this disease could be easily controlled, but the weather 

 conditions in this country seem so favorable to the 

 development of spores that the gooseberry mildew 

 spreads with great rapidity, and constant and thorough 

 spraying is necessary to prevent it from doing so. 

 American varieties are seldom 

 affected by gooseberry mildew, 

 although occasionally they are 

 slightly attacked. Remedies: 

 So far, there has been no good 

 remedy for the gooseberry mil- 

 dew, but the most promising 

 remedy is the lime-sulfur wash 

 applied first when the buds 

 are breaking and then at inter- 

 vals during the growing sea- 

 son. So far, the best formulas 

 and the best times to spray 

 have not been accurately 

 worked out. Potassium sulfide 

 in the proportion of one ounce 1671 i ndustry> one of 

 to two gallons of water has the English gooseberries, 

 controlled the mildew in some (Natural size.) 



