346 



The Gooseberry. 



Vol. XII. 



themselves, and now he has a farm and 

 plan of operations that may safely challenge 

 competition. 



In this example we see forcibly illustrated, 

 the value of agricultural reading, to the farm- 

 er who has the good sense to follow those 

 suggestions that are applicable to his soil, 

 location and means. It is not to be expect- 

 ed that every practically written article pub- 

 lished in an agricultural journal of wide cir- 

 culation, can be of universal application, for 

 soils, localities as to markets, &-c., &c., must 

 necessarily vary. The farmer, therefore, 

 who fails to exercise suitable judgment in 

 following the suggestions of others, has 

 mainly to blame himself, probably, if he 

 meets with disappointments. 



How many young farmers, commencing 

 in life with heavy mortgages upon them, 

 pursue the mistaken course of cutting off 

 their wood and timber, ploughing up their 

 pastures every few years for a grain crop, 

 without even sowing grass seeds, and in- 

 venting every other possible means to cheat 

 "mother earth" of a crop, without returning 

 her any equivalent; — in other vvords, "de- 

 stroying the goose that lays the golden egg,'''' 

 — and all from the plea that they are in debt. 

 Let all such be reminded by the example of 

 Mr. Rice, that this is no^ the true policy. 

 Like him, let them seize hold of every means 

 the farm affords for making and saving ma- 

 nure, thus increasing the crops and the re- 

 ward of their labour, affording a more sure 

 and expeditious means of liquidating mort- 

 gages, with a farm lefl wortb cultivating; a 

 farm upon which they may live in independ- 

 ence, with the pleasing reflection, in the 

 evening of life, that theirs is an example 

 safely to be followed by their children. 



Further remarks, suggested by the exam- 

 ple of this farmer, might be pursued, but the 

 unwarrantable length of this communication 

 admonishes me to forbear. 



F. HOLBROOK. 



Bratlleboro, Vt. January 6th, 1848. 



The Gooseberry. 



The gooseberry of our gardens is a native 

 of the north of Europe, our native species 

 never having been improved by garden cul- 

 ture. This low prickly shrub, which, in its 

 wild state bears small round or oval fruit, 

 about half an inch in diameter, and weigh- 

 ing one-fourth of an ounce, has been so 

 greatly improved by the system of succes- 

 sive reproduction from the seed, and high 

 culture by British gardeners, that it now 

 bears fruit nearly, or quite two inches in di- 

 ameter, and weighing an ounce and a half 

 Lancashire, in England, is the meridian of 



the gooseberry, and to the Lancashire weav- 

 ers, who seem to have taken it as a hobby, 

 we are indebted for nearly all the surpris- 

 ingly large sorts of modern date. Their an- 

 nual shows exhibit this fruit in its greatest 

 perfection, and a Gooseberry Book is pub- 

 lished at Manchester every year, giving a 

 list of all the prize sorts, etc. Indeed the 

 climate of England seems, from its moist- 

 ness and coolness, more perfectly fitted than 

 any other to the growth of this fruit. On 

 the continent it is considered of little ac- 

 count, and with us, south of Philadelphia, it 

 succeeds but indifferently. In the northern, 

 and especially in the eastern States, how- 

 ever, the gooseberry, on strong soils, where 

 the best sorts are chosen, thrives admirably, 

 and produces very fine crops. 



This fruit is in the first place a very im- 

 portant one in its green state, being in high 

 estimation for pies, tarts, and puddings, com- 

 ing into use earlier than any other. The 

 earliest use made of it appears to have been 

 as a sauce with green goose, whence the 

 name, goose-berry. In its ripe state, it is a 

 very agreeable table fruit, and in this coun- 

 try, following the season of cherries, it is 

 always most acceptable. Unripe gooseber- 

 ries are bottled in water for winter use, — 

 placing the bottles nearly filled, a few mo- 

 ments in boiling water, afterwards corking 

 and sealing them, and burying them in a 

 cool cellar, with the necks downward. As 

 a luxury for the poor, Mr. Loudon considers 

 this the most valuable of all fruits, "since it 

 can be grown in less space, in more unfa- 

 vourable circumstances, and brought sooner 

 into bearing than any other." In the United 

 States the gooseberry, in humble gardens, is 

 frequently seen in a very wretched state — 

 the fruit poor and small, and covered, with 

 mildew. This arises partly from ignorance 

 of a proper mode of cultivation, but chiefly 

 from the sorts grown being very inferior 

 ones, always much liable to this disease. 



Gooseberry plants should only be raised 

 from cuttings. New varieties are of course 

 raised from seed, but no one here will at- 

 tempt to do what, under more favourable 

 circumstances, the Lancashire growers can 

 do so much better. In preparing cuttings 

 select the strongest and straightest young 

 shoots of the current year, at the end of Oc- 

 tober — or very early in the ensuing spring; — 

 cut out all the buds that you intend to go be- 

 low the ground — to prevent future suckers — 

 and plant the cuttings in a deep rich soil, on 

 the north side of a fence, or in some shaded 

 border. The cuttings should be inserted six 

 inches deep, and from three to six or eight 

 inches should remain above ground. The 

 soil should be pressed very firmly about the 



