NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



97 



HOUGHTON'S SEEDLING GOOSEBERRY. 



This valuable Gooseberry was raised from seed 

 by Mr. Abel Houghton some years ago, when he 

 resided in Lynn. It is a cross between our native 

 Gooseberry and some foreign kind. It resembles our 

 natives in its growth, hardiness, and superior quality 

 of the fruit. 



The berry is rather small as may be seen in the 

 engraving; oval; the skin thin, reddish brown; 

 the flesh fine, very tender, sweet and of a fine de- 

 licious flavor. It is a very superior Gooseberry for 

 the dessert, it is also excellent for cooking, and it 

 is in good condition for this purpose for about four 

 weeks. 



As a grower, it excels by far all other kinds 

 that we have cultivated; and as to bearing, every 

 season, nearly all the growth of the previous year 

 is covered with fruit. Last year we had from one 

 to two quarts of fiuit, on bushes that had been set 

 the previous year. A plant well set in the spring, 

 in a good soil, will make a large growth the first 

 year, and the next year it w ill be loaded with fruit. 



This variety not only excels in growth, bearing 

 and quality, but it is free from blight which is the 

 destruction of almost every foreign kind cultivated 

 in the country. We know of some gardeners, 

 who, having become acquainted with Houghton's 

 Seedling, have excluded every other variety from 

 their grounds. And we have cultivated a select 

 list of foreign kinds, and their fruit has all blasted, 

 while the Houghton has yielded an abundance of 

 fine fruit. We regard it as not only superior to 



any kind of foreign gooseberry, but worth far more 

 than all of them for this country of hot summers. 



The following article on this subject is from Col. 

 Henry Little, of Bangor, Me., well known to hor- 

 ticulturists for his intelligence and zeal in regard 

 to fruit. We copy from the Bangor Courier. 



Very much has been done within a few years 

 past in this vicinity to introduce valuable fruits, 

 and whoever visited the Horticultural Exliibition 

 of ours held in Bangor in September last, could^ 

 perceive the success that has crowned the eflbrts of 

 our citizen in its cultivation. Among other fruits 

 50 of the most valualilc varieties of the Gooseberry 

 were imported from England by our firm in 1847-8, 

 and they have been found highly valuable in point 

 of flavor, large size and productiveness. In some 

 locations a few of the varieties have mildewed, and 

 in others they have been entirely free from it. It 

 is said that the mildew may be prevented by cover- 

 ing the ground with hay or straw, or what is still 

 better meadow moss, say three or four inclics deep 

 — or salt hay. 



After experimenting with 40 varieties for four 

 years part, I have found the Houghton decidedly 

 the most valuable, as it never mildews, it exceeds 

 any other in productiveness, a very rajiid grower, 

 and is very easy to multiply, for unlike all others 

 in its habit it is inclined to run on the ground like 

 a vine. Wherever the branches are covered with 

 earth the layers take root very readily. The ber- 

 ries arc about the size of a cranberry, but of first 

 rate flavor. This variety headed the list of ten 

 which were recommended for general cultivation at 

 the American Pomological Congress, held in New 

 York, in October last. 



