658 



GOOSEBERRY 



GOOSEFOOT 



928. An American Gooseberry (X %) Ribes oxyacanthoides. 



partakes largely of European characteristics. Downing 

 is the most widely planted of all Gooseberries in America 

 (Fig. 929); fruit medium size, oval, green; plantupright, 

 vigorous, healthy, productive. Houghton, an old favor- 

 ite; fr. small, round, dark red, good quality. Pearl; 

 almost identical with Downing, of which it is a seedling. 

 Josselyn ; f r. large, red, oval ; plant vigorous and pro- 

 lific. Another promising native type is R. Cynos'bati, 

 represented by the Mathews, of Iowa origin. 



Propagation. This is effected in three principal ways. 

 (1) Cuttings : The Gooseberry does not "strike" very 

 readily from cuttings. Native varieties root more freely 

 than English types. The cuttings may be taken in the 

 fall, as soon as the wood is ripened. They should be 

 7 to 9 in. long. They may be set in the ground at once, 

 or tied in bundles and buried in the ground, or stored in 

 a cold cellar over winter. The cellar must be cold 

 almost down to freezing point. Fall-set cuttings should 

 be planted obliquely, so that the heaving of the ground 

 will not throw them out. Set cuttings in nursery row 

 3 feet apart and give clean culture. (2) Layers: Propa- 

 gation by layering is the common nursery practice. For 

 this purpose, plants 5 or 6 years old are used. They 

 should be vigorous and healthy. They should be cut 

 back severely in the autumn or early spring. This en- 

 courages a dense, bushy growth. The layering is done 

 by plowing a furrow against the row on each side and 

 forcing the branches down by throwing soil directly on 

 top of the bushes. In moist regions a comparatively 

 small amount of covering is necessary. In dryish re- 

 gions 5 or 6 inches of soil is necessary. In the fall the 

 soil is removed and the rooted branches separated from 

 the parent bush, leaving buds for the production of 

 shoots the following season ; or, the entire plant may be 

 taken up and divided. (3) Root-cuttings: Native Goose- 

 berries may also be propagated by cuttings of the roots. 

 The plants are taken up in the fall with all roots pos- 

 sible. The latter are cut into 2- or 3-inch lengths and 



929. Downing Gooseberry. 



packed in boxes of earth, which are stored in a cold cel- 

 lar. In spring the pieces of roots are planted in nursery 

 rows, covered with 2 inches of soil. English varieties 

 are not readily propagated by this method. When single- 

 stem plants are desired, they should be grown from cut- 

 tings. In order to discourage sprouting tendencies the 

 buds above the roots should be removed disbudded. 

 Layer plants are best for producing the bush form of 

 plant used almost exclusively in America. 



Diseases. The Gooseberry, as a rule, is affected seri- 

 ously by only two plant parasites, mildew and leaf-spot. 

 The former attacks the English varieties, while the lat- 

 ter is the chief fungous enemy of American varieties. 



Mildew ( SphcerotJiecct Mors-Uvce): This is the bug- 

 bear of English varieties in America. It has done more 

 to discourage the cultivation of this type than anything 

 else. This fungus attacks shoots, foliage and fruit. It 

 covers the affected part with a gray, frost-like coating. 

 This turns to a dirty brown later on. It is a surface- 

 growing parasite, and the web-like covering may be 

 peeled from the fruit in its early stages. The ends of 

 the shoots and younger leaves are attacked first, caus- 

 ing the bush to take on a stunted appearance. Reme- 

 dies for mildew: (1) Sanitary: circulation of air secured 

 by a favorable site, good drainage and proper training. 

 (2) Fungicides: (a) Potassium sulphide, liver of sulphur 

 1 oz. to 2 gals, water. Spray 4 or 5 times, at intervals of 

 6 or 8 days, beginning with the unfolding of the leaves. 

 (b) Bordeaux mixture may be used with good results 

 for the first two applications. It stains the fruit when 

 applied after the fruit is half-grown, (c) Dilute copper 

 sulphate, 1 oz. to 15 gals, water, may be used through- 

 out the season. 



Leaf-spot (Septoria Hibis) : This disease attacks the 

 leaves only. It produces numerous small brown, irregu- 

 larly shaped spots or patches on the Ivs. This spotting 

 causes a premature dropping of the Ivs., often before 

 the fruit is fully developed. Remedy: Spray early in 

 the season, and again after harvesting the fruit, with 

 Bordeaux mixture. 



Injurious Insects. (1) The imported Currant worm: 

 The larva of a saw-fly attacks the foliage soon after 

 fruit sets. The attack is first made on the lower 

 leaves. From this point the worms work upward on 

 the bush, stripping the leaves in their line of march. 

 The worms are exceedingly voracious, and will defoliate 

 a bush in 2 or 3 days. The mature insect is a saw-fly, 

 which deposits its eggs on the under side of the leaf. 

 Usually two broods occur during the season. Treatment: 

 Spray with arsenical poison early. Bordeaux mixture 

 and Paris green may be used in combination for the 

 early spray. For the later sprays, fresh powdered 

 hellebore, at the rate of 1 Ib. to 50 gals, of water, is 

 effective. The grower should not wait for the insect 

 to make its appearance, but should ward off danger as 

 soon as the leaves appear by spraying with Bordeaux 

 mixture and Paris green, which will adhere to the 

 foliage and be on the spot when needed. Other in- 

 jurious insects are the Gooseberry fruit worm (JSpochra 

 Canadensis), which burrows in the green fruit, causing 

 it to drop. Remedy: Destroy infested berries. 



2. Currant borer (Psenocerus supernotatus) : The 

 larva of a moth. Eggs are laid near the tip of the cane, 

 down the center of which the larva tunnels. Infested 

 canes are readily detected. They should be cut out and 

 burned. San Jose" scale and four-lined leaf-bug are 

 sometimes injurious. When a plantation is infested by 

 the former it should be thoroughly treated with whale 

 oil soap mixture in winter, diluted kerosene on sunshiny 

 days in spring, or, in bad cases of infestation, it will 

 probably be wisest to root up and destroy the bushes. 

 Kerosene emulsion is used against the four-lined bug 

 with success. JOHN CRAIG. 



GOOSEBEKKY, BAKBADOES. See PeresJcia. 

 GOOSEFOOT. Vernacular for Chenopodium. 



