CHAPTER XX 

 VARIETIES OF GOOSEBERRIES 



Compared with European varieties, Ameri- 

 can .gooseberries are far from perfect. This 

 fruit has been much neglected by fruit-growers 

 and nurserymen in this country. A well- 

 ripened gooseberry is one of the most de- 

 lectable of fruits, yet the American people 

 have had little opportunity to become ac- 

 quainted with the ripe product, as fruit- 

 growers in this country nearly always send the 

 crop to market in the green state. Neglect 

 takes another turn. With curious persistence, 

 in the light of their own interests, fruit-growers 

 and nurserymen insist on growing Houghton 

 and Downing, when several other varieties 

 with larger, handsomer, better-flavored fruits, 

 and with plants as hardy and productive, could 

 be grown. Gooseberry-culture in America, 

 therefore, is in the deplorable state of being 

 represented by two inferior sorts, when the 

 culture of a dozen choicely good kinds would 

 sooner or later put the gooseberry in the ranks 

 of the major fruits, as it is in England, where 

 several hundreds of varieties have been intro- 

 duced, a fair proportion of which are now 

 under cultivation. But nineteen varieties are 

 now prominent enough for mention in Amer- 

 ica; several of these probably exist in name 

 only, the plants being identical with those of 

 older sorts; and, at present, there is little in- 

 terest in this fruit. Gooseberry-culture in this 

 country awaits the stimulus of better varieties, 

 the marketing of the ripened product instead 

 of the green, and the increasing demand al- 

 most sure to follow these stimulants. 



CARRIE. R. hirtellumXR- Grossularia. 

 In Minnesota, Wisconsin and neighboring 

 states, where only the hardiest fruits can be 

 grown, Carrie is becoming the most popular 

 gooseberry. It is much like Houghton but 

 distinct, although some maintain that it is 

 identical, and does not deserve to replace the 

 older sort where the latter is now established. 

 The variety originated with Wyman Elliott, 

 Minneapolis, Minnesota, from seed of Hough- 

 ton, supposed to have been crossed with In- 

 dustry; the seed was planted in 1892. 



Plants very large, spreading, dense, productive ; canes 

 long, slender, willowy ; spines slender, short, few. 

 Leaves large, thick, dull green, glossy, free from 

 mildew. Flowers midseason, singly or in clusters of 

 2, 3, or 5. Berries small, round-oval, purplish-red, con- 

 spicuously veined, grayish bloom ; pedicel slender ; flesh 

 green, firm, juicy, translucent, pleasantly subacid ; qual- 

 ity good to very good ; seeds small, rather few. 



more generally grown, as it is far superior to 

 Houghton and Downing, which nurserymen 

 keep constantly before their customers. Chau- 

 tauqua is less easily propagated than the 

 sorts named, hence difficult to obtain and 

 consequently neglected. It 

 is a fine gooseberry of the 

 European type, almost free 

 from mildew, and easily 

 grown wherever the com- 

 paratively worthless Hough- 

 ton and Downing will thrive. 

 The original plant was found 

 by Lewis Roesch, Fredonia, 

 New York, in 1876. It is 

 probably a pure-bred Euro- 

 pean and possibly an old 

 English sort renamed. Free- 

 dom, Columbus, Portage, 

 Triumph, Duplication, Wel- 

 lington Glory, and Careless 

 are all very similar, and no 

 doubt some of them are 

 identical. 



270. 

 Chautauqua. 



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CHAUTAUQUA. Fig. 270. R. Grossu- 

 laria. It is surprising that Chautauqua is not 



Plants medium large, vigorous, stocky, upright- 

 spreading, rather dense, very productive, with but little 

 mildew ; suckers few, smooth, straight, rather long, 

 with short internodes, dull, light gray ; spines thick, 

 strong, numerous, long, very sharp, in ones, twos and 

 threes. Leaves obovate, taper-pointed, thick ; upper 

 surface glossy, light green, smooth, glabrous ; lower 

 surface olive-green ; margin blunt-crenate ; petiole about 

 % inch long, slender, pubescent. Flowers midseason. 

 Fruit midseason ; large in diameter, round-oval, silvery 

 green ; pedicels % inch long, pubescent ; skin smooth, 

 covered with bloom, thick, tough, translucent ; flesh 

 pale green, juicy, firm, sweet ; quality good ; seeds 

 large, numerous. 



COLUMBUS. Fig. 

 271. R. Grossularia. 

 Very similar to Chau- 

 tauqua, or identical 

 with it, Columbus is 

 offered by several nur- 

 serymen as distinct. If 

 it differs from Chau- 

 tauqua, it is in the 

 fruits, which seem to 

 some authorities to be 

 larger and yellower. On 

 the assumption that it 

 does differ in fruit, it is 

 well to let the variety 

 stand, as it is one of 

 the best of the English 

 gooseberries for Amer- 

 ican conditions. It was introduced by Ell- 

 wanger & Barry, Rochester, New York, some 

 time previous to 1890. 



271. Columbus. 

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