344 GENERAL REVIEW. 



grossularia}. All these species are natives of Britain, and from 

 them our cultivated varieties have originated, having been im- 

 proved by culture, selection, and seminal variation. It is curi- 

 ous to find that a form of our native Gooseberry (R. grossu- 

 laria Himalayand] is found in the Himalayas, and a green-ber- 

 ried variety of R. nigrum is a native of Russia, and there are 

 white, green, and flesh-coloured varieties of R. rubrum, all sup- 

 posed to be natives of Britain. R. sanguineum and R. aureum 

 (North American species,- of both of which there are several 

 forms), and others, are common as flowering shrubs. Fifty or 

 sixty species are known to botanists. All the kinds are readily 

 propagated from cuttings of the current year's wood, taken off 

 in autumn, and planted in rows 1 8 inches apart, leaving a space 

 of 8 or 10 inches between each cutting. The stronger the cut- 

 tings the better, say 12 to 16 inches in length ; and if planted 

 on the north, or shady side of a north wall or fence, they root 

 freely, and form nice little bushes the first summer. The eyes 

 on the lower part of the cutting should be rubbed off, or they 

 come up as suckers. A few dozen cuttings of good sorts may 

 be struck every season, to supply vacancies, or to give away. 

 Suckers should never be planted, as they rarely form clear- 

 stemmed bushes, and have a greater tendency to throw up 

 suckers than those bushes propagated from cuttings. New 

 varieties are originated from seed; and, notwithstanding the 

 great improvements made in the size of the Gooseberry by 

 Lancashire growers, there is still room for improvement in the 

 three great essentials of edible fruits of all kinds viz., size and 

 flavour of fruit, and a prolific habit of growth. 



The late Mr T. A. Knight raised many cross-bred varieties 

 between the largest red and white fruited Currants, and some 

 of his seedlings bore larger and sweeter fruit than the Dutch 

 and Belgian varieties of his time (see ' Trans. Hort. Soc.,' iii. 

 207). 



All the varieties seed freely, and the seeds may be cleaned 

 by rubbing in dry sand, or in a cloth ; after which, sow at once 

 in pans or boxes of light earth, and place the pans in a cold 

 frame until the spring, say February, when place them on a 

 gentle bottom-heat, until the young plants make their appear- 

 ance. In order to forward the young seedlings as much as 

 possible, a gentle hotbed may be made up, and covered with 

 about 6 inches of light rich soil, into which prick the young 

 plants as soon as large enough to handle, and cover with a 

 frame until they become established ; after which, remove the 

 frame, and water freely in hot dry weather. Seedling Goose- 

 berries and Currants fruit the second or third year ; but, like 



