i78 



THE LANCASTER FARMER. 



[ December, 



ments of such a reversed sinecMre. Hpnce we 

 labored on as best we could under tbe circum- 

 stances, and if we indulged in any future hope, 

 it was rather a hope to be relieved from our 

 burden of responsibility than any settled hope 

 of compensation. 



AVe are far from say in? that no other man 

 in Lancaster county could have labored as we 

 did to sustain the Farmer, but it is exceed- 

 ingly questionable with us whether, in these 

 grasping and avaricious times, any other man 

 would have done so. As it is, we have " burned 

 the midnight oil " for eight of our declining 

 years without the les.st pecuniary compensation ; 

 and on the whole, we do not think the pub- 

 lishers realized much more, if even so mach. At 

 the lowest rate of editorial compensation, our 

 services were worth three hundred dollars a 

 year — indeed, we know many who do not per- 

 form half the labor we did, who receive five 

 times that amount. Therefore somebodies in 

 this county, this State, this country, or this 

 world, owe us just twenty-four hundred dollars, 

 which we leave on interest at six per cent. 

 But we were not without some compensation. 

 We labored for the moral, social, intellectual, 

 domestic and physical development of a class 

 of men in our country who have been deserv- 

 edly pronounced " the founders of our civiliza- 

 tion, "and the higher the mental plane they 

 occupy, the higher the civilization resulting 

 from their example. If our services have not 

 been recognized or rewarded, it may have 

 been because they were not apprehended ; 

 therefore, " nobody's to blame. " But we had 

 also other compensations. We are rather a 

 defective talker, and for thirty-five years have 

 been afflicted with an infirmity which lia? in 

 a great measure disqualified us for that free 

 and affable social intercourse, which is so es- 

 sential an element in the intercommunions of 

 our fellow beings; and, through the columns 

 of our journal and the newspaper, we have en- 

 joyed the luxury of talking to and for our 

 friends, our patrons, and the people, which 

 we could not have otherwise enjoyed. But 

 that is not all, we have had the commenda- 

 tions of the press, and the approbation of men 

 of intelligence and culture both far and near; 

 and why it was that a journal such as the 

 Farmer for the past two years has been, could 

 not be sustained here in Lancaster county, is 

 an enigma which we shall not attempt to un- 

 ravel. We apprehend it will be many»a long 

 day before a similar enterprise is undertaken. 

 The typographical execution, the general 

 matter, and the mechanical " make-up " was 

 far above the average agricultural journals of 

 the country. The enterprising publishers for 

 the past two years did their duty nobly, but 

 they could not carry such an unprofitable enter- 

 prise through the financial waves that over- 

 whelmed them. 



And now we take a final leave of our friends, 

 our patrons, our contributors, and our asso- 

 ciates—so far as our intercourse was effected 

 through the columns of the Fan7tei--with many 

 pleasant recollections of the past, but not 

 without some regrets; and in conclusion we 

 would beg leave to suggest that if a com- 

 munity desires to prosper, lessen its taxes, 

 diminish its number of paupers and criminals, 

 let it pay more regard to home enterprises of 

 the various kinds which are originated by its 

 people ; otherwise, it must be constantly 

 drained and impoverished. Suppose every 

 consumer in Lancaster county were suddenly 

 to become independent of the farmer popu- 

 lation and were to purchase all their produce 

 in New York or Philadelphia. It would ener- 

 vate farm enterprise, destroy the home 

 market, and bring a return of tliose days when 

 there was no inducement to produce because 

 there was no one to consume. True, large 

 and staple crops could be transported to other 

 markets, but this would not compensate for 

 the loss of that local traffic so essential in the 

 supply of their daily wants, and the con- 

 sumption of their daily surplus produce. The 

 rule that covers our local economies in trade, 

 also covers the prosperity or decay of our local 

 journals. If ye Ajiioio these things, happy are 

 ye if ye do them.— Editor, 



THE GOOSEBERRY.* 

 {liibes fjroHsulni-ia,) 



England feems peculiarly adapted, by the 

 coolness and moisture of its elimate, to the 

 successful culture of this fine fruit. In Lan- 

 cashire and the adjoining counties, there are 

 annual meetings of the gooseberry growers, 

 at which prizes, ranging in value from ten 

 shillings to as many pounds sterling, are 

 awarded among the exhibitors. It is true, 

 that the size and weight of the berry are, as 

 a general thing, considered of greater import- 

 ance by the judges, than its e.xcellence for culi- 

 nary purposes. An account of each meeting, 

 giving full descriptions of the prize sorts, is 

 afterward published in a small volume called 

 "The Manchester Gooseberry Book." In its 

 wild state, as found in the "northern part of 

 Europe, the berry is half an inch in diameter, 

 and weighs only one quarter of an ounce; but 

 under the infiuence of high culture, it has in 

 some cases attained a diameter of two inches, 

 with a weight of one ounce and a half. Such 

 is the effect of horticultural exhibitions. 



Although thus successful in Great Britain, the 

 foreign gooseberry, owing to the difference in 

 climate, cannot be naturalized in the southern 

 part of Europe, or of the United States. In- 

 deed the crop often fails in what are called 

 the northern States. We have several native 

 varieties, which undoubtedly mii;ht be made 

 worthy of attention, as being better suited to 

 our long, oppressively hot summers, than any 

 which could be imported from England. A 

 result so desirable should lead to the thorough 

 investigation of the subject by our inlelligent 

 gardeners. We believe'that nothing but skill 

 and perseverance is required to accomplish as 

 much in this country as has been already ac- 

 complished by the humble cottagers of Lan- 

 cashire. 



The number of varieties which have been 

 produced in England, is really surprising ; of 

 the thousands raised from seed, the catalogue 

 of the London Horticultural Society enume- 

 rates one-hundred and forty-nine that are 

 worthy of notice; while Lindley gives a list of 

 over seven hundred which have been distin- 

 guished at various times by prizes. The fol- 

 lowing sorts are certainly among the very best: 

 of the reds, the Crown Bob,lhe Bed Warring- 

 ton., Houghton^s Seed'ing, and the Champagne; 

 of the yellows, the Yelhio Champagne, 

 the Early Suljjhur, Gorion^s Viper, and the 

 Golden Fleece; of the greens, Purkin- 

 .son's Laurel, the Green Wahiut, the Jolly 

 Tar, and the Jolly Angler; and finally 

 of the whites, the White Smith, Well- 

 ingt'iv's Glory, the Bright Venus, and Crnmp- 

 t'm's Queen iif Sheba. The difficulty of making 

 any selections like the above, will be readilv 

 api)reciated by the reader. 



Culture. — New varieties are raised from 

 seed, but the old established sorts are propa- 



*"0n this subject, a writer in the Novembernumber 

 nt Science. Goasip has this to say : "The name {Ribes 

 ,7ras.<i«?«)-ia is evidently connected with the French 

 rjroxnlle. The name ribes, says Dr. Hooker, is an 

 Arabic word wronely applied to this jjenus. The 

 common name, sroosobcrry, is probably a con-uption 

 of crossberry, irrossberry, or irorseberry, from rjorse, 

 furze. If tills be the true derivation, it must be so 

 named from the prickly nature of the shrub, or from 

 the hairs on the fruit. Another explanation of the 

 term croasberry is, that it refers to the triple spine, 

 which often presents the shape of a cross." 



The specific name groxx^ilnria gives rise to the 

 term Guossui,ariace.5; an order which includes the 

 currant family, among- which are enumerated the 

 S:ooseberry,wild (gooseberry, smooth wild pooseberry, 

 swamp E^ooseberry, fetid currant, wild black cur- 

 rant, red currant, buffalo currant, white currant, and 

 other species and varieties. Gros.'iuliiriu.'!, and. 

 Grosunlarian, arc from the Latin Orossubi.s, a small 

 unripe fig-. Pei-laininir to or resembling a gooseberry; 

 a translucent garnet of a pale green color. Although 

 this may all be interesting enough to the theorist, or 

 the analytic reader, it may be of very little impor- 

 tance to the practical culturist. It may be sufiicient 

 to him to know the best varieties, their modejof cul- 

 ture, and how to keep them from mildew and des- 

 tructive insects. There is not as much importance 

 attached to the gooseberry as a "small fruit crop," 

 in this country, as there is in England — not as much 

 perhaps as there will be long before the advent of 

 our second nenUnnial. — Ed. 



gated by cuttings, in much the same way as 

 the currant. These cuttings are taken in au- 

 tumn, just before the leaves fall, or as soon 

 as the frost is out of the ground in spring, 

 from the strongest and straightest shoots of 

 the last season's growth. They sliould be of 

 healthy appearance and about twelve inches 

 long. If you propose training them as stand- 

 ards, you must cut out with a sharp knife, all 

 the buds, except three or four at the upper 

 end, in order to prevent the appearance of 

 troublesome suckers around the main stem. 

 Experience has shown, liowever, that the 

 bushes will be longer lived, and much more 

 productive, when permitted to sucker mode- 

 rately, than if the whole support of the top be 

 drawn through a single cliannel. By a judi- 

 cious system of pruning, the bearing wood 

 will be frequently renewed, and the sap will 

 not be wasted upon tliat which has become 

 old and barren. The cuttings should be in- 

 .serted about half their length, in a bed of 

 rich, moist soil, situated on the north side of 

 a fence, or in some shaded spot. The dirt is 

 to be firmly pressed around them, and again 

 the following spring, if they appear to have 

 been at all lifted by the frost. 



In the second year after, they will probably 

 have become so well rooted that they may then 

 be removed to their final location. Being ex- 

 ceedingly sensitive to heat and drought, they 

 require a soil which is at once deep and moist. 

 It ought to be subsoiled or trenched, before 

 they are taken from the nursery bed. Rich- 

 ness is also an essential requisite, and, in ad- 

 dition to a liberal application of dung at the 

 outset, a generous top dressing should Ije dug 

 in around the roots in every succeeding au- 

 tumn. The situation must be open, and away 

 from the injurious influences of trees. It has 

 been said on good authority, that when tbe 

 bushes are planted near a whitewashed fence, 

 they are not so liable to suffer from mildew, 

 as they would be in an open compartment. 

 Transplant during any mild, pleasant weather 

 in autumn or spring. To prevent their shade 

 affecting vegetables growing in their neigh- 

 borhood, it is a good plan to put them on the 

 sides of the principal paths, or in a border 

 that is not wanted tor other purposes. Let 

 them stand in rows, between three and 

 four feet apart. The ground should always 

 be kept in good tilth, light afid porous, as 

 well as free from weeds and grass. 



Thorough pruning is considered very essen- 

 tial to the successful growth of the gooseberry. 

 It is best performed in autumn, when the 

 leaves have fallen, and the position of the 

 branches is thereby better exposed, or at any 

 time during the winter and spring, before the 

 buds get to be much swollen. The rules to be 

 followed in pruning are learned only from 

 personal observation or experience ; and we 

 can but suggest a few leading hints, the ap- 

 plication of which mtist, in every case, be 

 governed by sound judgment and discretion, 

 bid and unproductive wood should fiift be 

 removed, as that absorbs sap without render- 

 ing any equivalent ; while the young shoots 

 are to be shortened and reduced in number, so 

 as to admit the light and air freely to every 

 leaf, without which the perfection of the fruit 

 cannot be expected. With a little practice in 

 the use of the knife, this winter pruning can 

 be so performed as to give the bushes a very 

 neat api)earance, and to .secure an abundant 

 crop in the coming season. At the same time, 

 the ground ought to receive a generous appli- 

 cation of mauure, to ensure its fertility, and 

 add to the security of the plants against dis- 

 ease. 



The "mildew," as it is termed, proves the 

 most serious obstacle to be encountered by the 

 American gardener. It does not exist in the 

 cool climate of England, and is only occasion- 

 ally known in the extreme nortiiern parts of 

 our own country.' But, in the middle States, 

 as we go towards the south, we find the crop 

 very uncertain. When partly grown, it sud- 

 denly becomes coated with a grey mildew or 

 scurf, which in a short time desl;ro"ys its value. 

 The berries should be picked as soon as may 

 be after the appearance Of the disease, and 



