OF GOOSEBERRIES. 213 



largest and finest new sorts. But it must be al- 

 Jowed, that some of the largest are mucli thicker 

 m the skin, and not so well flavoured as some of 

 the old sorts. 



I enquired of Messrs. M*Niven, Nurserymen at 

 Manchester, how many good and distinct sorts they 

 could send me out of their numerous Catalogue ; 

 they told me, that they could send about eighteen 

 or twenty sorts, which they could answer for being 

 good and distinct. I accordingly gave an order, 

 and received all the sorts that they could warrant 

 good, which turned out to my satisfaction. 



Great attention should be paid to the cultivation 

 of the early and late sorts. In some old gardens, 

 in particular, there are very valuable sorts that 

 have been of late too much neglected ; I would 

 therefore recommend to those who live in the 

 neighbourhood of such gardens, to observe their 

 time of ripening, and to cultivate those especially 

 which are early and late. 



It is a practice with some to clip the tops of 

 Gooseberries with a pair of garden shears, as they 

 would chp a thorn hedge ; this I by no means ap- 

 prove of as the fruit will not be half the size, nor of 

 so fine a flavour, as when the bushes are kept clear 

 of superfluous wood. 



Care should be taken in Spring and Summer to 

 stock, or grub up, all the suckers from the roots of 

 the bushes^ leaving their stems clear and unen- 

 cumbered. 



Many of the Lancashire sorts are apt to grow 



p 3 



