SOIL AND FERTILIZERS 359 



soil will produce a strong growth but diminished pro- 

 ductiveness, while a heavy, cold clay is hard to work, 

 and may cause the bushes to heave. A strong clay 

 loam, not liable to injury from drought, but well 

 drained, well enriched, deeply worked and subsoiled, 

 is the ideal. A cool northern exposure is desirable, 

 if it can be had. Partial shade may be an advan- 

 tage, but the plant does not appear to thrive under 

 the shade of trees as well as the currant. For home 

 use, the north side of a fence or of buildings is a 

 good location. Proper selections of soil and location 

 will do much to preserve a healthy condition of the 

 bush, retain the foliage and prevent mildew. 



FERTILIZERS 



Growers of long experience agree that no fertilizer 

 is better for gooseberries than well -rotted cow ma- 

 nure, very liberally applied. The plants are gross 

 feeders, and a heavy top-dressing every autumn will 

 be profitably utilized. This may be supplemented with 

 a dressing of wood ashes, or potash in some other 

 form, early in spring, especially if the supply of stable 

 manure has been deficient. The soil must be rich, to 

 insure good results. 



PROPAGATION 



The propagation of the gooseberry is much the 

 same as that of the currant, though it does not root 

 so readily from cuttings. The wood does not mature 

 as early in the fall as that of the currant, so that 



