Gooseberry 



(379 ) 



Gossypium 



Enemies : 



Gooseberry Sarcfly. The Gooseberry Sawfly 

 (Nematus Kibesii) is the most troublesome insect 

 enemy of the Gooseberry, and not infrequently 

 some of the damage that is laid to the charge of 

 the Magpie Moth, in the way of defoliated bushes, 

 is really its work. The flies are on the move early 

 in spring, and lay their eggs upon the under sides 

 of the newly opened leaves. The eggs soon hatch, 

 and the caterpillars commence at once to feed, and 

 do so almost continuously until they are full- 

 grown. The chrvsalis stage and the winter are 

 passed in the soil beneath the tree. 



The removal of the surface layer of soil or 

 mulching, and its purification by fire, will get rid 

 of many chrysalides, and this is to be recommended 

 in all cases where bad attacks are experienced. 

 Tobacco powder, or dry soot and air-slaked lime 

 in equal parts, mixed, dusted over the bushes, make 

 them distasteful to the flies, and a dressing of 

 either lime or soot (not the two together) forked 

 into the ground in autumn is helpful. White 

 Hellebore powder dredged over the trees whilst the 

 leaves are damp from dew or rain will kill the 

 caterpillars that it touches. For a liquid spray a 

 solution of Calvert's Carbolic Soap is effective. 



The May pie Moth. Abraxas grossulaviata is 

 called the Magpie Moth owing to its colour : the 

 wings are white with black spots, which are 

 especially numerous on the fore-wings. 



The caterpillar of this moth, the well-known 

 Gooseberry Caterpillar, belongs to the family of 

 Geometridese or Loopers. It is very destructive of 

 the foliage of Gooseberries. The perfect insects 

 are on the wing from June to August, the cater- 

 pillars hatch from the egg in about twelve days, 

 and at ouce begin to feed. When full-fed they 

 are about 1" in length ; they are white with 

 black spots upon the back. Hand-picking may be 

 resorted to where only a small number of bushes 

 are concerned. Spraying with a mixture of 1 Ib. of 

 soft soap and 1 Ib. of quassia chips boiled in 4 gallons 

 of soft water is good. Dusting with Hellebore 

 powder is also efficacious, or a dressing of soot or 

 lime m;iy be applied in autumn after the leaves 

 have fallen, and again in spring. 



(looiibcrry Fungi. There are several Fungi 

 that iind a home upon the Gooseberry. They 

 include the fiirailiar Cluster Cups (Puccinia 

 pringsheimiana), Mildew, Plowrightia ribesia, and 

 a relative of the Tinder Fungus (Fomes fomen- 

 tarius). The first named is not only the com- 

 monest but the most destructive. The orange 

 coloured Cluster Cups, which are the fruits of 

 the fungus, with their contained myriads of spores, 

 make their appearance in spring. Spraying with 

 Bordeaux Mixture is efficacious, and it is advisable 

 to destroy all the Sedges, or species of Carex, in 

 the neighbourhood. One of the links in the life 

 cycle of the fungus will thus be broken, for during 

 a part of its career it lives upon the Sedges. 

 With Mildew all Gooseberry growers are well 

 acquainted. Fortunately it is not difficult to deal 

 with, but soon yields to repeated dustings with 

 flowers of sulphur. 



The Wound Fungus (Plowrightia ribesia) attacks 

 Red, White, and Ulack Currants as well as Goose- 

 berries. It forms large, black warts or cysts upon 

 the branches, which ultimately break into wounds. 

 Spraying with potassium sulphide, and dres.-ing 

 the excrescences with Stockholm tar are to be 

 recommended. 



Gooseberry Mile. Troublesome little pests 

 (Bryobia pretiosa) that are frequently mistaken 

 for red spider. They work in a similar way, and 

 produce much the same results upon the foliage. 

 Like spiders, too, they are most numerous in dry 

 seasons. Ivy upon walls has been charged with 

 being a breeding ground for the Bryobia, and this 

 is doubtless to some extent true. Spraying with 

 kerosene emulsion is a. safe and sure remedy, for 

 the mites abhor paraffin in any shape or form. 



Gooseberry Si-ale. Lecanium Ribis, the Goose- 

 berry Scale, is not at present a common pest, but 

 it is increasing in numbers. There are two broods 

 of the pest each season, the eggs of the late brood 

 not hatching until the following spring. The best 

 time to deal with Scale is when the larvae are 

 moving. At that time kerosene emulsion, freely 

 diluted, may be sprayed over the trees so as to 

 thoroughly wet every part. Water at a tempera- 

 ture of 132 is also efficacious. When, however, 

 the Scale has settled down into the familiar little 

 excrescences sterner measures are needed, and 

 scrubbing with a hard brush is the only thing that 

 will get rid of them. For Gooseberries this is, of 

 course, impracticable. 



A Selection of Varieties: 

 Crown Bob, bright red. 

 Dan's Mistake, light red, 



large, hairy. 

 Drill, grn., vol., large. 

 Early Sulphur, small, 



yel., hairy, early. 

 Green London, gi-n. 

 Ironmonger, dark red, 



medium, hairy. 

 Langley Beauty, dark 



yel., excellent flavour 



(seep. 378). 



For Exhibition : 

 Dan's Mistake. 

 Drill. 



for Gathering (Iree'.i : 

 Berry's Early Kent. 



GORDONIA. 



A small genus of evergreen trees (prd. Tern- 

 strcemiacea;), some of which bear showy flowers. 

 Few are cultivated. Propagation, by layers and 

 by seeds. Soil, peat and sand, or leaf mould and 

 sand, with a little loam. The hardy species are 

 the most valuable. 



Principal Species : 

 anomala, 3', Nov., grh., 



cream yel. (syn. Poly- 



spora axillaris of Hot- 



ttniral Magazine 4019). 

 grandis, st. or grn., wh. 



GORSE (see ULEX). 

 GOSSYPIUM. 



A small genus (ord. Malvaceae) of tropical, 

 perennial herhs or shrubs, of no value to decorative 

 horticulture, but of the first importance economic- 

 ally, since they supply the cotton of commerce. 

 Propagation, by seeds, which in this country 

 should be sown singly in small pots, while the 

 seedlings must be repotted before they become pot- 

 bound. A light, rich soil, such as a mixture of 

 loam, leaf soil, and old Mushroom bed manure 

 rubbed through a .'." sieve, and plenty of heat and 

 moisture, are indispensable. A* the authenticated 



Gootefoot (tee Clienojiodium). 



Leveller, grn., yel., heavy 



cropper. 

 Pitmaston Greengage, 



small, grn. , fine flavour. 

 Red Warringtou, red, 



medium, hairy, good 



for main and late crops 



(////. Rough Red). 

 Whinliam'slndustry, red, 



one of the best. 

 Whitesmith, wh., hairy, 



large. 



London, dark red. 

 Thumper, gnu 



Whinham's Industry. 



Lasianthus, 8' to 10', 

 Jy., Aug., grh., wh., 

 large, fragraiit. 



pubescens, 4' to 6', Aug., 

 grh., wh., fragrant. 



