ENGLISH GOOSEBERRIES 373 



have succeeded, but the general fact remains that the 

 English gooseberry is not a success in America. It 

 may produce a few good berries when young, but is 

 almost sure to fail later. It is said to thrive well in 

 Washington,* the climate of the northwest coast be- 

 ing more like that of England. In 1884, a motion 

 was made at the meeting of the American Pomologi- 

 cal Society to strike all English varieties from their 

 list, but it was barely lost. 



The reason for this failure of the large and fine 

 English Gooseberries in the United States is that they 

 are constantly attacked by mildew. 



Any number of remedies have been suggested 

 against the mildew in times past, the most common 

 practice being to mulch the ground with manure, 

 stones, tin cans, old boots, or other strange material 

 which might be thought to possess especial virtue. 

 Salt applied to the soil was vainly tried, and at one 

 time grafting the plants on the Missouri currant was 

 thought to be a remedy. Any of these things which 

 afford a nearer approach toward the ideal conditions 

 demanded by the gooseberry will aid in preventing 

 the mildew, but none of them are infallible. Yet 

 recent experiments show that under favorable con- 

 ditions we can grow the English gooseberry by giv- 

 ing it the proper attention. Thorough and vigorous 

 treatment with potassium sulphide or with Bordeaux 

 mixture, as directed under the discussion of this 

 disease, will hold it in check and admit of satisfactory 

 crops being obtained/ No slovenly or careless work 



*Gardener's Monthly, 1886:271. 



