Soil and Location 283 



it in the West South Central section. The total produc- 

 tion is placed at 5,282,483 quarts, valued at $417,034, 

 an average price of nearly eight cents a quart. 



Like the currant, the gooseberry is a northern plant, 

 and refuses to be content in a hot climate. It fails in the 

 southern states and almost completely along the Gulf 

 coast. In Nebraska it seems to thrive better than the 

 currant. Its leaves fall early, and the fruit is decidedly 

 smaller than in the eastern states, but the plants make a 

 good growth, appear healthy, except in the early loss of 

 leaves, and are fairly productive. The English varieties 

 produce an occasional fruit, but so far as tested may be 

 termed an utter failure. It should be remembered that 

 the summers on the plains are hot and dry, consequently 

 unfavorable to these fruits. Frequently, however, the 

 early part of the season is favorable, so that the fruit 

 has an opportunity to mature before severe heat and 

 drought affect it. The chief injury in that case is un- 

 doubtedly due to the early loss of leaves and consequent 

 enfeebled condition of the bush the succeeding year. 



SOIL AND LOCATION 



The gooseberry is much like the currant in its soil de- 

 mands. A cool, moist, strong and rich soil, deeply worked, 

 is the requisition which it makes. The more unfavorable 

 the location in the way of climate, the more closely will 

 this demand in the way of soil need to be met. Well to 

 the north, in high altitudes, or cool northern exposures, 

 it will succeed well on sandy or even gravelly loam, though 

 the rule is that the lighter the soil the less satisfactory 



