Tllfi CAN"ADIAN HORTICTn.TTJRTST. 165 



uniform, and very free from bleniislies of any kind. The skin of the 

 fruit is smooth, yellow, washed and streaked very beautifvdly with red, 

 and covered with a light-blue bloom, which gives it such an attractive 

 and showy appearance, that it will command at all times a ready sale 

 in the markets. The flesh is yellowish-white, tender, juicy, and of a 

 brisk sub-acid flavor. It is a splendid cooking apple, there being none 

 to rival it in its season. In the County of Lincoln it ripens in the end 

 of August or early part of September. It does not keep long, hence it 

 is not safe to plant it very largely for market, unless assured of being 

 able to dispose of them quickly. 



Tliis variety originated in Eussia, and from its hardiness one might 

 suppose that its birth place had been quite on the borders of Siberia. 

 It has taken very kindly to our Canadian soil and climate, and gives 

 promise of, — nay, may we not say has already established, — a repu- 

 tation for fruitfiilness, beauty, and utility, in every part of the land. 



THE DOWNING GOOSEBERRY. 



BY F. J. GREXNY, BRAXTFORD. 



On page 71, of the report of the Fruit Growers' Association, for 

 1877, the worthy President says, in his interesting prize essay on 

 "Results accruing from the distribution of trees and plants by the 

 Association," "The gooseberry dissemination was from some cause a 

 failure." This remark does not apply witli justice to the Downing 

 gooseberry bush I received from the Association in the spring of 1874. 

 Last year it was heavily laden, and this year the product was carefully 

 measured, result, seven imperial quarts of very fine large berries; every 

 branch was covered with them, hanging as closely together as grapes. 

 The bush is planted in a partially shaded situation, on low land, rather 

 moist sandy loam and black mould. The treatment consists of helle- 

 bore for the foliage when needed, with a half bushel or so of coal ashes 

 spread under the bush in the spring, with a light thinning out of shoots 

 from the centre. I have never perceived any signs of mildew, although 

 an English gooseberry bush near it had some mildewed berries after 

 the same treatment. 



