266 BUSH FRUITS IN THE HOME GARDEN 



Culture of Gooseberries. — The best soils for the gooseberry are 

 those which will retain moisture well. Heavy black loam is proba- 

 bly best. Clay soils, if well drained, are very suitable. The 

 moisture can be retained by mulching with barnyard manure. 

 Set the plants in rows six feet apart with the plants about four 

 feet apart in the rows. Use one-year-old plants if you can get them. 



Clean culture is best. A row of cabbage, potatoes, or other clean 

 culture crop may be grown between each two rows of gooseberries. 



Prune the vines and give them a good shape. The first year 

 leave five or six shoots for each plant. Prune out the oldest wood 

 each year, leaving chiefly wood of the preceding season to bear the 

 fruit. The oldest wood will bear some fruit on the spurs but these 

 should usually be cut away and allow for more vigorous new growth. 



Harvesting and Use. — Gooseberries in America are usually picked 

 green when about full size. In European countries they are more 

 commonly allowed to ripen and eaten out of hand or stewed in this 

 condition. 



The green fruit is used in making pies, sauce, and in flavoring 

 other fruits. The surplus crop may be easily canned for winter use. 



Enemies. — The sawfly or imported currant worm mentioned 

 under currants is also sometimes serious on gooseberries, defolia- 

 ting the bushes. Spray promptly with poisons. 



The gooseberry worm attacks the fruit just before ripening. 

 The worm lives inside the berries and renders the fruit worthless. 

 The presence of poultry in the yard where the bushes are grown 

 will render good service by destroying many of the larvse. Hand 

 picking of affected fruits may be advisable. 



Mildew is a very serious disease of gooseberries. It has dis- 

 couraged many growers by attacking the leaves, twigs and fruit. 

 The disease spreads rapidly. The most promising remedy is the 

 use of lime-sulfur wash to clean up the bushes during the dormant 

 season. Use a weaker application when the buds first burst in 

 early spring. Summer strength of this spray may be used later. 

 If the attacks occur about the time the fruit is half grown, or later 

 potassium sulfide, one ounce to two gallons of water, may be used. 



BLUEBERRIES 



Wild blueberries have long been abundantly used, but their 

 growth in gardens is comparatively recent. 



Plantations may be started by selecting the wild bushes and 

 transplanting them. Choose those with largest and best berries 



