THE GOOSEBERRY. 



345 



a native of several parts of Europe, and abounds 

 m the valleys in copse woods, where it produces 

 a small green hairy berry of high flavour. In 

 England, if not a native, it is now naturalized 

 in various places, and grows wild in old walls, 

 ruins, and in woods. It is cultivated in Lan- 

 cashire in greater perfection than in any other 

 part of Britain ; and next to Lancashire, the cli- 

 mate of the Lothians, and some of the northern 

 counties of Scotland seem to suit this plant. In 

 France it is neglected ; in Italy and Spain it is 

 scarcely known. It was early a favourite fruit, 

 and still continues to be so, in all parts of Bri- 

 tain. In the time of Tusser, who flourished in 

 the reign of Henry VIII., this fruit was culti- 

 vated. He says : — 



" The barbery, respis,* and gooseberry too, 

 Look now to be planted as other things do.'' 



In the south of Europe it is small, tasteless, 

 and neglected ; and though it grows to a large 

 size in the warmer parts of England, its flavour 

 there is very inferior to that which it has in 

 Scotland. Even in that country, the flavour 

 seems to increase with the cold ; for if there be 

 warmth enough for bringing gooseberries to ma- 

 turity and ripening them, the farther north they 

 are grown the better. The market-gardeners 

 about Edinburgh pay much attention to the cul- 

 ture and kinds of their gooseberries ; but they 

 are never ecfual in flavour to those which are 

 grown at Dundee, Aberdeen, or Inverness. 



In England, the Lancashire gooseberries are 

 the finest in appearance. They are very large ; 

 but stUl their flavour is far inferior to that of the 

 Scotch. Perhaps the inferiority of the English 

 ben-ies may be in great part owing to the large 

 sorts that are cultivated, — the finest, even in 

 Scotland, being those that are of a middle size. 



Gooseberries are of various colours — white, yel- 

 low, green, and red ; and of each colour there are 

 many sorts. If, however, any particular sort be 

 wished to be preserved, it must be done by cut- 

 tings, because the seeds of any one sort are apt to 

 produce not only all the known sorts, but new 

 ones. 



The gooseberry plant, under favourable cir- 

 cumstances, wiU attain a considerable age, and 

 grow to an immense size. At Duflield, near 

 Derby, there was, in 1821, a bush ascertained to 

 have been planted at least forty-six years, the 

 branches of which extended twelve yards in cir- 

 cumference. At the garden of the late Sir Joseph 

 Banks, at Overton Hall, near Chesterfield, there 

 were, at the same time, two remarkable goose- 

 berry plants, trained against a, wall, measuring 

 each upwards of fifty feet from one extremity to 

 the other. 



* Easpbcrrj-. 



The yellow gooseberries have, in general, a 

 more rich and vinous flavour than the white ; 

 they are, on that account, the best for the des- 

 sert, and also for being fermented into wine. 

 When the sort is choice, and well picked, so that 

 none of the fruit is damaged, or over or under 

 ripe, and when the wine is properly made, it 

 often puzzles an unpractised taste to distinguish 

 the wine of the best yellow gooseberries from 

 champaign. It has the flavour and colour, and 

 it mantles like the best of the foreign wine. 



Generally speaking, the green gooseberries are 

 inferior to the yellow, and even to the white ; 

 many of them, however, run large, and are used 

 for the sake of appearance. Large gooseberries 

 in general, and large green ones in particular, are 

 thick in the husk, and contain less pulp than 

 those of a smaller size ; while the flavour is in 

 general rich in proportion to the thinness of the 

 husk. Some of the larger greens, especially those 

 that are smooth, gourd-shaped, and of a brown- 

 ish tinge, are almost tasteless, or even disagree- 

 able. 



The red gooseberries are very various in fla- 

 vour, but are commonly more acid than the 

 others. The same may be said of most other 

 fruits ; and it agrees with the well known fact, 

 that acids change the vegetable blues to red. 

 In many fruits, and the goosebeny in particular, 

 the amber colour is accompanied by the richest 

 vinous flavour, while the white tends to insipi- 

 dity. When the green is deep and pure, sweet- 

 ness seems to be the leading characteristic, as 

 in the Gascoigne gooseberry, the green-gage plum, 

 and the small green summer pear, known in 

 Scotland by the name of the " Pinkey green." 

 Among the red gooseberries there are, however, 

 many exceptions. Some of the older and smaller 

 red sorts (especially that known by the name 

 of the "old ironmonger") are very sweet. It 

 would be unavailing to fix upon any particular 

 kind of gooseberry as the best, as every year pro- 

 duces new varieties. In the fruit catalogue of 

 the Horticultural Society there are nearly two 

 hundred kinds enumerated, of which about a 

 hundred and fifty are the large Lancashire goose- 

 berries. 



The cultivation of gooseberries forms a pleas- 

 ing occupation amongst the manufacturers of 

 that part of the kingdom ; and the custom has 

 doubtless a tendency to improve both the health 

 and the morals of the people. Any pursuit 

 which makes men acquainted v,rith the peculi- 

 arities of vegetable economy, in however small a 

 degree, has a beneficial effect upon the heart and 

 understanding; and it is certainly better for 

 weavers and nailers to vie with each other in 

 raising the largest gooseberries, than in those 

 games of chance or cruel sports, to which the 

 few leisure hours of the working classes are too 

 often devoted. 



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