EIGHT] STRAWBERRIES AND THEIR KIN 
if possible, north and south, allowing the sun very 
freely to reach the fruit. At the same time it must 
be borne in mind that a very hot June will some- 
times blister a large part of the crop and ruin it. 
The best soil for the gooseberry is clay; in fact, it 
will never give its best results on sandy soil. For 
manures apply strong compost, with ashes or barn- 
yard manure that is thoroughly decomposed. 
The gooseberry starts into growth very early in 
the spring, and must, therefore, be planted very 
early. Set in rows, about six feet apart; or, if to be 
cultivated both ways, the plants must be five feet 
apart each way. ‘The trimming of the gooseberry 
must be somewhat unlike that of the currant, as it 
bears best on young wood. In the case of the cur- 
rant we remove nearly all the suckers each year; 
but with the gooseberry we cut out the oldest wood 
and the weakest suckers. We must prune, also, to 
encourage upright growth, cutting away the most 
drooping stems. The English gooseberry will 
thrive best where there is partial shade. I find 
that gooseberries, as well as currants, give admir- 
able results when planted in rows between grape 
trellises. Our American varieties are not all of 
them of pure, native blood. Several of them are 
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