ON FRUIT CULTURE. 



1 005 



Heavy or rather strong applications of manure are unnecessary 

 — indeed, harmful. If diluted liquid manure is applied once or 

 twice weekly the effect will be far better than in the case of 

 concentrated and less frequent applications. Failing liquid 

 manure, guano, at the rate of ioz. per square yard, and ioz. of 

 nitrate of soda, similarly applied every fortnight while the fruit 

 is swelling, will cause it to attain a large size. Almost any of 

 the manures in a prepared state may be applied with advantage, 

 and at the strength recommended by the manufacturers, but in 

 every case care must be exercised that none of it falls on the 

 foliage, or damage will be done, and the tree weakened and 

 disfigured. 



A large number of varieties are equally good for exhibition or 

 for cooking and dessert purposes ; the following sorts combining 

 all three qualifications : — Red : Dan's Mistake, Crown Bob, 

 Monarch, Lord Derby, Speedwell, and Clayton. White : 

 Antagonist, King of Trumps, Careless, Lady Leicester, Postman, 

 and Alma. Yellow : Leader, Leveller, Ringer, Trumpeter, 

 Criterion, and Drill. Green : Plunder, Telegraph, Gunner, 

 Matchless, British Queen, and Stockwell. 



Some owners of gardens have a decided objection to large 

 Gooseberries, preferring the smaller fruiting varieties for both 

 dessert and cooking. 

 To meet such de- 

 mands the following 

 are excellent : White- 

 smith, an old 

 favourite of high 

 quality ; Snowdrop, 

 a pretty and delicious 

 fruit; Early Sulphur 

 (Fig. 653), a fine- 

 flavoured variety, and 

 the earliest to ripen ; 

 Yellow Champagne, 

 one of the finest- 

 flavoured sorts ; 

 Greengage, an early 

 and delicious variety; 

 Green Gascoigne, 

 also excellent ; Whin- 

 ham's Industry, a 

 iavourite market variety, and very good indeed for dessert or 

 cooking ; Warrington, a sterling old variety, of proved excellence. 

 Both the Red and White Champagne varieties should be 

 included, as they are second to none for flavour; in fact, all 

 the above are thoroughly reliable alike as to their cropping 

 qualities and general excellence. 



Fig. 653. — Gooseberry Early Sulphur. 



