1078 
“There is a good field for work in im- 
proving the native gooseberries, as there 
is no apparent reason why the size should 
not be equal to the best English varieties. 
The quality of the American varieties is 
considered by some to be better than the 
average English gooseberry, but the fla- 
vor is not nearly as good as the best of 
the English sorts. 
Propagation 
“Gooseberries may be propagated either 
from cuttings or by layering. The aver- 
age person will usually get the best re- 
sults from layering, as cuttings are of- 
ten very unsatisfactory. To propagate 
by layering, the bushes should be pruned 
severely in the autumn. This will induce 
a strong growth of young wood the next 
When these have made most of 
season. 
English Varieties of Gooseberries—Columbus, 
Chautauqua and Red Jacket—recommended 
by F. W. Rane for New England. 
(New Hampshire Experiment Station.) 
their growth, which will be early in 
July, the earth is heaped up around and 
through the bush until only the tips of 
the young shoots are left uncovered. The 
soil is packed down and then a cover- 
ing of loose soil thrown over to retain 
moisture better. Most of the American 
varieties will have rooted well by autumn, 
and the young plants may be detached 
ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
and planted in nursery rows either the 
same fall or the following spring, to be 
grown there for one season. English 
varieties usually take two years to root, 
and the soil must be left about the bushes 
for that time. Cuttings of American va- 
rieties will sometimes give fairly satis- 
factory results if made from well ripened 
wood and treated as currant cuttings. 
The cuttings are made six to eight inches 
or less in length, and buried in soil over 
winter. In spring they are set out in 
nursery rows, planting deep enough so 
that only one or two buds are above 
ground. Both American and English 
varieties may be propagated from green 
wood cuttings in a greenhouse, or hotbed 
with bottom heat. | 
Soil, Planting and Culture 
“The gooseberry’ is a moisture-loving 
plant, hence a soil should be chosen 
where there will be a constant supply of 
water during the growing season. In 
dry soils gooseberries suffer very much 
in a dry time, the foliage often falling 
prematurely and the fruit being scalded 
by the sun. The soil should be a cool 
one. Moist soils are usually this, but the 
surface of a sandy loam soil gets very 
hot in the summer, hence is not the best 
for this fruit. Well drained, heavy clay 
loams are the most suitable for goose- 
berries, as these usually are both cool 
and moist. The soil should have abun- 
dant plant food easily made available. A 
good application of well rotted manure 
thoroughly worked into the soil will do 
much to bring about these favorable con- 
ditions. The soil should be well prepared 
and made mellow as for a crop of roots. 
As gooseberries start to grow early in 
the spring it is usually preferable to plant 
in the autumn, and as the leaves drop 
early they may be planted in September 
and will be in good condition when win- 
ter comes. Well rooted cuttings or layers 
may be used as plants. They should be 
set in rows about six feet apart and four 
feet apart in the rows. 
“Cultivation should be very thorough 
so as to retain moisture and keep the soil 
cool, and as the gooseberry roots near the 
surface cultivation should be _ shallow; 
