20 



CASSELL'S POPULAR GARDENING. 



to six buds should be left on the young wood, while 

 the points of the shoots are thus removed. These 

 •can be cut back at the winter pruning to one or 

 more buds. 



Special Culture. — Few or no plants, fruit-trees 

 or otherwise, have been subjected to more minute 

 and special attention. So particular are the fanciers 

 of big Gooseberries that almost every branch, leaf, 

 and berry has had special and specific culture. 



For example, those who insisted on perfect cup or 

 vase-formed bushes spared no trouble or expense in 

 obtaining the desired form by the use of a hoop 

 two feet or a yard in diameter, placed round the 

 branches a foot or so from the ground. But when 

 these proved insufficient for their purpose, it 

 was no uncommon thing for every leading shoot 

 or important side shoot to be held in its exact 

 position by two stakes : one a hooked stick or crome 

 to keep the branch down, and the other a forked 

 stick to keep it up, and hold it firmly in one position. 

 In other cases, two or more hoops were used : one 

 to tie all the leading shoots down to, and the others 

 to hold or mould the sides into shape, and hold 

 them fast until age and growth stiffened the boughs 

 into rigidity. 



Each branch was thus forced into and kept 

 in what was considered the best place alike for effect 

 and fruit- bearing ; and any spray or leaf upon it that 

 did not contribute to either result was at once re- 

 moved. The berries were not only thinned with as 

 much care and judgment as those of Grapes, but fed 

 and stimulated with as much diligence and skill as 

 live stock for show. The fruit, while fed through 

 the roots by means of all sorts of solid and liquid 

 manures, were also fed through their rinds as far as 

 that was possible. 



. As to root-feeding, the following, among other 

 means, are adopted. A mulch of fresh cow or 

 pigeons' dung, several inches in thickness, is formed 

 round the bushes, in the form of a basin, with 

 its lowest point converging on the stem. This is 

 finished with a smooth surface, and into this cup, 

 formed of strong manure, there is poured daily in 

 dry weather a gallon or so of pure or manure water, 

 laouse-slops, or sewage. Another common method 

 is to cover the entire surface under the bushes with 

 -strong and frequently-stirred farm-yard or other 

 manure, and to sprinkle the surface of these with 

 water at least twice a day, giving them in addition 

 a thorough soaking of soot, guano, or other artificial 

 or natural manure water once or twice a week. 



Thinning, "Weighting, and Suckling In- 

 dividual G-ooseberries. — In all cases where 

 iruit of an ounce, ounce and a half, or more are 



desired, the fruit must be very severely thinned, 

 leaving only one fruit where six or even a dozen 

 might be grown. The best-shaped, stoutest-stemmed, 

 best-placed berries should be selected, and these 

 should be weighted by fixing small pieces of lead or 

 stone, weighing half an ounce or more, to the corolla 

 on the end of the berry. Thus selected and weighted 

 to increase the sap-drawing and appropriating power 

 of each berry, these may be yet further enlarged by 

 a series of processes to which the general term of 

 suckling has been applied with more or less appro- 

 priateness. They consist in keeping the fruit moist 

 by capillary attraction, through winding one end of 

 a woollen thread round the stem of each fruit, the 

 other end being thrust into a bottle or basin of 

 water ; by placing open pans of pure or manure water 

 beneath the bushes, and suspending small cups or 

 saucers of the same beneath each fruit, as well as 

 the use of rank manures and mulchings already de- 

 scribed. The bushes are also sprinkled over-head 

 two or three times a day. In a word, no labour, 

 care, or skill is considered excessive that results in 

 producing the monster Gooseberries, so often ridi- 

 culed, but which are really triumphs of skill and 

 trophies of culture and perseverance. 



Varieties. — These are very numerous, though of 

 late years but few additions have been made to their 

 numbers. Two causes have prevented many seed- 

 lings from being raised — one, that the varieties are 

 already too numerous ; and the other, that it is diffi- 

 cult, if not impossible, to better many of the existing 

 sorts. Fortunately Mr. Carmichael assists us by his 

 large experience to pick out the cream, though after 

 his very best it may be allowable to have another dip 

 into the wonderfully good new milk left. 



■ Select List of Eed Gooseberries. 



Clayton — fruit large, and 

 bears freely ; a good va- 

 riety. 



Crown Bob — fruit large, of 

 good flavour, and a great 

 bearer. 



Dan's Mistake — fruit me- 

 dium size, handsome, 

 bears freely, flavour good. 



London — fruit very large, 

 flavour good ; a fine ex- 

 hibition variety. 



Speedwell— fruit large, fla- 

 vour first-rate, and good 

 bearer. 



Talfourd — fruit large, fla- 

 vour good ; a fine late 

 variety. 



Select List of Yellow Gooseberries. 



California — fruit large, fla- I one of the best Yellows, 



vour good, bears freely ; \ and good bearer. 



a late variety. Mount Pleasant — fruit 



Catherina — fruit large, fla- large, bears freely, and 



vour first-rate, and band- \ very richly flavoured. 



some fruit. Trumpeter — fruit large, 



Leveller — fruit very large, flavour good, and bears 

 freely. 



Select List of Green Gooseberries. 



Matchless — fruit large, 

 bears freely, and good 

 flavour. 

 Thumper — fruit large, fla- 

 vour good, and bears 

 freely. 



General— fruit large, bears 

 freely ; a good late va- 

 riety. 



Lofty — fruit large, very 

 richly flavoured, and. bears 

 freely. 



