GOOSEBERRY. 



193 



7. Boarclman^s Prince Regent. — Late. — A fine 

 large fruit, nearly round ; skin smooth and thin ; 

 pulp finely flavoured. Growth spreading, the branches 

 requiring support. 



This is a prize gooseberry, and often bore away 

 the bell gaining above a hundred prizes in the first 

 year of its appearance at the shows, and had no com- 

 petitor for several years afterwards. 



As this is the ^rst prize gooseberri/ we have come 

 to, it may not be amiss to describe the mode of cul- 

 ture pursued by those growers who may intend show- 

 ing their fruit. In the first place, the sort is fixed 

 on : the tree is taken up, and planted in a very rich 

 spot of loamy ground, where it is allowed to esta- 

 blish itself, and be favoured and nursed in every 

 possible way. It is kept thin of wood, and suffered 

 to bear but a few fruit. 



In the year of the show, the tree is particularly 

 attended to ; watered with soft or manured water, 

 and shaded from the hot sun. The crop is thinned 

 at three different times, reducing the numbers at 

 last to a very few, which appear to take the lead in 

 swelling off. By this management the few fruit left 

 to come to perfection swell to an unusual size ; and, 

 being carried to the show, are weighed against those 

 from other growers with which they have to com- 

 pete, the heaviest carrying away the prize. Some 

 of the sort just described have been found to weigh 

 twenty-two pennyweights ! 



8. BroacVs Emperor^ — L^te. — Fruit large, ovalar, 



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