]92().] Gooseberry Growing. 577 



to break and form fruit spurs, instead of remaining 

 dormant and leaving lengths of bare wood . r l I n - 

 cutting back must not of course be excessive, or 

 nothing but a forest of sappy growth subject to 

 disease will result. The severitv of the pruning 

 should be governed by the condition of the bush and 

 the response made to the method adopted th 

 previous winter. 



(3) Never allow any intercrossing of shoots and cut back 



everything growing inwards and tending to choke 

 Up the centre of the bush. Very strong shoots 

 should be cut right out, as spurs from these rarely 

 form fruit buds and merely produce increased wood 

 growth. 



(4) Aim at replacing old worn-out wood with healthy 



young shoots or suckers. If this is done regularly 

 the vigour of tjie bush is maintained and the length 

 of its profitable life much prolonged. 



(5) The weight of fruit, especially in the case of varieties 



of a spreading habit, frequently tends to cause 

 excessive drooping of the branches, which leaves 

 the centre of the bush unduly open. These and the 

 lower and outside branches should be cut back to an 

 upper bud and new material trained to fill the head. 



(6) Varieties differ in habit and strength of growth, and 



in their readiness to form fruit spurs. As with 

 other fruits, to obtain the best results each variety 

 requires a careful study of its habits and a system 

 of pruning calculated to counteract its weaknesses 

 and beneficially assist its peculiarities. 



Fungoid and Insect Pests. — The Gooseberry, in common 

 with other cultivated fruits, is subject to attack by several insecl 

 and fungoid pests, the more serious of which are mentioned 

 below. 



American Gooseberry Mildew (Spharotheea Mors-itr«\ 

 Berk). — Fortunately this disease can be controlled by the careful 

 tipping and burning in the autumn of all diseased shoots, com: 

 bined with thorough sprayings with lime sulphur spray as the 

 buds are bursting in the spring, just after the blossoms are set. 

 and in the late summer after the fruit is picked. Certain 

 varieties are damaged by lime sulphur, and half-summer strength 

 should be used on Keepsake (Berry's Early), Lancashire Lad. 



