220 A Report upon the Varieties of the Gooseberry, &c. 



Adhering to this character of size, it will be found that I have 

 placed in my first class, some of the kinds which commonly appear 

 in the lists of Lancashire Gooseberries, and this has been done 

 wherever I have found the variety failing to produce berries of such 

 magnitude as would entitle them to the character of shew fruits. 



Four principal Divisions are derived from the colour of the fruit, 

 and agree with those which are usually made in the Catalogues of 

 Nurserymen and Gooseberry growers. 



Division 1st. Fruit Red. This Division is perhaps more exten- 

 sive than any of the others, and it is certainly the most distinct, as 

 there is no difficulty in determining the sorts that belong to it. 



There is in some Catalogues a Division of Black Gooseberries. 

 These are, however, from their close affinity to the Red, included 

 amongst them. There are many of the brighter Reds which be- 

 come blackish when very ripe, and it is almost unnecessary to ob- 

 serve that the fruits of the whole of this Division have a tendency 

 to become darker the longer they remain on the bush. Such varie- 

 ties as are particularly dark at the time of their ripening, or which 

 turn so after, will be specially pointed out in the Descriptions. This 

 Division includes many excellent varieties, some of which have a 

 peculiar richness in flavour, with more of a vinous quality than 

 those of the others. The fruit of this Division has attained a con- 

 siderably larger size than the others, as appears from a comparison 

 of the average weight to which the Prize Gooseberries of the dif- 

 ferent colours have been grown. 



Division 2nd. Fruit Yellow. Some of the sorts in this Division 

 are very abundant bearers, but the fruit has not the property of 

 remaining long on the bush after it is ripe. The flavour in general 

 is more sweet than rich : in many of the larger sorts it is rather 

 coarse, especially in those which have a dull greenish tinge. It is 

 not difficult to decide what varieties ought to form this Division. 



