576 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



mentions ten sorts as common, besides forty- 

 three new sorts grown in Manchester. The 

 Horticultural Society of London published an 

 account of seventy varieties, as cultivated in 

 their garden for the purpose of identification, 

 vide " Horticultural Society's Transactions," 

 second series, vol. i. p. 218. In this collection 

 many of the Manchester sorts have been omitted, 

 as being below the standard of merit in regard 

 to flavour, notwithstanding their great size. 

 Gordon of Fountainbridge, near Edinburgh, 

 writing in 1774, enumerates twenty sorts, 

 amongst which are the still popular ones, Hedge- 

 hog, Champagne, Pambouillon, Chrystal, Iron- 

 monger, &c. Mr Thompson, in " Horticultural 

 Society's Catalogue," third edition, enumerates 

 one hundred and forty-nine sorts ; and in the 

 more recent " Fruit Catalogue," published by 

 Messrs Peter Lawson & Son, one hundred and 

 ninety-five sorts are described, and there are no 

 doubt a much greater number in cultivation, 

 three-fourths of which might be dispensed with. 

 Langley, in " Pomona," 1729, says, " We have se- 

 veral kinds of gooseberries; the following five 

 are, however, the most valuable : Champagne, 

 White Dutch, Amber, Walnut, Eambouillon, 

 and the Damson berry." The largest enumera- 

 tion of sorts is that, however, of Mr G. Lindley, 

 in " Guide to the Orchard," who extends his 

 list to no less than seven hundred kinds. The 

 gooseberry is not a fruit of the United States, 

 notwithstanding the pains that have been taken 

 to introduce it there. Downing assigns as a 

 reason want of a correct knowledge of its cul- 

 ture, and the very inferior sorts operated upon. 

 This is, we think, mere presumption. The true 

 reason is, the heat of the climate during summer, 

 which places the middle and southern States of 

 America upon a par with the middle and south 

 of Europe, where, as we have already said, this 

 fruit does not succeed. The varieties are in- 

 creasing rapidly, and many fine-flavoured, al- 

 though not very large ones have originated in 

 Scotland, of which Gorrie's Robin a deserves 

 especial notice, as do also a white-fruited variety 

 of the old Ironmonger, originated with Mr 

 Archibald Gorrie, of Annat Cottage ; and a still 

 more singular and equally valuable variety of 

 this best of gooseberries, a variety striped 

 with red and white, brought to our notice by 

 his son, Mr William Gorrie, of Preston Hall, 

 being, so far as we are aware, the only striped 

 gooseberry in existence. Of other Scotch varie- 

 ties, little known out of the localities where they 

 originated, we may mention as especially worthy 

 of cultivation, Kippenross seedling, Delvin mig- 

 nonne, Delvin porcupine, Scotch rough red, &c. 



Propagation. — New varieties are obtained by 

 sowing the seeds of superior kinds, which seed 

 should be sown in light rich soil soon after the 

 fruit has ripened. If to be sent to a distance, 

 the seed should be washed out of the pulp, and 

 when dried packed up in paper bags for trans- 

 portation. Sow the seed shallow; by next spring 

 they will vegetate, and by the following autumn 

 be fit for planting into nursery lines. This 

 mode is, however, seldom had recourse to, the 

 usual and best method being to propagate by 

 cuttings. The gooseberry may, in extraordinary 



cases, be also propagated by layers, and also by 

 grafting and budding, but these means are sel- 

 dom resorted to. 



Propagation by cuttings. — The best cuttings 

 are got from the strongest and straightest well- 

 formed shoots of the current year, taken off 

 about the end of October and planted immedi- 

 ately. As far as the cutting is to be placed in 

 the ground— say from 6 to 8 inches — the buds 

 should be cut out to prevent suckers arising 

 from them. Plant the cuttings in a deep rich 

 soil, in a shady situation, such as a border with 

 a northern exposure. The top of the cutting 

 should be cut off, so that only about 6 or 8 inches 

 remain above ground, and they should be set in 

 rows 12 inches apart and 6 inches distant in 

 the line. By the following autumn they will 

 be well rooted, and fit for transplanting into 

 nursery lines for a season, after which they will 

 be fit for being permanently planted out. Some 

 recommend putting in cuttings in July, while 

 the fruit is on the tree, to prevent mistakes as 

 to kinds ; but if a correct list is kept of the sorts, 

 which should be the case, this departure from 

 ordinary practice is uncalled for. They will, 

 however, strike root very well at that season, if 

 attention be paid to water and shade them till 

 the roots are formed. 



Soil and situation. — Where high - flavoured 

 fruit is wished for, and a judicious selection 

 made, a rich light soil, dry at bottom and fully 

 exposed to the sun, should be chosen. Where 

 large fruit is the object in view, then the soil 

 cannot be too rich or deep, and the situation 

 should be partially shaded from the meridian 

 sun during the period of the fruit's swelling. It 

 should be withal rather moist than dry. It is 

 usual to plant gooseberry bushes along the 

 sides of walks, between and under the shade of 

 apple and pear trees, &c. Such is the very 

 worst situation for them, because their roots 

 are perpetually exposed to be disturbed by the 

 spade ; being so scattered about, they are difficult 

 to preserve from birds, and the space they cover 

 must ever bear consideration where ground is 

 scarce. A few of the earlier ripening sorts 

 should be planted against any vacant parts of a 

 well- exposed wall, and trained to it as wall-trees 

 usually are. Some of the very late ripening 

 kinds should be planted against a northern wall, 

 to retard their ripening, and enable them to be 

 protected from birds by nets, and from frost 

 with canvass covering. The general plantation 

 should be in an open quarter of the garden; 

 and whether they are trained as espaliers or in 

 the" open - bush form, they should be in rows 

 not less than 5 feet apart, and if grown in the 

 latter manner, 4 feet apart in the line ; if as 

 espaliers, the same distance line from line, and 

 to a 3-feet trellis; they should have 5 feet plant 

 from plant. The early and late sorts should be 

 kept apart to render covering with nets more 

 convenient, and the same distinction should be 

 made with the large and small growing sorts. 

 Beside the three varieties of jam berries, a 

 good number of the Warrington and Pitmaston 

 green gage should be planted, as hanging long 

 on the bushes after they are ripe, and if pro- 

 tected with nets, will last as long grown as 



