189S. 



THE 



GARDE NERS ' MA G A ZINE 



"3 



GOOSEBERR 



IN THE GARD 



, , L of hardy fruits has undergone a remarkable degree 

 THA I the culuvat.cn of hardy J is a matt er of common know- 



^ l0P 2' C ^ weH known that'in the production of both home and 

 ledge ; and it is fruits have e( f ua n y shared in the advance. 



woul f ar P e^^ have received special attention, for they 



Standard Gooseberry Tree 



been 



planted in enormous numbers ; the increase being so great 

 that nurserymen closely identified with fruit culture now sell a dozen 

 bushes to every single bush they disposed of a few years since. 

 my perhaps perplex those who have not had opportunities for correctly 

 ^mating the value of bush fruits in general and the gooseberry in 



This fact 



• 1 



shaped Gooseberry Bush. 



* n **Ur in. I. 



' - -"A pi eC ° nom V of the 



<arden ; but there is no occasion for 



it has attained its full maturity. The town dweller can have but an 

 imperfect idea of the flavour of the fruit of the gooseberry in a ripe state. 

 He has sufficient opportunities for formulating an opinion of green 

 gooseberries as thev usually reach the market in good condition ; but the 

 so-called ripe fruit has to be marketed before it has attained maturity, 

 and in consequence of the practice which obtains of sending gooseberries 

 to market in sieves, a considerable proportion of the fruit is smashed 

 before it reaches the consumer. When it can remain on the trees until 

 fully ripe, the fruit of the more highly flavoured varieties is at once deli- 

 cious and refreshing. It is also remarkably wholesome, an attribute that is 

 being more fully recognised, as indicated by the fact that in many 

 gardens the plantations have been extended for the purpose of providing 

 the children with liberal supplies when home for their summer holidays. 

 Provisions are also being made in large numbers of gardens that have 

 come under our notice for maintaining a supply well into August, and in 

 the northern counties until September, as they are much appreciated at 

 a time when the country house is usually full of guests. 



The gooseberry is perhaps less particular as to soil and climate than 

 other of our hardy fruits, hence we see it thriving under the most diverse 

 conditions throughout the United Kindgdom. As in the case of other 

 bush fruits, an open sunny position is the most suitable for the planta- 

 tions from which the principal supplies are drawn, as light and air are 

 important factors in the development of the flavour of the berries. For 

 late supplies a border on the north side of a wall ranging from eight to 

 twelve feet high is the best place for the bushes, and when the wall space 



V 



'*ith 



rvRAMii>.\i. Gooseberry Tree. 



can be spared it is an excellent plan to cover the wall with cordon or fan- 

 shaped t?ees as these are usually very productive, and give an immense 

 auantitv of fruit in proportion to the wall space occupied. Then by 

 Eg L border witlWarf bushes the fruit reared for use = late . U.e 



season can with a few light poles .or strips of deal, and old nsn nets, 

 season can, jvitn a lie g r Howard some such arrange- 



be P rot ^ f ha ^^ n b c *^ ed out by Mr. j. Riddell with the success that 

 ment as this has been carma ou y J impor tant 'gardens, and 



fbundlnt s e uppt e s wer an°nua% obuined until quite the enl of the sum- 

 abundam supplies we duced by bushe s growing in the open 



u ^A oicJ vi g nrnterted from the birds, as it is only when they are 

 .unvvpn Shane S they a tain maturity that their characteristic flavour 

 ?s fX developed OW y fish-nets carefully placed over the bushes will 



proS tWruft from the birds ; but it is P»£^^K£to 

 nn a U^ht framework of wood fixed five or six feet above the surface. 



Thf ^cS is remarkably accommodating in the matter of soil ; 

 but MS S£!fKZ the best results are obtained when the roots havejAe 



o/iiKi«tirr£» r\t q nwleratelv deep loam in which to run. lne private 



-owe Tas but iStectoK in Meeting soils for the several fru,t crops, 

 f„5 if.. ;n ^nnUnuence to make the best of those at his command. A 

 S»n tiX fbes " because, while the bushes growing in it are able to 

 Se aTgorous* g'rowtrfand produce fruit of ^P"^^ ™£l 

 conditions are favourable to the ripening of the wood and the develop 



n?en.or.he flavour. On . heavy softs the fruit frequent y bdomtoBgj 



^ no <ii as, unlil^A ti»- T , ihdic over a com- ment ot tne navour. ^ . • 7 i • V 1 th» cn.l U liirht 



«lSy satisfactory JJ °u T ° ther bush frui * s > * can more especially if the drainage is not efficient, and wl e e the nllM 



y atisiactory results both m a green state and when and gravelly there is a great risk of the fol.age becoming a pre> to red 



