VOL. LII. No. 2243. 
NEW YORK, JANUARY 21, 1893. 
PRICE, FIVE CENTS. 
$ 1.00 PER YEAR. 
GOOSEBERRIES. 
■WANTED! A MILDEW-PROOF VARIETY. 
Where Shall We Go To Find It ? 
The following' note of inquiry was sent to those 
whose answers follow: 
1. Is there any foreign gooseberry or seedling of any foreign goose¬ 
berry that may be relied upon by the majority of growers never to 
mildew? 2 Your opinion of the newer kinds—Industry, Red Jacket, 
Columbus, etc.? 3. Is a smooth berry to be preferred to a hairy one ? 
4. What color is preferred—red, yellow or green? 5. How may mil¬ 
dew best be prevented—bv mulching, soil, situation or fungicides ? 
From J. J. Thomas. —1. Some of the best occasion¬ 
ally mildew. I could not recommend 
any as quite reliable. 2. I have not 
found the Industry free from mildew 
here in Cayuga County, N. Y., and do 
not know the others well enough to give 
an opinion with regard to them. 3. Only 
as being more agreeable. 4. I prefer 
yellow mostly; others like the others 
best. 5. Only by planting and raising 
such varieties as are free always. 
From The Stores & Harrison Co.— 
We do not think there is any foreign 
gooseberry or seedling that can be re¬ 
lied upon not to mildew. In regard to 
the newer kinds, the Industry is the only 
one that we have tested here in Lake 
County, Ohio. Some seasons it does re¬ 
markably well with us. Red Jacket and 
Columbus we know nothing about per¬ 
sonally. We think that in our market 
and in markets generally a smooth is 
preferred to a hairy berry, and that the 
red berry takes the lead in market, for 
color. In regard to the 
prevention of mildew, we 
think that mulching, a clay 
loam soil and partial shade 
are all beneficial. Sulphide 
of potassium we think will 
prevent mildew in the 
majority of seasons. We 
have been using it a num¬ 
ber of seasons and have 
been troubled with mildew 
only in very wet weather. 
We commence using it early 
and continue through the 
season. 
From E. Williams.—1. 
I do not know. The In¬ 
dustry has for the past two 
years borne well and shown 
no signs of mildew here, in 
Mercer County, N. J. I am 
surprised at this, as it is re¬ 
puted to be of foreign 
origin. 2. I have had no 
experience with the Red 
Jacket or Columbus; White¬ 
smith, Crown Bob, Roaring 
Lion, etc, I tried many 
years ago ; but they mildewed so badly as to be worth¬ 
less. The Downing has been my chief reliance for 
years ; it is of good size and never has mildewed. 
Houghton is too small. The Triumph I regard now 
as the best of all I have, after half a dozen years’ trial. 
It is quite as large as the Industry, never mildews and 
is a profuse bearer. As I always use this fruit for 
canning or sale at maturity, I am not prepared to 
speak of its merits as a dessert fruit in a ripe condi¬ 
tion. 3. My individual preference is for a smooth 
berry, though I do not know that the commercial 
value would be affected on this account. 4 and 5. I 
cannot speak from experience. 
From Pres. P. J. Berckmans. —As gooseberries are 
all unsuccessful in this climate (Richmond County, 
Ga.), I am unable to answer the queries. This fruit 
begins to find a suitable region about Tryon, N. C., 
and the higher it goes into the mountains the better it 
succeeds. 
From Prof. W. J. Green.— 1. The Portage, which has 
been on trial here, in Franklin County, Ohio, for three 
years, I suspect is a seedling from some foreign 
variety, but it has shown no tendency to mildew to an 
injurious extent. 2. Industry does fairly well here, 
Sumner Gooseberry'. Fig. 8. 
Unnamed Gooseberry' from Lewis Roesch. Fig. 9. 
but some reports concerning it from other parts of 
the State are unfavorable. Columbus and Red Jacket 
have not fruited here, but have made healthy growth. 
3. Yes, generally ; but I do not think a slight hair¬ 
iness, such as is found on the Industry, is very objec¬ 
tionable. 4. Much depends upon the market and the 
stage at which the berries are to be sold. If sold be¬ 
fore they are fully ripe, the color makes no difference. 
I would prefer red if to be sold when ripe, unless my 
customers thought differently. 5. I would use potas¬ 
sium sulphide. Copper compounds might do as well, 
but would stick to the fruit. 
From C. A. Green.—I have great faith in English 
gooseberries. They will soon be grown largely in this 
country. Many plain farmers grow them successfully 
now without extra care. I saw many of these varie¬ 
ties at the Geneva Agricultural Experiment Station a 
few days ago. They have met with success there. I look 
for a gooseberry revolution. 1. Yes, if preventives of 
disease are used. 2. Industry is good ; the new Red 
Jacket and new Columbus are said to be fine. 3. Yes. 
4. There is no difference on account of color, as all are 
usually sold before they are ripe. 5. By the selection 
of a proper situation and the use of fungicides. 
From J. T. Lovett. —1. I know of none. 
Whitesmith is, so far as I have tested, 
the most reliable English variety. 2. 
I have fruited only the Industry, which 
is not a success with me here, in Mon¬ 
mouth County, N. J., as it mildews and 
drops its leaves. 3. A smooth berry is 
preferred, all other things being equal. 
4, Red seems to be the color preferred by 
the greatest number. 5. By all four 
means to a great extent. I am informed 
that the liver of sulphur treatment is a 
perfect and sure preventive of mildew 
on the gooseberry. I have never tried it 
to any extent myself, hence cannot give 
any information from experience. 
Some Success with the Industry. 
1. I think there is no European goose¬ 
berry which can be relied upon to remain 
permanently free from mildew under 
ordinary conditions in the Eastern States 
and the Mississippi and St. Lawrence 
Valleys. But there is a 
good deal of difference in 
the resisting power of dif¬ 
ferent varieties of this 
species against mildew; 
and there are methods of 
care and culture which go 
a good way towards the 
prevention of this disease. 
A high, northern latitude, 
a cool exposure, and good 
culture, without very high 
manuring, will enable one 
to grow the English varie¬ 
ties successfully for a good 
many years. To these I 
would add—what is gen¬ 
erally neglected by Ameri- 
i :an growers — systematic 
pruning, to develop an open 
head, allowing the free ad¬ 
mission of light and air to 
the interior of the bushes. 
By attention to these 
points, my father grew 
English gooseberries on a 
rich, clay soil in the Kenne¬ 
bec Valley, Maine, all 
through my boyhood, without mildew. We have 
been growing the Industry gooseberry in northern 
Vermont quite successfully since its introduction, on a 
moderately light soil, the foliage remaining as healthy 
as that of our improved native sorts. But I much doubt 
whether such success is met with much farther south ; 
and I should hesitate greatly to advise extensive 
planting of the foreign kinds in the southern and 
western portions of our Atlantic slope. With all my 
success in growing the Industry here in Orleans County, 
Vt., I am not planting more of it, because I feel much 
safer in planting the large American sorts of the 
type of Red Jacket, though I should give a decided 
