CULTURE OF GOOSEBERRIES. 
Gl 
In planting cuttings of these choice sorts, the usual system is to 
tie a little moss round the bottom of the cutting, which is found 
greatly to assist in the formation of strong roots. 
Insects infesting Gooseberries .—The most prevailing depredators 
are the caterpillars of the Fly, given in Fig. 7.* There are four 
or five distinct generations of the insects. One pair of the flies ex¬ 
isting in spring, are supposed to be able to produce during their 
short lives no less than sixty millions of caterpillars. The perfect 
flies live but about nine or ten days, and usually lay their eggs 
about the third or fourth days, after having arrived at the winged 
state; these eggs are hatched in about a week, the caterpillars, 
when first hatched, being very small, eat very little, but after a few 
days, they begin to eat voraciously ; and when about ten days old, 
they make most dreadful devastation. They continue to feed about 
a fortnight, and then descend into the soil, entering into the pupae 
state, in which they continue eighteen days, after which they emerge 
as perfect flies. They may be destroyed while in the caterpillar 
state, with lime-water and other materials. 
Having stated thus far, I beg to say a few words on a peculiar 
mode of treatment which I have practised with the greatest success. 
The usual time of pruning is well known to be winter; this practice 
I never follow, but cut my gooseberry trees about the end of May, 
or beginning of June. They may be cut with equal facility then as 
at any other time, and with far greater advantages. From this sum¬ 
mer priming, I am able to collect a great quantity of young fruit, 
both for bottling and market. In the summer of 1832, I collected, 
from the branches which were cut off, os many as ninety pecks of 
berries, eighty of which I sent to Nottingham market, where thev 
sold for one shilling per peck. The other ten pecks were used by 
our family for bottling. 
* The name of the Fly which is here omitted, will be found amongst the Queries. 
