314 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
February 10. 
gooseberry he calls Uva crispa; and the Uva ursi of 
Galen, and Ribes, are names he applies to “ the red- 
beyond-sea gooseberry;” but this is evidently our red 
currant, as his black gooseberry is our black currant. 
Gerarde, in his “ Herball,” published 1597, says it is 
called Fea-berry in Cheshire. It has the samo name in 
Lancashire and Yorkshire. This, in Norfolk, is abbre¬ 
viated into Feabes , or, as the provincials pronounce it, 
Fapes. Gerarde says there were then “ divers sorts, 
some greater, others less, some round, others long, and 
some of a red colour, growing in our London gardens 
and elsewhere in great abundance.” 
In the “ Paradisus” of Parkinson, published in 1629, 
are described five varieties of gooseberries or feaberries : 
three reds, differing only in size; one blue or purple, 
like the damson; and one green and hairy, of which 
“ the seed hath produced bushes bearing berries having 
few or no hairs upon them.” 
Johnson, in his edition of Gerarde (1636), has “ the 
long green, the great yellowish, the blue, the great 
round red, the long red, and the prickly gooseberry.” 
Ray has no English name but the pearl gooseberry. 
Rea mentions three sorts of the red, the blue, the yellow 
of several sorts, the White Holland, and the green, in 
his “Flora, Ceres, and Pomona,” published during 1665. 
Miller only says, there were in his time (1724) several 
varieties obtained from seeds, most of them named 
from the persons who raised them, as Lamb’s, Hunt’s, 
Edwards’s gooseberry, &c.; but new ones being con¬ 
tinually obtained, be considered it needless to enumerate 
them.—( Martyn’s Miller's Diet.) In 1752 the attention 
of gardeners to raising improved varieties first becomes 
apparent; for Switzer, in his “Practical Fruit Gar¬ 
dener,” then published, says, “ the best sorts are the 
large white Dutch, the large amber, the early red and 
green, both hairy, Mr. Lowe’s early green and walnut 
gooseberries, with some other very extraordinary kinds 
of his raising at Battersea, not yet named.” Though 
this shows a somewhat awakened attention, yet the 
cultivation was still neglected; for Switzer, instead of 
pruning with the knife, recommends the hushes to be 
“dipt a little before midsummer.” Hitt, in his “ Trea¬ 
tise on Fruit Trees,” is the first author who recommends 
a careful cultivation of this fruit “ of the meaner sort,” 
and gives directions for its pruning and general treat¬ 
ment. 
Mr. Loudon truly observes, that the gooseberry is j 
cultivated in greater perfection in Lancashire than in ; 
any other part of Britain; and next to Lancashire, the 
climate and treatment of the Lothians seem to suit this 
fruit. In Spain and Italy the fruit is scarcely known. 
In Trance it is neglected, and little esteemed. In some 
parts of Germany and Holland the moderate tempera¬ 
ture and humidity of climate seems to suit the fruit; 
but in no country is its size and beauty to be compared 
with that produced in Lancashire, or from the Lanca¬ 
shire varieties cultivated with care in the more temperate 
and humid districts of Britain. Dr. Neill observes, that 
when foreigners witness our Lancashire gooseberries, 
they are ready to consider them as forming quite a 
different kind of fruit. Happily this wholesome and 
useful berry is to be found in almost every cottago gar¬ 
den in Britain; and it ought to be considered a part of 
every gardener’s duty to encourage the introduction of 
its most useful varieties in these humble inclosures. 
In Lancashire, and some parts of the adjoining counties, ; 
almost every cottager who has a garden cultivates the ' 
gooseberry with a view to prizes given at what are called t 
‘‘gooseberry prize meetings;” of these there is annually 
published an account, with the names and weight of 
the successful sorts, in what is called The Gooseberry 
Growers Register. That for .1851 is now before us, and 
its contents will surprise any one ignorant of the zeal 
with which this fruit is cultivated by the artizans of our 
northern counties—Lancashire, Cheshire, and York¬ 
shire. It is the fiftieth year of its publication, and 
contains reports of one-hundred-and-sixty-eight exhibi¬ 
tions where prizes were awarded to superior gooseberries. 
The heaviest red gooseberry grown during 1851 was 
London. Mr. James Elliott, of Ounsdale, was the 
grower, and it weighed 27 dwts., 12 grs.; or one ounce, 
seven pennyweights, twelve grains. 
The heaviest yellow gooseberry, the same year, was 
Catherina, grown by Mr. Matthew Arundale, of Set Inn, 
near Hollinwood. It weighed 27 dwts., 4 grains. 
The heaviest green gooseberry was Invincible, grown 
by Mr. John Parry, of Kelsall, and weighing 25 dwts., 
7 grs. 
The heaviest white gooseberry was Jenny Lind, and 
this, grown by Mr. John Swift, of Ormskirk, weighed 
26 dwts., 17 grs. 
If we were to select the six varieties of each colour 
as the best, because they won the most prizes, they 
would stand thus :— Reds. —London, Companion, Con¬ 
quering Hero, Slaughterman, Wonderful, and Lion's 
Provider. Yellows. —Catherina, Leader, Pilot, Drill, 
Railway, and Gunner. Greens. —Thumper, Turn-out, 
Queen Victoria, General, Gretna Green, and Overall. 
Whites. —Freedom, Queen of Trumps, Snowdrop, Lady 
Leicester, Eagle, and Snow Ball. 
We have some remarks to offer upon these shows, 
and others in connexion with them, but must defer 
them until next week. 
GOSSIP. 
We are glad to find that the importance of promoting 
the improved breeding of poultry is rapidly gaining 
attention. An exhibition of poultry is about to be 
established at Colchester; and prizes for superior poultry 
are about to be offered by the Liverpool and Manchester 
Agricultural Society. 
At the annual general meeting of the South Devon 
Botanical and Horticultural Society, held at Plymouth 
on the 3rd instant, we observe they are strenuously 
preparing for this year’s campaign. 
It has, although hut one year old, more than 100 sub¬ 
scribers. Mr. Itendle, ol' the Union Road Nurseries, gave 
prizes last year for the best specimens of honey, and he 
purposes giving larger rewards this year. Those prizes 
induced some very satisfactory exhibitions from the Kings- 
briityc Bee Society. Will some of our readers favour us with 
