302 
THE COTTAGE GARDENER. 
September 
ture and in the kinds raised. Indeed, it is a question 
whether there has been so much improvement in the 
culture and kinds of any other description of fruit 
as there has been in the gooseberry during the last 
30 or 40 years. I find, on referring to the “ Goose¬ 
berry Growers’ Register,” that in 1810 the heaviest 
grown that year was “Crown Bob,” 21dwts. 17 grains; 
in 1812 the heaviest was a seedling, 19 dwts. 10 grains; 
in 1813, “ Crown Bob” was again the heaviest, attain¬ 
ing 22 dwts. 21 grains; in 1824, Roaring Lion was 
the heaviest, 26 dwts. 5 grains; in 1844, London was 
the heaviest, 35 dwts. 12 grains. Thus we find from 
1824 to 1844 there had been an increase of weight of 
about 141 grains. The above are all red kinds, but 
not only has the improvement been made in this 
class, but in tlio other classes, viz., yellow, green, and 
white, the improvement has been equal. Much as 
has already been accomplished in the improvement 
of this useful and delicious fruit, much more might 
be done. I am far from thinking that perfection is 
attained; but, on the contrary, my firm conviction is, 
that if the subject were taken up by gentlemen laying 
claim to great horticultural skill, who had a little lei¬ 
sure time, and would devote a little of it to the sub¬ 
ject, we might reasonably expect still greater profici¬ 
ency to be made. 
I will offer a few remarks on the best means to be 
employed in raising them, and their management. If 
I can by this means induce any efficient person to take 
the subject in hand, I shall be satisfied, and I have 
not the least doubt but that he will be satisfied also. 
As in all cases where seedlings are to be raised, whe¬ 
ther in flowers, fruits, or kitchen vegetables, the 
greatest care should be exercised in the selection of 
good kinds to raise the seeds from, this will be the 
first chief care. If this be not attended to we cannot 
reasonably expect the seedlings to be superior to the 
kinds already grown. The fruit selected should be of 
large size and good flavour; its colour is of no con¬ 
sequence, for if you select a red one, in all probability 
you will have amongst those raised from it, red, yellow, 
green, and white. Sometimes, even, none of the 
seedlings will favour the kind raised from, whilst 
sometimes they vary very little. This will, I presume, 
depend upon how they have been hybridized by the 
bee, with the kinds growing near them. The next care 
will be to select well-formed fruit to seed from. I think 
this is of importance, for if the seed be large and well- 
formed, it will develop itself in the fruit. Having 
selected fruit with the aforenamed properties, allow 
them to remain on the tree until they are quite ripe ; 
they may then be plucked and broken, the seeds and 
pulp put in sand, and then rubbed well together, in 
order to separate the seed from the pulp. The seed 
and sand together may then be placed in a well- 
drained flower-pot, sufficiently large to hold it, placing 
a little sand over the drainage, then the seed anil 
sand, adding a little sand about an inch on the top. 
The pot containing the seed must then be placed 
under a hedge or wall, and remain until February or 
beginning of March, when it may be sown on a bed 
composed of sand, leaf-mould and soil. The whole 
of the sand and the seed in the pot may be mixed 
together, and sown as equally as possible over the 
bed, covering the seed a little better than a quarter 
of an inch deep. The only care during the first year’s 
growth will be to prevent the seedlings from making 
side shoots until they have made a sufficient length 
of “ bole” or stem, say nine inches. This may be done 
by taldng out the buds at the sides, leaving the top 
or terminal bud until the bole is of sufficient length. 
Great care should be taken in the removal of the 
buds that the bark be not bruised, for if the bark be 
bruised it may be of consequence to the tree after¬ 
wards. If the weather prove very dry during the 
spring or summer months, the seedlings may be 
occasionally watered after sunset. This will be all 
the care they will require the first year’s growth. 
In November, December, or January, the seedlings 
must be taken from the seed bed, care being taken 
not to break or bruise the roots in taking them up. 
Whilst they are out of the ground, all the tap roots 
must be taken off by the pruning scissors, (otherwise, 
train them horizontally in replanting). If they havo 
made a sufficient length of bole the first year’s growth, 
they may be disbudded from the bottom to within 
four buds of the top, after taking off the top or ter¬ 
minal bud. The three or four buds left on are in¬ 
tended for branches the following year; care should 
also be taken that all buds are removed from about 
the insertion of the root, for, if this be not done they 
may, by producing suckers, prove troublesome, and 
injurious to the good growth of the plant afterwards. 
I ought to observe, that some of the seedlings will 
make greater progress than others; some of them 
will make a sufficient length of bole and a few 
branches besides in the first year’s growth, and when 
this is the case the branches may be cut off, leaving 
three or four buds on each branch ; never leave more 
than three or four branches on a tree. Having pro¬ 
perly dressed the seedlings, they may be planted in 
rows at least 18 inches apart, and the same distance 
from each other, at a depth of three inches in sand, 
leaf or vegetable mould and soil, making the surface 
on which they are to be planted quite level, and 
spreading the roots well out as uniformly as possible 
round from the bole. 
They will require little care during this year, only 
a little water if the weather be very dry, taking away 
any coarse shoots that may proceed from the bole ; 
and it will be also necessary to train the shoots with 
hooks and props, so as to form the top as nearly flat 
as possible, but, if anything, rather higher at the end 
of the branches than at the bole. They must be re¬ 
moved in November or December, taldng care while 
they are out of the ground to remove all buds from 
about the roots as before described, cutting off the 
superfluous wood that has been made the last year; 
leaving on such shoots as are well ripened, contain¬ 
ing good buds, and are in such a position as may be 
brought either up or down, so as to form a beautiful 
plant. The shoots left on must have the ends taken 
off, leaving five or six buds on each; they must 
be replanted in the situation in which they are in¬ 
tended to remain until they have shown fruit. I 
think the best mode of planting out seedlings at 
three years old, is to plant them in rows at about two 
feet six inches apart, by the side of a walk, the same 
distance from the walk as from each other, in any 
part of the garden. Allow them to remain until they 
have shown themselves; if they do not show them¬ 
selves very fine and promising they can remain here 
for general bearing purposes, but those of them 
which promise well I advise should be removed the 
following autumn to the best situation in the garden, 
in order that they may receive proper care and atten¬ 
tion, as directed in The Cottage Gardener, page 
303 of vol. I. In order that no ground be lost, 
onions may be sown amongst them, but not imme¬ 
diately under them, as they will grow without injury 
to the trees or fruit. I am afraid I have already 
trespassed too much on your space, but before closing 
the subject I wish to make a few concluding remarks. 
In order to secure good seed it is of great importance 
