GOO 
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form a long perpendicular or tap root, 
and omit the necessary spread of lateral 
fibres, unless this tendency is checked, 
which the removal from the pans allows 
of being done. It is merely to take off 
about an inch of the lower end of the 
radicle, and then on being planted in 
the open ground, at about two feet from 
each other, they will speedily form an 
abundance of fibrous roots near the 
surface, and grow strongly. In the 
autumn of the first year the leading 
points of the shoots must be taken off 
to induce bushiness ; and the only atten¬ 
tion necessary through the next season 
will be again in the autumn to regulate 
and moderately shorten the branches 
formed; but in the third summer fruit 
may be expected, and their after- 
treatment will be that of mature plants. 
The gooseberry produces its fruit 
from nearly the whole length of the pre¬ 
vious year’s wood. A sufficiency of this 
should therefore be left at each pruning, 
taking care that the branches are not 
crowded or overlap each other. 
From the inclination of these trees to 
run to wood it is found advisable to cut 
out completely all such as is not wanted 
for fruiting (unless an increase in any 
particular part is desired, when a spur of 
two or three joints may be left); and for 
the same reason the points of the re¬ 
tained branches are left untouched. 
The period for pruning is any time 
between the fall of the leaf and 
its reappearance in spring; and this 
also is the proper time for removing 
them. Gooseberries delight in light 
loamy soil, and should be planted in 
some slightly protected ground, where 
the north-east winds may not sweep 
over, or the probability of a crop will 
be materially lessened through their 
blighting influence at the period of 
blooming. For forming a plantation 
three years’ old plants are the best; 
these are obtained from cuttings pre¬ 
served when the pruning takes place, 
and cut into lengths of six or eight 
inches, the bottom end of a young 
branch being the best. To strike them 
it is only necessary to stick them into 
the ground at about six inches Irom 
each other, in some sheltered corner of 
be garden, observing in the succeeding 
years to thin them out so that they may 
not become suffocated. 
The growth of these fruits for exhi¬ 
bition is a complete sacrifice of the 
crop, as only young trees of four or five 
years old are selected, and the number 
of fruit restricted to perhaps half a 
dozen, according to the strength of the 
trees; the branches also are mutilated 
and reduced according to the grower’s 
fancy, and in order to get two or three 
excessively heavy berries he will often 
destroy a greater number of trees. 
The practice of trimming the branches 
of these trees at Midsummer, by cutting 
out the superfluous rampant shoots, will 
be found to contribute largely to the 
improvement of the flavour of the fruit; 
it must be done, however, while the ber¬ 
ries are small, and a few at a time; or, if 
by the sudden removal of the foliage a 
large amount of sunlight is admitted 
without previous preparation, it will be 
very likely to induce a tough, hide¬ 
bound character in the fruit, and pre¬ 
vent their swelling. 
In the following selection we have 
been led to regard flavour as the chief 
recommendation, because size alone will 
not satisfy those who desire to eat 
their own fruit. The varieties are ar¬ 
ranged according to usual appearance, 
though, as before remarked, they often 
vary in different localities, and the de¬ 
scriptions are as accurate as the confused 
mass of names will allow. 
WHITE VARIETIES. 
Abraham Newland, Jackson’s. A large, 
oblong, very excellent sort; the fruit 
is slightly hispid. 
Bright Venus, Taylor’s. Bather small, 
obovate, hairy, may be kept on the 
tree till October in a shaded place. 
Cheshire Lass, Saunders’s. A very early 
variety, large, oblong, and almost 
smooth. 
Crystal. Small, round, and smooth; 
valuable for its bearing qualities, and 
the late period to which it may be kept. 
Early White. A round medium-sized 
downy fruit. 
Great Britain. Large, oblong, and 
