1884.] 
T-HE INDUSTET SOOSEBEKaT. 
WliUe the improveineufc in Strawberries 
has been so decided and rapid as to appear 
marvellous almost, American Gooseberries 
have, with the exception of the “ Downing,” 
remained so primitive that most persons are 
not aware of the possibilities of this class of 
fruits. Those familiar with the excellence 
of the improved foreign varieties have natur¬ 
ally been desirous to grow these here, and 
thousands of ti’ials have been made to 
acclimatize them, but only in very few 
instances have they proved successful, the 
bushes being destroyed by mildew after the 
second or third year. A Goosoberi'y possess¬ 
ing largo size and good quality, combined 
with freedom from disease, will therefore be 
• hailed with joy by all lovers of good fruits. 
The “Industry” Gooseberry now being 
introduced by Messrs. Ellwanger & Barry, 
Rochester, N. Y., is now recommended as 
fully supplying this desideratum. Although 
of foreign origin it has done admirably upon 
the grounds of the introducers for three 
seasons, being a vig¬ 
orous grower, an im¬ 
mense yielder, and 
showing no signs of 
mildew. Its deep red 
berries are of excellent 
quality and of the size 
shown in oiu- illustra¬ 
tion. 
THE AMERICAN GARDEN. 
83 
I ho citfculio is a more serious enemy, but 
IS by no means invincible. He attacks not 
only the Plum, but the Cherry, Apple, and 
sometimes the Pear. It is probably owing 
to tlie Apple orchards that of late years he 
has increased so prodigiously, as at one time 
ho was thouglit only to attack the Plum 
when meanwhile ho was propagating by 
millions on the fallen Ajjples, 
Wliore a Plum is to bo had, nowever, the 
insect prefers it to any otlfor fruit. The 
mature curculio, whichis asmall, dull-colored 
beetle, emerges from the ground when the 
young Plum is about the size of a small Pea, 
and continues to hatch for about three 
weeks. It stings the fruit, making a crescent- 
shaped mark, and lays its eggs therein. 
These soon hatch into a white worm, which 
biu'i'ows into the stone, as soon as it reaches 
wdiich the fruit falls. The worm then goes 
into the ground, where he completes his 
transformations. The remedies are many, 
all in a measure elHcaeious. They are mostly 
preventive, for where the fruit is once stung 
GEOWING PLUMS. 
There are many fruits 
which once abuudant 
in our markets are now 
met with in limited 
quantities, and of these 
the Plum is a notable 
instance. This is due 
to two causes, the de¬ 
struction of the tree by 
the disease known as 
the “ Black Wart,” or 
“Black Knot,” and of 
the fruit by an insect, 
the curculio. 
We have no space to 
discuss the mooted 
question of the cause 
of the former, whether 
it be of vegetable or 
insect origin^ but two facts seem to be 
proved, that it is contagious, spreading 
rapidly over the whole tree, and from one 
tree to another, and that the only sure 
I’emedy is the free use of the knife, cut¬ 
ting away all diseased branches and burning 
them. We have, however, where the wart 
attacked a large and important limb, saved 
amputation by cutting out the diseased por¬ 
tions and binding salt upon the cut, and the 
limb soon healed. 
This disease also attacks the wild Plum, 
and sometimes the wild Cherry, and where 
these grow in the vicinity they also should 
be cut down when diseased, lest the infec¬ 
tion spread to the orchard. Too much im¬ 
portance cannot be attached to burning the 
infected limbs, as if simply thrown on the 
ground the disease from them spreads to the 
healthy branches. 
We have .no hesitation in saying, that by 
beginning with healthy young trees, and by 
care. Plums can be grown in spite of the 
black wart. 
and the trunk and branches sharply struck 
with a cloth-covered mallet, so as not to 
bruise the bark, the beetles will fall upon the 
sheet and can be destroyed. This should be 
done morning and night for a period of 
about three weeks. All fallen Plums, as also 
fallen Apples andChemes nearby, should be 
daily gathered and burned. 
Following these rules a good crop of Plums 
may yearly be obtained, and the result is 
certainly worth the trouble. For family use 
it is best to plant dwarf trees, as they are 
more manageable, and the Plum also always 
does well, trained espalier, or as a wall 
fruit. 
The choice of varieties must be left to 
individual taste, but for home use the pro¬ 
portion should be two Greengages to one 
of every other kind. 
In some of the nurseries of Central New- 
York, Plums are grown in great quantity 
and perfection, the curculio being destroyed 
as we have directed, and there is no reason 
why any one who has a small plot of ground 
should not each sum¬ 
mer have a crop of 
Plums. Prunus. 
INDUSTRY GOOSEBERRY. 
em-e is usually impossible, although we have 
saved Plums by carefully cutting out the 
egg just after the fruit was stung. 
If the trees are syrhiged and dusted with 
air-slacked lime the insect will not sting the 
fruit. But no half-way measures will avail 
iu this ; the wash must be begun as soon as 
the young fruit forms, and continued imtil 
the time for the insects to come out of the 
gi-ound is passed; this time can only be told 
by observation. If the lime is washed off by 
rain, it must be immediately renewed, and 
especial care must be taken to coat the 
young fruit well. 
Paving around the trees prevents the in¬ 
crease of the beetle in the immediate 
vicinity; salting the ground is also effica¬ 
cious. Trees gi’own in a hen-yard often 
perfect fine crops of fruit, as the hens eat the 
beetles as they come out of the ground. But 
the best way is to destroy the beetles by 
shaking them from the trees ; the insects on 
being disturbed feign death and fall to the 
ground. If a sheet is spread under the tree. 
WATEEING STEAW- 
BEEEEES, 
Growing StrawbeiTy 
plants need a generous 
supply of water. Prom 
the day when the first 
blossoms appear, imtil 
the well-developed fruit 
is ready to be plucked, 
the soil where Straw¬ 
berry vines stand 
should be kept very 
moist. The crop of fruit 
is often damaged seri¬ 
ously by one or two 
days of hot and diy 
weather when the 
plants are in blossom, 
or soon after the berries 
begin to grow. If one 
has an abundance of 
str-aw, old hay, or 
coarse manm'e, it will 
pay to spread such 
material between the 
rows and close around 
the hills, for the purpose of keeping the soU 
moist. Coarse straw or hay can be spread 
most advantageously when they are wet. 
An ordinary sized Strawbeny plot will 
require only a few minutes’ labor with a large 
watering-pot, to give the plants a generous 
supply of water every evening. Sawdust, tan- 
bark, and chip-dirt, when spread over the 
gi'ound, keep the soil moist and will greatly 
retard evaporation. 
Those who succeed in producing mam¬ 
moth berries use manure unstintedly and 
^eep the soil well watered. It is a good 
plan to keep the gi’ound between the rows 
of Strawberry vines covered with litter, so 
thickly and evenly that grass and weeds are 
all smothered. Then to apply water every 
evening when the weather is not wet and 
lowery. Where salt hay can be obtained 
nothing is better for mulching, as it is al¬ 
ways clean and free from weed-seeds, is 
not easily blown ofi by the wind, and, after 
the bearing season, can be dried and stored 
away for another year. S. E. T. 
