■ 1
CLASS I I I . - F R U I T GREEN.
Div. 7. Surface liispid. Div. 8. Downy. Div. 9. Smooth.
29. Early green hairy
tircoii giiscoignc
30. Ilebburn green prolific
31. Glenton green
York 8co(\liiig'
32. Ixovat’s Elisha
33. Hopley’s Lord Crewe
34.
35.
36.
37.
Late green
Gregory’s perfection
Parkinson’s laurel
Collier’s jolly angler
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
Pitmaston green gage
Green walnut
Allen’s glory of Ratcliff
Massey’s hea rt of oak
lidwards’s jolly tar
Large smooth green
CLASS IV . - F R U I T W I IIT E .
Dir. 10. Surrnco hispid.
Hedgehog
White crystal
White champagne
Cleworth’s white lion
Taylor’s bright Venus
Jackson’sAbraham Newland
Div. 11. Downy.
Earlv white
Woo’clivard’s whitesmith
Crompton’s Sheba queen
Wellington’s glory
Saunders’s Cheshire lass
Div. 12. Smooth.
Crystal
White damson
White honey
Cook’s wliite eagle
White iig
preceding catalogue, Nos. 2. 4. G, 7. 21. 25 . 27 . 29 , 30,31. 38. 41. 48. 50
ry collection for table use. F or early sorts, Nos. 2. 6. 17. 29. ¿9. and
4')4«. Selection o f sorts. O fth e
.51. 57. 59. deserve a place in every
i^fo'hpTpierted- and for late ones. Nos. 7. 10. 18. 21. 28. and .57. Those who prefer very large sorts,
such as are cultivated for prizes, should consult the Manche ste r Gooseberry Book. T. he red chatnpagne
h is o fte / been confounded with the red W arrington. The former, however, grows very u p rig h t; w h e re ^
th e la tte ris of pendulous growth, and the fruit is larger and ripens later. Tarfor s ¿ i ^ i t Vemis u ^
?i7P and of excellent fiavour. The Titmaston green gage and White flg are also highly
deserving of particular n o tice; in some seasons they will hang till they shrivel and almost candy on the
dtm Prnnnfrntion. T h e gooseberry may be propagated by all the modes applicable to trees or sh ru b s;
even by pfoTeTof^^^^^^^ ro o ts ; but the m!de by c u tti/g s is usually adopted for continuing varieties, and that
“" V S know, the scientific mode of impregnating one variety with miother has
imt b i n luDhed’to this fruit. In general, the seed of some choice variety thoroughly n p e is taken and
not been ‘-T A .fo .. beds or pots of rich light mellow earth .B u. .iuu u« ... .».uj.u.. ....: ..w...h. .e..n.. .t..h..e. , .p.laannts are a year
sown in autumn or early in spring, in beds or
old they are planted out in nursery rows, to
cultivated and trained there a year or tw o ; m general
they will bear the th ird year.
45.51. B y c iPAVP?u ttin g s . Miller says
th e best season for planting Sfeseb^ry-cnttings is in affiumn
Hpim-P thpir leaves besin begin to fall. The cuttings snouia should be oc laKcii taken from u om bearing ueanug buuulb,shoots, i r ¿ h e r than those
„
g o u rm a n d s which issue from the main stem. Cut them to such a length as the
strength and "peness of
th e wood will boar, and cut off all the buds excepting three, or a t rnost most four atoop,a t top,
and tram the plants
with a single stem of c
9 in., or 1ft. high, from the top of which the branches should r.^ ia te upwards at
an f e angle » order of 40°, c
b etter if 45°. Haynes advises taking off cuttings in July, when is on the tree, in
t im a f UCI.e VC1 u to 1* o F D t h c s o f e J ........ -„r.Afprincr u n d sl.sll.admg.Tflin O’, as a s good
COOd
plants a . . .
th e best Lancashire growers t ---------- ...
“ a"kry te ltom a t e well m anured w llUu it tire gooseberry
T h a t whicli is soft and moist produces the largest fruit. 'I he situation should not be undei the di ip ^
r i S over-much sh/^ ^ ^^ otherwiserthe fruit will be small, ill flavoured, and the plants a ^ to
S e w . ^ / s y t h says, gooseberries should be dunged every year, or at least have ■^{good coiit o j d p n g
once in two years. Haynes recommends a m ixture of peat and It
tion. The last lie proposes
lávnes recommends a m ixture of peat and loam well manured, and a shaded situa-
roposes to effect by planting, among his compartments of gooseberries, rows of
Jom sa lc^ ^V tk h o k e s fo the direction o / e / s t and west. Mr. Thompson observes, t ¿ t m some cases
scarlet runners might perhaps be got up in time to serve as substitutes for th e Jcvusafom artichokes, or
at'a ll events the stakes required to support the runners, ifth e y consisted of tall branches, would miswer ll TsZZn Sir Thomi?on prefers the term screen to that of shade, because it carries with it the idea
riiat !a S m e r i / g of the m n ’s /a y s may pass through it to make the fruit more ragary re ^mm e n d s
a deep? rich, marly loam moderately moist, at th e bottom of a sheltering hill. (O a i d . M a g ., vol. m.
F in a l p la n tin g . “ The season for planting gooseberries is any time during open weather from
October till February When trees are procured from th e public nurseries, choose such as are of some
S lv /ic e d s i z b a b S ^ ^ growth; with pre tty full heads, for immeduite plentiful bearers. Let
th e general supply be in standard bushes, and planted principally m the lutchen-garden, in
a lo n i the boundary edges of the main compartments, or outward borders, from 6 ft. ^ V a k ?
some may be p lan t/d in cross rows, to subdivide extensive comp^tments hen th e «¿réZ/fo bv 6 ft
largo quantities of fruit, plantations are made m continued parallel rows, 8 ft. ¿ n ? lin !
in the row. It would be eligible to plant afew chmce.sorts a p in s t south ?ad o th e i s n n n y ^ r h / b /tt
for earlier and laraer fru it; and on north walls, to n p en late in succession. ( A b e / i ombie.) i h c best
Lancashire growers for prizes not only manure th e sml richly, b u t surround
manure for the points of the roots to strike into, and form round the stem of each ¿ a n t a
mulched, or manured, or watered, as may become necessary, ¿ ''h e n ®
foe ?fem it i? uncovered, and all the strongest leaders are shortened back nearly one halt oi tlieir length,
and covered with fresh marly loam, well manured. The effect of this pruning is to increase th e number
of fibres and spongioles, which form rapidly on th e shortened roots, and strike out m all diracrions among
foe frc sh ? n e /ly stirred’loam in se a rc h /f n /trim e n t. This practice is more especially ¿ r f u lm s ^
are too cohesive, and which in a few years become aimost impervious to roots. (G a id . M a g ., v o l.m .
^ ' Í S i Y o r s y í h savs “ the market-gardeners about London plant them in rows, from 8ft. to 10ft
anart from raw S raw, and 6 ft. froiS plant to plant in the rows. In small g a r d e ¿ I would recommend
/Fantingthem in a compartment by themselves,at the distance of Gft. between the Jjows
nlan t to nlant • or you may plant them round the edges of th e compartments, about 3 ft. from th e path ,
FmfwiU then h?av? the grVund clear for cropping, and a man, by setting one foot on the border, can
t o ® on tl.0 sites of the teranss, are trained to a single
tail s f e n r /liic l? is tied to a s ta k e : this, though 6 ft. or 8 ft. high, occasions scarcely any shade on th e
hordcr, and it does not occupy much room, nor exclude air ; while, a t th e same time, the stem becomes
close hung with berries, and makes a pleasant appearance in th a t state.” (B d . E n a /, art. H o rt. § 161.)
4.556. Mahe r observes (U o r t. T ra n s ., vol. ii. p. 146.), that as “ the crop of ripe fruit is often injured,
by having the largest and earliest berries prematurely gathered, whilst green, for tarts, a sufficient
number of trees of such varieties as are the earliest, should be planted in a separate compartment of the
garden, and devoted exclusively to the use of the kitchen, for tarts and sauce.”
4557. Mode q f b earing. “ The gooseberry produces its fruit not only on the shoots of last summer,
ancl on shoots two or three years old, but also on spurs or snags arising from the elder branches along the
sides ; but the former afford the largest fruit. The shoots retained for bearers should therefore be left
a t Illll length, or nearly so.” (A b e rc rom b ie .) Saul observes (G a rd . Ma g ., vol. x. p. 42.), that gooseberries
hear their largest and finest fruit when four years old. Afterwards, th e fruit becomes smaller,
though it increases in quantity. For producing large show gooseberries, it is customary to take the trees
from the nursery in their second year, the third theya re not suffered to ripen any fruit, but in the fourth,
ancl sometimes the fifth, large-sized berries are produced. After this, the prize-grower seldom sets any
value on th e fruit.
4558. P r u n in g . “ The bushes will require a regulating pruning twice in the year.”
45.59. S um m e r p r u n in g . “ Wliere any bushes are crowded with cross and water shoots, of the same
year, shading the fruit from th e sun, and preventing the access of air, thin the heart of the plant, and
other tufted parts moderately, pinching oft' or cutting out close what spray is removed ; but do not touch
the summer shoots in general.” Maher says, “ it will greatly contribute to the perfection of the fruit, if
the very small berries are taken away with a pair of scissors about the micldle or end of M ay; and these
small berries will be found quite as good for sauce or gooseberry-cream as the large r.”
4.560- W in te r p r u n in g . “ You may proceed to the winter pruning any time from November until the
end of February, or until the buds arc so swelled that farther delay would endanger their being rubbed
o ffin the operation. Cut out the cross shoots ancl water-shoots of the preceding summer, and the
superfluous among crowded branches. Prune long ramblers ancl low stragglers to some well-placed
_ lateral or eye; or if an under-straggler spring very low, cut it away. Of last year’s shoots retain a
suflicicncy of the best well-placed laterals and terminals, in vacant parts, to form successional bearers,
ancl to supply the places of unfruitful ancl decayed old wood, which, as you proceed, should be removed.
Mostly retain a leading shoot a t the end of a principal branch, leaving it either naturally terminal, or
where tlie branch would thus be too extended, pruning to some competent lateral within bounds. The
superfluous young laterals on the good main branches, instead of being taken off clean, may be cut into
little stubs of one or two eyes ; which will send out fruit-buds and spurs. Of the supply reserved for
new bearers, a small number will probably require shortening, where too extended, or curvated Incommodiously:
leave the.se from Sin. to 12 in . in length, according to strength and situ a tio n ; those of
moderate extent and regular growth will require very little shortening, and many none at all. Observe,
too close cutting, or general shortening, occasions a great superfluity of wood In summer : for the multiplied
laterals thus forced from the eyes of the shortened branches increase to a thicket, so as to retard
th e growth and prevent the full ripening of the f r u it: on which account it is an important part of pruning
to keep th e middle of the head open and clear, and to let the occasional shortening o fth e shoots be
sparing and moderate. Between the bearing branches keep a regulated distance of at least 6 in. at the
extremities, which will render them fertile bearers of good fruit. Some persons, not pruning the gooseberry
tree on right principles, are apt to leave the shoots excessively close and tufted, while they shorten
the whole promiscuously ; others sometimesclip them with garden-shears to close round heads: in consequence
of being pruned in those methods, th e bushes shoot crowdedly, full of young wood in summer,
from which th e fruit is always very small, and does not ripen freely with full flavour.”
4561. Forsi/th says, “ many of the Lancashire sorts are apt to grow horizontally, and the branches
frequently trail on the ground, which renders them liable to be broken by high winds, especially when
they are loaded with fruit. In th a t case, I would recommend two or three hoops to be put round them,
to which the branches may be tied, to support them, and prevent their being broken by the wind.” In
a communication by Mr. Saul (G a rd . M a g ., vol. iii. P. 421.), he recommends the same inode of training
here hinted at by Mr. Forsyth, and illustrates it by figures ; but in a subsequent article (vol. x. p. 42.),
he informs us th a t “ the experience of seven y e a rs ” has proved training to be of no avail, and that the
best Lancashire, growers do not now attempt it.
4.562. Jeeves has tried training gooseberries on an arched trellis, in the manner of a berceau, or arbour-
walk. For this purpose, he plants in rows, 5^ ft. apart, and the plants 3 ft. distance in the row. He
chooses tho strongest-growing kinds, and trains four branches, at 9 in. distance from each plant, till they
meet a t top. The advantages of this plan are, beauty of appearance, fruit not splashed by rain, and
easily gathered, and tho ground more readily cultivated. ( I lo r t . T ra n s ., vol. iv. p, 194.) It is observed
by Mr. Thompson, th a t if th e plants were placed nearer each other, in the rows, and only two branches
trained from each, the arbour woulcl be sooner covered.
4563. T a k in g the crop. “ From gooseberries being useful for different purposes, both in a green and in
a mature state, and from the compass of time afrorclod by early and late sorts, they are in season and great
request four or five months in summer, from April till September. The early sorts, on soutli walls,
come in foregathering in small green berries, for tarts, &c., in April or early in May, and attain maturity
in June. From common standard bushes an abundant supply of gooseberries in a green state is yielded
in May and J u n e ; and, in proportion as part is reserved to ripen, a succession, in full size and maturity,
is obtained in June, July, and August. Some late kinds, either planted in shady situations, or shielded
with mats from the sun in their ripening state, continue good on the tree till September.”
4-564. Pro lo n g in g o f the crop. In addition to planting late sorts in shady situations, the bushes, whether
standards or trained, may be matted over when the fruit is rip e ; and in this way some of the reds, as the
Warrington and Rough-red, and the thick-skinned yellow sorts, as the Yellow ball, will keep on the trees
till Christmas,
4.565. S u c k lin g . By preparing a very rich soil, and by watering, and the use of liquid manure, shading
and thinning, the large fruit of the prize cultivator is produced. Not content with watering a t the root,
ancl over the top, the Lancashire connoisseur, when he is growing for exhibition, places a small saucer of
water immediately uncler each gooseberry, only three or four of which he leaves on a tree. This he
technically calls suckling. I-Ic also pinches off a great part of the young wood, so as to throw all the
strength he can into the fruit.
4566. Accelerating m a tu r ity . Hunt tried ringing on half a gooseberry bush, which half produced ripe
fru it a week sooner than the other, and twice the usual size. (H o r t. T ra n s ., vol. iv. p. 565.)
4.567. In se c ts. The gooseberry is attacked, a t various periods of its growth, by many insects of different
species, and of different functions. The aphides, the caterpillars of moths, und those of the saw-flies
(Tcnthrediniclse), seem to b e the chief of these insects, though some authors allude toafew others, obviously
diffc*rent in th cir habits from any of the preceding, one of which bores into the berry, and causes the
fruit to drop oft‘. Notwithstanding tho voluminous discussions that have been printed on this subject,
it still remains involved in uncertainty and obscurity. T h e Caledonian Horticultural Society have been
anxious, indeed, to procure every information as to th e best method of preventing or destroying the
caterpillar on gooseberries ; and have laudably published all the best communications that have been sent
to them on the subject. Yet, after all, nothing can be clearly understood, from these reports, by a
scientific naturalist, as to the animal economy, the history, or tlie true nature of the insects tlieinselves:
and the various methods recommended for extirpating these foes (many of which are, no doubt, excellent)
are unfortunately rendered in a great degree useless, from the difficulty whieh exists of knowing to which
'■’ t o l l