The St. Charles herald. [volume] (Hahnville, La.) 1873-1993, 1884-09-06
Good in GOoseberries.

The gooseberry is beginning to rise to
its deserved place in popular estima-
ton. AS the fine English sorts, like
European grapes, can not endure the
trials of our climate; and as our native
gooseberries in their wild state, are too
harsh with acidity, and with prickles,
not only upon the bush, but upon the
fruit itself, to be taken into gardens in
their unconyerted state, we have ain ost
lost knowledge of what good there is in
gooseberries. Gradually, however, inn
provement has shown itself. The old
Sweetwater was tolerable; Houghton
had decided merit; the Mountain eed-
ling was better as a bush; Smiths 2
larger fruit; and Downing's quite al
approach to the English sorts. Now
we hear OF capable growers taking up
the gooseberry as a subject of hybridil-
ing industry, with notable results fol-
lowing. James Dougall, of Ontario,
has distinguished the evening years OF
long and busy life by originating
some very distincT sorts full of promise;
some of which ha.e been sold for prop
agation at handsome prices, showing
that people arc ready to welcome i'm
provements in this line. l am sorry
can not now recall the name of an
American culturist who is said to have
also developed valuable new cross
breeds of this fruit.
The geo 'eberry is peculiar in being at
its bestfor culinary use when still green,
taking the place of pie-plant when that
begins 10 flil, and with a great Geal
more piquancy of flavor; flavor so
penetrating and so appetizing as to
make one quite willing to wait for the
full maturity of the Strawberries, which
comes next in the circle of fruits. Green
gooseberries, like their co,acids, the
cranberries. keep 50 well, that BEFORE
anything was known of the present
practice of canning fruits and Fegeta.
hes they used to be put into bottles, the
spaces filled with boiled water, used
cold and so sealed up, for use at any
time. A pound of green goose erries
requires, it is true, pound of sugar to
render them exquisite as tarts or sauce,
but these two pounds have vastly more
gustator,al vim than two pounds of
sugar alone possess.
The prickliness of gooseberry bushes,
their irregular and crowded natural
growth, and the consequent ease with
which they become choked with grass
or weeds, soon expel them from the
gardens of the indolent. Yet they are
very easily managed if time be taken
by the forelock. A boy or girl can very
easily manage them, and near town
markets might readily earn pocket
money from their culture. This de-
mands, first, good sorts; next. go 1
soil, or liberal mulching with manure;
hut if the soil is already rich, the mulch
may be tan or coal ashes. If a bush
has become crowded the weaker shoots
are suipped out with shears, and some
old rags or paper stuffed in to keep
others from springing up. Cut out
weak shoots of last year and very old
exhausted ones. All over the bush the
shoots should be, as evenly as pos sible, six
inches apsr TT, to let light into the heart,
and to have fruit ON the entire head. It
is we'll to use the shears some as soon
as the fruit has been picked. Tie in or
prop up shoots that wander or crowd
others. With gloves and good shears
boy will take pleasure in the work, and
will have learned the principles that
apply to the pruning of orchard trees.-
Cor. NJ T. Ifibtf1e.