The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-10-08

in crates the same as strawberries. If
the same means are used for shipping
gooseberries, each quart basket should
be wrapped in paper and tied with Irvine,
otherwise very little of the fruit will
reach its destination. In quantities of
half bushel, or less, they may be for
warded in bags by express. Although
the sale is less free than that of cur
rants, yet there is considerable demand
for them, as they closely succeed rhu-
barb for pie material. The principal
objection of cooks to the use of goose
berries, especially in hotels, where if
they use any they must use many, is
the slow work of picking off stems and
dry blossoms. Some of my large hotel
customers have ceased doing this, re-
garding it as unnecessary, the pies be-
ing just as acceptable without this work.
A considerable demand for green
gooseberries is for bottling, and if it
were generally known that this fruit
can be perfectly preserved the year
round in common bottles, with pure
water, requiring only TO be well corked
and kept in a cool place, many more
would be called for. All that is re-
quired is to examine well that no jam
med or crushed berries go into the bot
ties, that pure cold spri g or well water
is used for filling bottles, that they are
well corked 9Th y need not be sealed),
and kept in cool cellar. Thus pre-
pared they keep perfectly, and are
an acceptable and very cheap material
for pies during the winter
1t is of no use to plant any of the
English gooseberries as market fruit in
this country. The bushes of the foreign
species are so affected with mildew that
they never yield any profit. Seedlings
from the American gooseberry are the
only ones to plant. Among these the
best known is the Houghton. To grow
this to an acceptable size requires rich
soil and good cultivation, and larger
kind is needed. There is larger vari-
ETY., in fact there are three the Noun
tain Seeding, Downing's Seeding, and
Smiths Seeding; yet for market grow
ing none of them replace the Houghton
The Mountain Seeding is tall-growing
variety, fruit oval, larger than Hough-
ton, but not more than half as produc-
tive. Like the Houghton, it becomes
red in ripening. The Downing Seed
ling is still larger than the Mountain,
rounder, and more productive. 1t might
replace the Houghton, were it not for
its stiff, short growth and great thorni-
ness. 1t is between the Mountain and
the Houghton in prOductiveness, and
differs from them both in not turning
red as it ripens, but merely becoming
more glossy and translucent. A Down
ing gooseberry on a Houghton bush
would do very well. The Smith Seed
ling gooseberry, which originated in
Hanover, n. H., is the largest and the
earliest of all, and also the best for eat
ing ripe, being in that respect almost
equal to the English sorts. But unfOr-
tunately the bushes are of feeble and
unhealthy growth and greatly lacking in
productiveness, especially on light soils.
Yet l recommend it for home use.
| When ripe, the Smith is of dull green
dots, and is quite an acceptable dessert
fruit. recommend this and the Down
ing for private gardens. Sometimes
mildew attacks the Downing, which
shows, think, that there is a foreign
cross in it, though it is called a Seeding
of the Houghton.
1t is rather strange that there is no
demand for ripe gooseberries. The
ripe Houghtons are an excellent sub
stitute for cranberries to eat with meat
so good that at my table we always
have to explain that they are not cram
berries to our guests, and the statement
is apt to be doubted, so close is the re-
semblance. AS they are much cheaper
than cranberries, and can be grown
anywhere, l think it well to mention
this. They are cooked sufficiently to
burst the skins, and then put up in
Mason jars, not being sweetened until
they are wanted for use. Perhaps all
do not know that this is the best prac-
tice in canning all acid fruits. Boiling
sugar with vegetable acid transforms
it into glucose, which has only half the
sweetening power of sugar. 1t is there
fore a considerable saving not to add
the sugar until the fruit is cold, or until
it is needed for use.
To those who are fond of horticult-
ural experiments would suggest the
growing of seeding gooseberries from
any or all of the varieties have named.
The chance of getting good varieties
would probably be increased by plant
ing a Downing on one side of Hough-
ton, and Smith ON the other, and
planting seeds from the largest berries
on each. l should use rather young
plants for this experiment, and thin
the fruit considerably. The seeds may
be planted as soon as the fruit is ripe,
merely squeezing out the pulp and
mixing little dry sand with it to alb
sorb the moisture, The spot where the
seeds from each berry are planted
should be carefully marked, and the
plants when one year old should be
planted separately, the next fall, far
enough apart to allow them to fruit.
Besides the pleasure of the experiment,
an improved variety, better than any
we now have in all points, could be
sold for a handsome price. Try it, boys.