The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1898-09-09
FARM AND GARDEN.
MATTERS OF INTEREST TO
AGRiCULTURISTS.
Some Up-to-Date Hints About Gull
tivation of the Soil and Yields
Observation-Disclosures yiticulturo and
Horticulture.
Some Our Best Gooseberrles.

Some Our Best Gooseberries.
To the fruit grower in Iowa, the
gooseberry deserves more than pass
Ing notice. Its general cultivation has
been discouraged, instead of encour-
aged, writes M. ]. Wragg in Iowa State
Register. 1t is one Of the few fruits
that should have more general culti-
vation. On such soil as we have In
Iowa, with climate where the goose
berry can be brought to its highest
perfection, we should not hesitate In
recommending the best sorts and get
ting every farmer and gardener in the
whole land to plant more of this fruit.
It is the only fruit we know of that can
be marketed while green, shipped thou
sands of miles and handled. 1t has
demand in all markets and its time OF
shipping, from the time 1t is large
enough to be used to the time 1t Is
ripe, covers a period ordinarily from
two to four weeks. Just now there are
many of our Eastern friends who are
trying to push before the public many
Of the foreign varieties, such as the
Industry, Crown, Bob, etc. On these we
will say, go SLOW" The great enemy
Of the foreign gooseberry, the mildew,
Is ever present. We have tried in the
last ten years to see If We could not
In some way overcome this disease; SO
far 1t has baffied our best efforts, and
we believe that the good American
sorts are much superior to the English
gooseberry, and that it is a blessing
that mildew attacks the English sorts
rs fast as planted. OF the American
class of gooseberries, it Is noticeable
fact that the skin is much thinner and
not so tart, and they are greater bear
ers than the foreign sorts. The Down
ing, which Is an old standard with us,
can always be relied upon as sure
fruiter, and when given good cultiva-
ton and ground that is reasonably
good, we need not fear any ravages u
mildew. It Is a large fruit and when
ripe is nearly white. The Houghton
and Crystal are both giving us good re-
suits, but the Champion, which is q
pure American, is giving us better re-
suits, take 1t for a number of years,
than any, sort we have. While not
quite so large as the Downing yet the
bushes are laden with fruit every year
and, on our soil, mildew scarcely ever
attacks the leaves or fruit. The In
dustry is this year giving us some
fruit, yetswe believe its general plant,
ing should be discouraged. There are
many things claimed for it, but we
believe that 1t will go the way OF the
rest of the foreign gooseberries. The
Columbus bears us partial crop every
year of very large fruit double the size
Of the Downing; but it is not so profit
able for general cultivation. The Chau-
tauqua, a cross between our American
anC the foreign gooseberry, gives us
the largest berry We have, take them
all through; but yet we fear that 1t
has 80 much foreign blood in 1t that
1t will not prove profitable fruiter
on all soils. The Red Jacket promises
we'll and we believe that by amateurs
II should be planted in small way.
The Triumph, which is a new sort, or
iginated in eastern Pennsylvania, and
has given us two successive crops of
the largest berries we ever saw. We
believe that on soils where there is
stiff clay subsoil this berry will prove
a successful berry. The Purple Gem,
which is nothing more than an i'm
proved wild gooseberry, has given us
three successive crops. 1t is much
smaller than the Houghton and be-
comes quite red when ripe. The farm
er who does not believe In cultivation,
or who has not the time for it, would
better plant this sort, as 1t seems to
have the faculty of taking care Of IT.
self; but yet we do not care to recon-
mend 1t, when we have such sorts as
the Downing, Houghton, etc. We be-
lieve that5the best time to plant goose
berries Is in the fall. Pillow your
ground we'll, plant in rows seven feet
apart and six feet apart in the rows.
There is much talk Of late of growing
6pOoODOaAASo, Nuli dhto anu OluSl lIulIo
OF this nature in tree form. Our ex-
'perience is that this is not as good as
the bush form, as the bush form gives
more bearing surface to the plant and
tends to help renew the bushes, as Sec
tons die out. Plant rows north and
south as far as possible, as this let's the
sun in on both sides of the row. With
good cultivation, keeping out weeds,
and good drainage, you may rest as
sured of good crop of gooseberries.