Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-06
cuRRAnr AND aoosEBERRY.
Gooseberry Not rs Much Esteemed in
America as In England.

From the Garden Magazine.
The peculiar merit Of currants and goose
berries ia their reiiab ility. They occupy an
humble place In the fruit garden. but we
could Ill afford to spare them from 1t. not
only because Of the excellent jellies, jams
and sauces they make but also because
they have the cheerful habit of yielding a
crop Of fruit every year. They are the
hardest of our common fruits, and very
easy to protect. II planted In a trying ell
mate. Moreover, these two fruits take up
less space, In proportion to the amount of
fruit produced. than most other small
fruits. They are easily grown, reliable and
compact; these three points commend cur
rants and gooseberries for the garden, es-
pecially the suburban garden. where space
may be limited and conditions not ideal
In America the currant is much more pop
ular than the gooseberry: the reverse Is
true in England. English gardeners have
developed many hundred of varieties OF
gooseberrfes, some Of them bearing fruits OF
immense size and weight, OCCASIONALLY even
three to hve ounces. But their gooseberries
are grown very largely for dessert use;
they are allowed to ripen on the bushes and
are eaten out of hand In this country very
few gooseberries are eaten except in jelly.
jam, sauce or canned; for these purposes
they are picked while still very green
Probably this is partly because the common
American varieties are not nearly as good
"A
sorts. The English varieties are successful
here in only few localities; they need
more moisture and GOODNESS than our sum-
mers afford Nevertheless. it is to be re-
GREETED that Americans do not look with
greater favor upon ripe gooseberries as a
dessert fruit and endeavor to breed Amerf-
can varieties of high quality.
Both these fruits love GOODNESS and mois-
ture; hence they do not thrive in a hot
dry climate, either in the south or inland
Currants and gooseberries can be grown on
the higher attitudes Of most parts Of the
south, but are worthless in the Iowlands.
Like the brannbles they prefer a northern
slope In small garden a northern site may
be made to order by planting them on the
north side of building. Shade Is bene-
dcial to them because 1t cools; ii is, there
fore. common to plant currants and goose
berries between rows Of fruit trees; a
practice good for the small fruits. but apt
to be hard on the tree fruits, unless they
given intensive culture In a closely
planted city or suburban garden currants
and gooseberries do better than the other
fruits especially II the canes are kept well
thinned to prevent disease.
Currants are less imperative about their
much prefer a rich bottom soil and are
quite at home on fairly stiff clay but are
impatient OF the lighter soils ON which cur
rants will get along fairly well While
strong loans are preferred, almost any soil.
even a light, sandy loan, will grow cur
rants and gooseberries worth the trouble,
but such soils should be built up with rotted
manure before and after planting. Humus
is nearly as essential to success in growing
currants and gooseberries as in growing
raspberries and blackberries: for much
humus In the soil, especially IL from
manure, furnishes the richness. GOODNESS
and moisture in which these fruits delight.