This fruit is grown in this vicinity to considerable extent for the New York market, and I believe almost any quantity might be grown, if cultivators would pay more attention to the selection of soil, pruning, and, in fact I know of certain plantations that happen to have a favorable soil, that have produced heavy crops for several years without pruning, manuring, or scarcely any other care.

In 1845 I got a dozen plants of this fruit from a friend, and planted in my garden, which has a heavy soil. These plants were well cared for, and have annually produced large crops, without showing the least signs of mildew or decay from age. They were annually pruned, with a heavy hand, more with a view to get cuttings than to prevent the mildew.

All suckers were taken off. every spring, by tearing or separating with a knife from the parent plant, in such a manner, if possible, as to detach some roots, and then carefully planted in the nursery, where, in two years they make good, strong plants. In fact, I would, rather set cuttings, with all their buds, than not, for the reason that they add very much to the possibility of propagating, as the gooseberry does not strike roots very freely from cuttings. After plants are pat out where they are to remain, and the suckers taken off, as I before stated, for two or three years, they generally give in and quietly submit to the treatment - nature making no further efforts of the sort. I have old plants that have been treated in this way for a number of years, that are perfect specimens of beauty and fruitfulness, measuring three inches in diameter, and showing as much vigor as when three or four years old. In setting out large plantations of this fruit,.a heavy soil, well under-drained, thoroughly manured, and deeply ploughed, should be selected, if possible.

They should be planted in rows four feet, apart, and three feet distant in the rows, and the ground kept in good order by the frequent use of the cultivator and hoe.

It has been frequently asserted that the gooseberry never mildews in England. From this general opinion I must beg leave to dissent, as I happen to know some facts to the contrary. In February, 1853, the writer was in England, and purchased, of a large establishment in the vicinity of Liverpool, several hundred plants. It was observed that many of them presented a singular appearance, being very much drawn and distorted, and evidently showing disease. Suspecting it was caused by mildew, the proprietor, Mr. Scirving, was asked the reason, when he frankly admitted that such was the case, remarking that the disease was much more prevalent in the vicinity of the sea-shore than further in the interior of the country, and suggested the necessity of hard pruning, and the best of cultivation, to counteract the disease. These plants were taken up and packed in moss, in a large box, and shipped on the 15th of the above-mentioned month, and reached their destination on the 15th of March following, being about One month on the passage. On opening the box, it was found that the buds were all started, and many of them in leaf, the spring being late, with much frost in the ground, we were unable to plant them till near the 1st of May; the plants, in the meantime, were securely stored in a cellar.

A piece of warm, loamy soil was selected, and prepared by deep and frequent ploughing, and also well manured. The plants were then set in rows to admit the horse and cultivator. The ground was also occupied as an apple orchard, trees thirty feet apart, about twelve years planted. The gooseberries, however, were not planted within six feet of the trees. On setting the plants, they had every appearance of being in fine order, notwithstanding their long confinement, the roots and buds appearing as good as the day they were taken up. After planting, they had the best of care bestowed on them; the ground was frequently worked with the cultivator, and every weed carefully destroyed. They started finely, and gave promise of making a good growth, till about the middle of August, when it was observed that they had the appearance of having been dusted over with ashes, the extreme ends of the young shoots showing the most of it. They ceased growing, about this time, entirely; and, by the 1st of September, the foliage was all off. Thinking the reason of their doing so badly the first year, might possibly be owing to their being planted so late, and not being pruned, we determined to try different management the next year.

Early in- April, 1854, we gave them a moderate pruning, manured each one with a shovel fall of well rotted manure, and worked the ground as soon as it was in order. This year was uncommonly dry, and we did expect that the dry weather would have a tendency to counteract the mildew; but it did not. They grew finely, setting considerable fruit till about midsummer, when they were suddenly arrested in their growth by their old enemy, the mildew; and, by the middle of September, they lost all their foliage. We now became satisfied that it would be necessary to remove them to a soil of a different texture, taking the hint from the fact of our old gooseberries in the garden doing so well in a heavy soil, we concluded to give them a clay soil. We Selected a piece of wet meadow land, through which flowed a small stream of water; the soil was about six inches mock, With a stiff clay subsoil. This land was thoroughly under-drained by running a drain-four feet deep through the bed of the Stream (it being dried up by the extreme dry weather of that year); the main drain was intersected at right angles, every two rods, by cross draina three feet deep; these drains were then pretty well filled with stones, and closed in the usual manner; the plat was then thoroughly ploughed and subsoiled, and manured with well rotted stable manure.

No crop was taken of this year.

About the middle of April, 1855, the imported plants were carefully taken up, severely pruned, and planted in the plat prepared for their reception, in rows to admit the cultivator. The summer of 1855, we all know, was uncommonly wet, over a large portion of the Union; but the frequent heavy rains did not interfere with our working the gooseberry plantation; they started finely, setting quite a great deal of fruit, which they matured in the best manner; they also made strong and vigorous shoots, Which continued to grow and retain their foliage till late in the season. On the whole, we have more than realized our most sanguine expectations with the imported plants, they having been mildewed before we got them, and having suffered from it two years subsequently, must undoubtedly have enfeebled and debilitated them very much.

We believe that there is not a township in, the State of New York but has land adapted to the growth of the gooseberry, if a judicious selection of soil be made, the land properly prepared, and the plants pruned in a systematic manner. These things must be attended to if the planter wishes or expects to have long-lived and productive plantations; and a few dollars expended in preparing the soil in a suitable manner will never be regretted in after years, as the writer has abundant evidence of. I have watched the inroads of the mildew in gooseberry plantations attentively for a number of years; it seems to be very much like the mildew that is so troublesome in some places to the grape grower, and I believe it to be the same. New plantations of this fruit generally produce well the first few years (providing the plants are strong and vigorous when set) without pruning or much care, that is if the soil be suitable. But the enemy will, in a few years, show itself, at first slightly attacking the weaker opes, doing but little harm the first year; but, once established in plantations that are neglected, it will increase with fearful rapidity, and in two or three years ruin the most of the plants; in fact, every attack weakens and reduces their vigor, until they are fully rained and worthless.

This is the way that this scourge appears, and extends itself in neglected gardens and places that are not properly cared for, blighting and destroying both fruit and plants) as well as the hopes of the grower. But the intelligent and industrious cultivator always is rewarded for his labor by good crops of fine and handsome fruit, that always commands a ready sale in the market, at a remunerating price.

I will here state a case that came under my observation: A neighbor procured a lot of good, strong cuttings, and set them in his garden; gave them the best of care; in two years he was rewarded with about one hundred good, strong plants, which were planted in a plat of warm, loamy soil, that had been previously well prepared for their reception; there were also a few large apple trees standing in the plat, which shaded the ground some, but from their position not badly. The first season they grew finely, and gave some fruit; the second year they received the same treatment, and produced some find fruit, with which the owner was much gratified and encouraged; also some well developed specimens of mildew on the weakest plants. The third year they set a heavy crop of fruit, and also exhibited considerable mildew (those plants that were affected the year previous being injured the most), not enough, however, to materially injure the sale of the crop. The reader will perceive that these plants always had the best of care; they grew strongly, forming thick, bnshy heads, densely crowded with superfluous wood and foliage, but never were pruned.

At this time I suggested to neighbor B. the necessity of giving his plants a thorough pruning early the next spring, at the same time predicting that if he did riot, the next crop would be a. total failure. He remarked that he knew of certain old plants that never were pruned, and annually produced good fruit, and said, if he pruned according to my directions, he would materially lessen the amount of his next crop, and apparently put but little faith in the virtue of pruning to prevent the mildew. Last spring (1855) they were manured, and the ground worked as soon as it was in order; the foliage and blossoms came out handsomely, and they set a prodigious quantity of fruit, which, when about half grown", was attacked by the mildew, and in a few days this fine looking crop, which promised at first so well, was wholly ruined, the berries being thickly coated with an ash or brownish looking substance, which immediately stopped their growth. They also lost their leaves about this time, and their naked branches densely loaded with miserable looking fruit, presented the most melancholy sight that I ever beheld in gooseberry culture.

Friend B, is now down On gooseberry culture generally, and would not plant any more if he could get them for nothing; but I am inclined to think that the fault is more his than that of the gooseberries.