This native of northern Europe and the forests of the British Islands
has been developed into the superb varieties which have been famous so
long in England, but which we are able to grow with very partial
success. It remembers its birthplace even more strongly than the
currant, and the almost invariable mildew of our gardens is the sign
of its homesickness. The cool, moist climate of England just suits it,
and it is the pride of the gardens of Lancashire to surpass the world
in the development of large specimens. Mr. Downing writes:

"We are indebted to the Lancashire weavers, who seem to have taken it
up as a hobby, for nearly all the surprisingly large sorts of modern
date. Their annual shows exhibit this fruit in its greatest
perfection, and a gooseberry book is published in Manchester every
year, giving a list of all the prize sorts, etc."

The extraordinary pains taken is suggested by the following
quotation from the "Encyclopaedia of Gardening":

"To effect this increased size, every stimulant is applied that their
ingenuity can suggest. They not only annually manure the soil richly,
but also surround the plants with trenches of manure for the
extremities of the roots to strike into, and form round the stem of
each plant a basin, to be mulched, or manured, or watered, as may
become necessary. When a root has extended too far from the stem, it
is uncovered, and all the strongest leaders are shortened back nearly
one-half of their length, and covered with fresh, marly loam, well
manured. The effect of this pruning is to increase the number of
fibres and spongioles, which form rapidly on the shortened roots, and
strike out in all directions among the fresh, newly stirred loam, in
search of nutriment."