136 



STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



BLACKBERRIES, Rubus villosus. 



Neither insects nor fungi have proved injurious to the varieties of this 

 fruit upon the premises during the present season. The warmth of the 

 past winter and the cold of the spring, which proved so injurious in case 

 of the larger fruits, produced little, if any, injurious effect upon the black- 

 berry, since even the more tender varieties have wholly escaped injury. 



A few varieties, notably Ancient Briton and Western Triumph, which 

 have a tendency to overproductiveness, were heavily laden with fruit dur- 

 ing the heat and drouth of July and August last, a portion of which dried 

 up on the branches while yet immature. 



The varieties of this fruit first introduced, such as Dorchester, Kitta- 

 tinny and, more recently, Snyder, are of the wild native type, with stout, 

 tall, upright canes; while among more recent introductions will be found 

 several varieties of a spreading or semi-trailing habit, with a partial ten- 

 dency to take root from the tips of the branches, when circumstances 

 favor. Among such are Wilson, Wilson Jr., and, in a slight degree, Tay- 

 lor, and possibly some others, thus indicating the possibility of a more or 

 less remote hybridization between villosus and Canadensis. 



Originators or discoverers and introducers of novelties are accustomed 

 to give little, if any, attention to the history of such introductions, for 

 which reason items of this character, as given in the accompanying tables, 

 are unavoidably more or less unreliable. 



BLACKBERRY {Rubus villosus) 



