FouB New Types of Fruits. 59 



white, but in two or three days it turns bright red, when it becomes 

 sweet and delicious, with a flavor something between the common red 

 raspberry and the black cap," " It is not cultivated by the Japanese, 

 but they gather the berries wherever found." A berry which possesses 

 such decided merits in a wild state may be expected to yield good 

 varieties under cultivation, but one cannot expect that a miscellaneous 

 batch of seedlings thrown upon the market will present uniform value. 

 The current number of the Mayflower, published by John Lewis 

 Childs, contains an unsigned article recommending propagation by seed 

 as the best method of multiplying the Wineberrj^ Mr, Childs' 1893 

 catalogue contains the same advice, although it also says that the plant 

 is propagated by means of " tips." If the plant is inclined to be 

 variable, this advice is unsafe for the propagation of the plant for fruit; 

 and if the plant is not variable, it has little value for fruit judging 

 from our experience. This Mayflower article says that "there is 

 probably no small fruit so eminentlj'^ desirable and satisfactory for the 

 family garden as the Wineberry." * The 1893 catalogue of Mr. Childs 

 says that the Wineberry " is the most desirable, hardy and profitable 

 small fruit for any climate or soil." The flavor is " very sprightly, 

 sweet and juicy, having no disagreeable sour, but a delicate and luscious 

 flavor peculiar to itself, and superior to other berries." " It is the most 

 prolific berry known, the bushes being literally covered with its large 

 clusters of luscious fruit which are very easily gathered. Owing to 

 their novelty, superb flavor and great beauty they sell more readily 

 and at far better prices than any other berry." 



The accompanying illustration is from a photograph three-fourths 

 natural size made from the wineberry on our grounds last summer. 

 The plants were received from Mr. Childs in 1890. The photograph 

 was taken August 25, although the fruit began to ripen sometime 

 before this date. The fruits were very small — as raspberries go — 

 and the pips were so little connected that the fruit crumbled when 

 picked. The fruit was cherry red, acrid, with little pronounced flavor. 

 It had little either in size, appearance or quality to recommend it. 

 Whether all wineberries are like ours, I do not know. It is to be 

 expected that considerable variation will be found among them, if they 

 are grown from seeds, as I have already suggested. 



H. E. Van Deman, Unite 1 States Pomologist, reports as follows 

 upon wineberry fruits received from Harper's Ferry, W. Va. : " Berry 

 round, drupes small, deep red, glossy; seeds small, smooth, easily 

 crushed; a handsome berry of medium size and fairly firm; flavor 

 subacid, somewhat sprightly, pleasant. More ornamental than useful." 



* Mayflower , ix. 81. 



