Blackberries. 523 



teavy clusters. Productive and liardj with us, and we consider it 

 one of the best, particularly in quality. 



Erie. — Tender in western New York; therefore, little known 

 here. 



Early Chester (Fig. 103). — This has been the most -uniformly 

 productive of any variety which we have grown, and we have 

 fruited about 200 plants of it for five years. It is as hardy as Sny- 

 der, and is fully a week earlier. A moderate, erect grower, with 

 medium -sized fruits in long and open clusters. There seems to be 

 much misconception resj)ecting this variety. Some growers report 

 it to be tender and worthless. We procured our stock of Ell- 

 wanger & Barry, and 1 have sent the fruit to John S. Collins, 

 the introducer, who pronounces it to be "Early Cluster, without 

 doubt." Original plant found about 1872 amongst Missouri 

 Mammoth, on farm of Charles W. Stam, ]N"ew Jersey. Introduced 

 in 1883. 



Taylor (Fig. 104). — Yery hardy, as productive as Snyder, the 

 long, thimble like fruit borne in immense clusters and of the very 

 best quality. It is about two weeks later than Snyder, ripening with 

 the old Lawton, and generally closes the blackberry season in this 

 State. One of the very best. 



Mersereau (Fig. 91, page 504), — A variety strongly resembling 

 the Snyder, and derived from it, but not yet generally disseminated. 

 Its advantages over Snyder are its larger size, less tendency to turn 

 red after being picked, better quality, and a stronger habit of 

 perfecting some of its fruits as late as the first of September. Its 

 ordinary season is that of the Snyder. This variety originated with 

 J. M. Mersereau, Cayuga, IS^ew York, for whom I am glad to name 

 it.* Some three or four years ago, Mr. Mersereau noticed an extra 

 good bush amongst his Snyders, and began to propagate from it. 

 He is now gradually changing his whole plantation over to this new 

 variety, which differs from Snyders, in addition to the points 

 mentioned above, by the much lighter cast of its foliage. It is one 

 of the most promising varieties which I know. 



Early Harvest and Wilson Early are little grown in this State. 

 It is commonly supposed that both of them are very tender, but 

 Early Harvest stands our winters fairly well. Wilson, however, 



*It was described, briefly, as " Mersereau's Seedling" in Bull. 81, new series. 

 New York State Exi^eriuient Station (Geneva), December, 1894. 



