Fruit Brevities. 439 



and Rancocas — were ^obtained July 4. At this time a few dew- 

 berries were about fully grown and bad turned red. July 8 a few 

 dewberries were secured. July 11 dewberries on some of the vines 

 were ripening rapidly, and at this time Ada raspberry was just 

 ripening and Doolittle and Souhegan were in their prime. July 16 

 Early Harvest blackberry, our earliest sort, gave its iirst ripe fruits, 

 while the first picking of Agawam was not obtained until July 22. 

 July 16 thei e were no flowers to be found upon the dewberries, but 

 the blackberries were still blooming freely. A week later, pickings 

 from the dewberries had practically ceased. It will be seen, there- 

 fore, that the dewberries ripen with the earliest black raspberries. 

 But it must be said that there is a great variation in the time of 

 ripening between different plants," a fact which is due to natural 

 variation in the character of the variety. In propagating the dew- 

 berry, it is important that only those plants which bear large and 

 uniform fruits shall be chosen for parents. 



In quality, the Lucretia dewberry is probably inferior to the 

 best blackberries. The canes are also rather more tender, but 

 they are so easily laid down and covered that this is not a seri- 

 ous objection. The berries, on well grown plants, are large and 

 handsome, glossy-black, and firm enough for shipping. The dew- 

 berry is not so heavy a cropper as the blackberry. Fifty to sixty 

 bushels per acre may be considered to be a fair crop. To secure 

 this yield, the rows should stand about three and a half feet 

 apart, and the plants from two to three feet in the row. 



The Lucretia is the only variety which I can confidently recom- 

 mend for this state, although I should like to see the Bartel 

 given some attention. All the dewberries propagate by rooting 

 at the tips and joints of the canes, and they are therefore easily 

 increased by any grower. 



In order to bring the gist of the entire dewberry question to 

 the reader's attention, I will reprint the conclusions of Bulletin 

 34, adding the results of later experience: 



1. The cultivated dewberries represent three distinct species 

 of rubus or bramble, and two well marked botanical varieties. 

 It is therefore reasonable to expect that different managements 

 may be required in the different classes, or at least that various 

 results will be obtained from their cultivation. 



