150 SIXTEENTH BIENNIAL REPORT 



THE LOGANBEKKY 



By H. S. GUe 



Loganberries are today attracting almost universal attention amons those 

 horticulturally inclined, notwitlistanding tlie fact that logauberry growing In tlie 

 Northwest has not been at all times a profitable iindertaking. It is not so many 

 years since they were a novelty ; in fact, tlie berry was created or discovered not 

 so very long ago by Judge J. H. Logan. The following extract from a story 

 written by him many years ago will best teil in bis own words how he did it, 

 and what his part was in the matter : 



"In 1880 I planted in my vegetable garden in Santa Cruz, Cal., all the varieties 

 of blackberries and raspberries obtainable, These were planted without any 

 reference to the association of varieties, with the exception that I planted the 

 Texas Early (a highbush) in close proximity to the California dewlterry 

 (ursinus). having in mind a possible cross hetween these two berries, it being 

 generally conceded that the wild blackberry for flavor is without a jieer, but on 

 account of its many adverse eharacteristics, its eultivation is limited. 



"The Texas Early, white not so desirable, possesses qualities for the purpose 

 of Crossing, not possessed by any other blackberry, that is, early and long-flower- 

 ing period, also being unisexual or staminate. I saw a possible cross between 

 these two varieties which, if successful, would be an improvement upon both. 

 They were therefore planted side by side. By the merest accident, not deeming 

 a cross possible between the blackberry and the raspberry, I planted a variety of 

 the Red Antwerp, which was one of the best raspberries growing in Santa Cruz 

 at that time. 



"In 1881 the plants bore. In pursuance with my original intentions, the seed 

 of the dewberry was taken and planted in August of that year. About 300 seed- 

 ling plants were produced. They were very much alike in appearance, but in the 

 spring I noticed one of the seedlings quite unlike the others, having somewhat 

 the appearance of the raspberry. This. as it developed, was the loganberry." 



eharacteristics of Loganberries 



The fruit to which Judge Logan gave his name possesses many of the ehar- 

 acteristics of the native wild blackberry, except in color and appearance, which 

 are strongly raspberry, with a blended lilackberry and raspberry flavor, con- 

 tainiug, however, more piquancy and richer color than either of the parents. 



Judge Logan evidently was not a very strong Promoter. He admits that he 

 never made any money from the discovery and propagation of the loganberry. At 

 any rate, not very much was heard concerning this l>erry, to whicli he gave his 

 name, until about 1895, when it made its appearance in Oregon and proceeded to 

 make itself very much at home in the moist rieh soll and mild climate of the 

 Willamette Valley, where it began to produce enormous crops and to attract 

 considerable attention. 



Between the years 1897 and 1908 a considerable acreage of loganberries was 

 planted in the Willamette Valley, resulting in rapidly increasing production, 

 without any eonstructive effort having been made to provide markets for this 

 new fruit. 



It did not require a very great tonnage to supply the local demand. Some 

 spasmodic attempts were made to ship loganberries East in their fresh State, the 

 shippers feeling certain that their great size and fine appearance would insure 

 long prices and large profits, but the very qualities which were destined eventu- 

 ally to make loganberry juice a commercial possibility defeated the hopes of the 

 fresh fruit sliippers. Loganberries as produced in Oregon were too juicy to 

 successfully stand long-distance shipment. 



The cauners about this time began to take notice. They used a few logan- 

 berries and gradually increased the quantity canned, for which they paid about 



