NEW YORK EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 385 



ing of Agawam was not obtained until July 22. July 16 there 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, therefore, 

 that the dewberries ripen with the earliest black raspberries. But it must be said that 

 there is great variation in the time of ripening between different plants, a point which 

 will be discussed further on. 



In size of fruit and productiveness the best plants of Lucretia are all that can be 

 desired. The quality of the Lucretia is a moot point. With us this year the quality 

 was certainly inferior. The berries lack sweetness and character. This is well illus- 

 trated by the fact that our customers declined to buy the dewberries when the black- 

 berries began to ripen, although the dewberries were the more attractive in appearance. 

 Others, however, maintain that the Lucretia is superior in quality to the blackberry. 

 Much undoubtedly depends upon the season and the soil. The following extracts from 

 a discussion before the Ohio Horticultural society are in point: 



"Mr. Pierce — I wish to differ about this question of flavor. It is very much the 

 same flavor as the Wilson. It is not as good, in my opinion as the Lawton. It lacks 

 flavor. 



" Mr. Palmer — I differ with Mr. Pierce in reference to the flavor of the Lucretia 

 dewberry. 



" Mr. Crawford — Last year I fruited the Lucretia dewberry, with one or two other 

 varieties; and a number of people tasted it at our house, and I never heard one person 

 complain of its flavor. They thought it was very good indeed. But we thought the 

 Agawam was a little better. 



" Secretary Campbell — There are reasons, I think, why some think it very good and 

 others not very good. One is that it colors before it is thoroughly ripe, and if you eat 

 it as soon as ic is black it is sour. But when fully ripe it is as good as anything of the 

 blackberry kind which I have ever eaten." 



In a series of reports in the Rural Neiv-Yorker in 1885 the following remarks are 

 made concerning the flavor of Lucretia: 



Editor — "Though of good quality when fully ripe, they are rather sour if picked 

 sooner. This may be said of all blackberries, but more especially of this, if judged 

 from its first season of fruiting." 



R. G. Chase & Co.— "Good quality." 



T. T. Lyon — " Of very good flavor." Mr. Lyon reaffirmed this opinion to me this 

 summer. 



J. S. Collins— "Of good quality." 



G. W. Campbell — "When fully ripe, I think it is as good as the best blackberry I 

 ever tasted." 



J. H. Hale — " In quality far superior to any other cultivated blackberry, or dewberry 

 I have ever tested." 



The Lucretia is rather soft in texture, but it will evidently carry well in transporta- 

 tion. It is attractive in shape and packs well in the box. 



One of the advantages of all dewberries is the ease with which they can be protected 

 in the winter, and thiB must serve to render them attractive to northern fruitgrowers. 

 The canes are probably no hardier than those of the blackberry, but the natural pro- 

 tection of the earth and snows often carries them through winters which seriously 

 injure blackberries. I find the following remarks concerning the hardiness of the 

 Lucretia: 



'• They have never been killed here by cold winters. In the colder climates they could 

 be very easily covered." — N. H. Albaugh, Ohio Hort. Rep., 1886, 25. 



The following records appear in a discussion of the Lucretia in the Rural New-Yorker 

 in 1885: " The vines are thus far hardy." — Editor. " It did not suffer any from the 

 severity of the past winter." — R. G. Chase & Co., Western New York. " With me it 

 has so far been very productive, yielding a fair crop this year, when nearly all the black- 

 berries fail to fruit in consequence of injury from the severe cold of last winter." — T. 

 T. Lyon, Southwestern Michigan. " I have now fruited it two years, and find it both 

 hardy and productive." — J. T. Lovett, New Jersey. " Valuable * * * here in New 

 England where the valuable early market varieties [of blackberry] are not hardy 

 enough to stand our winters." — J. H. Hale, Connecticut. 



" It is hardy and a great bearer." — Mr. Fluke, before Iowa Hort. Soc, 1886. 



W. J. Green of the Ohio experiment station commends it because of its hardiness. — 

 {Bulletin 5, 1888, 12; 1th Rep. 115). 



" Killed to the ground."— C. W. Minott, Vt. Exp. Sta. 4th Rep. 184. 



" Nor has it sustained its reputation for hardiness." — John Craig, Central Experi- 

 ment Farm, Ottawa, Canada, 1890 Report 82. 



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