VARIETIES OF BLACKBERRIES AND DEWBERRIES 437 



ing variety. It seems to be comparatively rare elsewhere, al- 

 though earliness and productiveness commend 

 it. The berries are handsome and of excellent 

 quality, but fail as commercial fruits because 

 too soft to ship well. The canes are vigorous 

 and productive, but subject to anthracnose 

 and double-blossom. The fruit ripens about 

 a week before that of Lucretia. The original 

 plant was found wild in Texas by John Mayes 

 about 1880. 



Fig. 256. Mayes. 



Plants vigorous, productive, subject to anthracnose 

 and double-blossom; canes trailing, long, slender, nu- 

 merous. Leaflets 3-5, mostly sessile, variable in size, 

 coarsely serrate in a double series. Flowers l^/^ 

 inches in diameter, 4-6 in axils of leaves and terminal. Fruit early, large, 

 conical, broad at the base, jet-black; core medium to soft; drupelets very 

 large, round; flesh firm, juicy, sprightly; quality very good; seeds rather 

 large, soft. 



693. Phenomenal. — This is a new fruit of the loganberry type, 

 introduced by Luther Burbank as a cross between a variety of 

 the western dewberry and Cuthbert red raspberry. It is so 

 similar to the loganberry that it is usually classed with it. The 

 essential difference in normal plants of the two varieties are : the 

 canes of Phenomenal are a little hardier; the blossoms open a 

 few" days later ; the berries are a little larger ; and, while the 

 flavor of the fruits of the two is similar, the juice of the logan- 

 berry makes the better beverage, the fruit of both being used 

 most largely for their juice. The variety was introduced in 

 1912. 



694. Premo. — Except for a few trivial differences, Premo 

 might be said to be an early Lucretia, and is either a sport or 

 a seedling from that variety. The plants are very like those of 

 Lucretia, but ripen their crop a week or ten days earlier, are not 

 so productive, and bear more imperfect flowers. The berries are 

 smaller than those of Lucretia, but are just as firm in flesh and 

 as good in quality. This variety, a comparatively new acquisi- 

 tion, is becoming a favorite earl}^ fruit in many dewberry sec- 

 tions in the United States, especially in the South, and in North 



