194 THE SMALL FRUITS OF NEW YORK 



established the first landmark in dewberry domestication. Dr. Miner 

 planted seeds of a wild dewberry about 1854. From a great niimber of 

 plants he saved two which he propagated and distributed. This first 

 breeder of dewberries seems to have been too modest to tell his own story, 

 but it is admirably told by Joseph Harris/ one of the good agricultural 

 writers of his time, in the Genesee Farmer for 1862. It is seldom that the 

 first steps in domesticating a plant are so well told, and Harris' article, 

 containing an account of the method of breeding, the result, a description 

 of the two new varieties, the method of culture, and an estimate of the 

 new fruit, is republished in fuU. 



" It is with much pleasure that we are enabled to lay before our readers 

 some facts in reference to a fruit which promises to be of high value, both 

 to the amateiir cultivator and the market fruit-grower. For sometime we 

 have been aware that Dr. Miner, of Honeoye Falls, in this coimty, was the 

 originator of a seedling Dewberry, but as the Dr. has been desirous to fully 

 prove the success of his tmdertaking before allowing it to be much known, 

 our attention has been but little attracted to it until the present season. 



"A present of two baskets of this fruit — two distinct varieties — and 

 an invitation to come and see for ourselves, and we must not omit the 

 fragrance of those two baskets of fruit nor the pleasure we enjoyed in eating 

 them with our friends, awakened a latent curiosity to see, to feel and to 

 handle the fruit on the plants — to learn of their mode of growth, their 

 cultivation and their history. 



"Without detaining our readers with the details of our pleasant visit, 

 we will mention what we saw and learned of the new fruits, for as we have 

 intimated the Dr. has succeeded in raising two seedlings of superior merit. 

 These seedlings were originated six or eight years ago, from seed of the 

 common wild Dewberry, or low Blackberry. Among a great number of 

 plants which were produced and kept in cultivation until they showed 

 their fruit, two only showed signs of merit, which were very decided; all 

 the other plants were discarded, and these two were cultivated with care 

 for several years to see if their apparent characters were real and permanent. 

 Fortunately the desires of the experimenter have been fully realized, and 

 several years of continuous fniiting has firmly established their value. 



"As all oiir readers may not be acquainted with the habits of this plant, 

 we will briefly state its distinguishing traits. 



" The slender stems, about a quarter of an inch in diameter, trail 

 along the ground extending from the root to a distance of ten or fifteen 

 feet — a vigorous plant produces a score or more of these stems each 

 season. 



■ Gen. Farmer 23:351. 1862. 



