200 THE SMALL FRUITS OF NEW YORK 



The best of these seems to be contained in a letter written to L. H. Bailey' 

 in 1902. The letter reads: — 



" In August, 1 88 1, I planted the seed of the common wild blackberry 

 or dewberry, of California, botanically known as the Rubus nrsinus, gathered 

 from plants on one side of which was growing a kind of evergreen blackberry 

 known as the Texas Early, and on the other side of which was growing an 

 old variety of red raspberry. The Texas Early has a growth of cane and 

 leaves similar to the Lawton, although much less vigorous, and in our 

 mild climate is growing winter and summer. It has a small round berry 

 of more acidity than the Lawton and probably of poorer flavor. The rasp- 

 berry referred to has been growing in this place for the last forty years and 

 I am unable to ascertain what variety it is, although it is of a type similar 

 to the Red Antwerp. It is not, however, the Red Antwerp as we have been 

 growing it here. From this seed there grew about one hundred plants 

 which were cared for and planted out in the ground. In the summer of 

 1883 these plants fruited and there appeared one plant which was undoubt- 

 edly a cross between the raspberry and the Rubus ur sinus. The fruit was 

 larger and earlier than the raspberry or any blackberry, except the R. 

 ur sinus, ripening about the middle of May; the appearance of the berry on 

 the surface was something like the raspberry, being less indented and of 

 more even surface than a blackberry; the color a bright glowing red, becom- 

 ing very dark and finally, when dead ripe, of a diill purplish-red color. 

 The berry has a core like the blackberry and parts from the calyx the same 

 as a blackberry. The leaves of the vine are almost identical with the wild 

 Rubus, being somewhat larger. The canes are also like the wild Rubus 

 only larger and more vigorous. It has the same small sharp spines, and 

 like it, is without adventitious root buds, but multiplies from the stolons or 

 tips and from seed. The fruit, when cooked, has the same rich acidity as 

 the wild Rubus, there being only a suggestion of the taste of the raspberry 

 in the cooked fruit, but in the jelly there is a more decided raspberry flavor. 

 This red berry is universally known here as the Loganberry." 



In Judge Logan's letter he says the original loganberry plant " was 

 undoubtedly a cross between the raspberry and Rubus ur sinus." For 

 some years after the introduction of the new fruit, botanists and pomologists 

 accepted this theory of hybridity. Later, the concensus of opinion of 

 workers in pomology and botany was that the loganberry is but a variety of 

 the western dewberry. Bailey, however, who has long been a student of the 

 wild and cultivated bramble fruits, says in the reference given " I am 

 strongly inclined to the opinion that the loganberry is a hybrid, as supposed 

 in the beginning." Then follow several reasons for his belief. Berger, 



1 Gent. Herb. 155. 1923. 



