THE CATAWISSA RASPBERRRY. 



BY JOSHUA PEIRCE, WASHINGTON, D. C. 



HE Catawissa Raspberry is a native variety, entirely 

 new and distinct in its characteristics, in respect to the 

 manner of bearing, and the periods of maturing its 

 fruit, which promise to render it an object of general 

 cultivation. From its appearance and mode of growth, 

 I have no doubt but it is a seedling produced from the 

 common wild Black Raspberry of the country, which 

 grows in great abundance about the regions where it 

 originated; nor can I learn that any other varieties 

 native or foreign, wild or cultivated, ever grew near the 

 original plant, except, perhaps, the Thimble Berry, {Ruhus purpurea, or odorata,) 

 which, from the dissimilarity of the two, I do not suppose had any thing to do with 

 its production. 



This bountiful gift of nature originated in the grave-yard of the little Quaker 

 Meeting House, in the village of Catawissa, Columbia county, Pennsylvania, situated 

 near the confluence of a stream of the same name with that noble river, the Susque- 

 hanna. The history of the discovery is simply as follows : The person who had 

 the care of the meeting house, from whose own lips I received the account, was in 

 the habit of mowing the grass in the grave-yard several times in the course of the 

 year; and on one occasion, some eight or ten years since, observed that a brier, 

 which he had often clipped with his scythe, showed symptons of bearing fruit out 

 of the ordinary season. For this time he spared the plant, bestowing upon it his 

 watchful care ; and afterwards removed it to his own humble cottage, to be fostered 

 and cherished, no more to waste its sweetness "on the desert air." From a plant 

 that found its way to this district, I was struck with its peculiarities ; and was 

 resolved to devote myself to its cultivation and increase, and am now prepared to 

 describe its properties, so far as two years' experience has allowed opportunities of 

 observation. 



The fruit is of medium size, inferior to many of the new popular varieties, but is 

 sufficiently large for all economical purposes. Its color is dark-redish purple, when 

 ripe, and is of a very high flavor. It bears most abundantly throughout the season 

 after the young wood on which it produces its best fruit attains a height of four or 

 five feet, usually beginning to ripen early in August, but sometimes sooner. The 

 fruit is produced on branches continually pushing out from all parts, successively 

 appearing in its various stages of growth, from the blossom to perfect maturity; and 

 often there may be counted more than fifty fruits on a single branch. As the fruit 

 on each branch successively ripens, the later ones diminish in size, but there is no 

 suspension of its fruiting until checked by frost. If protected in doors, it undoubt- 

 would produce fruit during the winter months, 

 ne great advantage of this fruit over other varieties of the Raspberry is, that if 



