132 ROYAL SOCIETY OF CANADA 



when fully ripe. One of these, M. setosum, has very bristly or thorny 

 stems ; the other, i^'. oxyacanthoides, has the branches almost smooth. 

 All these wild fruits are gathered and are much esteemed b}" the settlers. 



The June bsrry or Saskatoom, Amelanchier alnifolia, is found almost 

 everywhere, on blutî's or in ravines and on the broken slopes of river 

 banks and is largely used by the Indians on the plains as well as by 

 the white setllers. While this fruit is best when consumed in a fresh con- 

 dition, there are, in seasons of abundance, large qiumtities of the berries 

 dried, and in this way they are preserved for use indetinitely. 



The Butfalo berry, Skepherdia ari/entca, which is very generally dis- 

 ti-ibuted throughout Manitoba and the Territories, is another fruit worthy 

 of mention. This is a bright red, acid berry, about the size of the com- 

 mon barberi'y, and is found in ihe valleys of creeks and rivers, but 

 not on the open ])lains. It grows as far north as the Peace Eiver and 

 probably further. The fruit in this case is not produced in bunches as in 

 the barberry, but grows singly and is freely distributed all over the bush. 

 In some localities a bright yellow variety is found, which — as well as 

 the red berr}^ — makes exceHent jelly. 



The wild red raspberry, Eubus atriyoms, occurs in the thickets of 

 scrub and in wooded ravines everywhere on the plains from their eastern 

 linnts to and beyond the mountains. In some seasons this fruit is fairly 

 aluuidant. but it is sometimes injui-ed, and the yield greatly lessened, by 

 sjiring frosts. 



The wild sti'awberry. Frdi/dria Yii-'jiniana, is also very generally dis- 

 tributed, and in. some districts, when the season is favourable, it bears 

 abundantly. The fruit, however, is too small to be of much commercial 

 value. 



Several species of blueberry, Vaccinium, are found in ditferent sec- 

 tions of the north-west country, in swampy or boggy districts ; also on 

 sandy barrens and exposed shores on the northern lakes. These are 

 gathered in considerable quantities b}'' Indians and settlers, and forwarded 

 to the towns and cities, where they meet with a ready sale. Besides 

 these, tht'iv are two very useful si)ecies wlii(d> extend all through the 

 moiiutains, V. iiiijrtiUoides and V. ovaUfolluin. These grow in great 

 abundance and produce fruit of tine quality near the summit of the 

 Selkirks. 



Oneof the low bush cranberries, (Xvyroacus vulgaris, is found in boggy 

 places and on the margins of ponds and small lakelets throughout the 

 northern parts of Manitoba and westward to the Saskatchewan country 

 and north as far as the Mackenzie River. 



Two species of high bush cran btu-ry, Viburninn (jjj ulus i\nd V. pauci- 

 Jiorum, ixiQ found in the valleys of the Red River, the Assiniboine, and 

 the Saskatchewan, and generally throughout the settled ])ortions of the 

 territories. The.se also are used moi-e or less by the settlers and are said 

 to be \(.'vy palatable both for jellies and ])ies. 



