200 
The ripening season is said to extend 
through practically the entire year 
but the principal crop matures in 
October, November and December. 
The fruits are perhaps more variable 
in form than those of the cultivated 
blackberries, and they also vary greatly 
in size, due probably to environmental 
conditions more than anything else. 
I have found the largest ones on soil 
that is very moist; on poor, dry land 
they are usually small. 
The impression of huge size which 
one receives when viewing these berries 
is due not so much to their length, as 
to the fact that they are broader in 
relation to their length than is common 
with cultivated blackberries. The 
largest specimens I have measured 
were about two and a quarter inches 
long, by an inch and a half in breadth. 
Specimens of such large size are not 
common, and indeed are rarely seen 
among the fruits brought into the 
Bogota market. I have, however, seen 
a number of such fruits on the wild 
plants at El Penon, produced by canes 
growing in what could almost be 
termed a peat-bog. 
FLAVOR RESEMBLES LOGANBERRIES 
Among Colombians, the fruit is not 
so popular for eating as that of some of 
the other wild species of Rubus which 
also grow in the vicinity of Bogota. 
This is due to the fact that there are 
other species whose fruits are more 
juicy and less seedy than those of the 
Giant Blackberry. The latter are, 
however, brought into the Bogota 
market in small quantities, and fetch 
a good price. They are perhaps better 
if eaten when fresh, with sugar and 
cream, than they are when stewed; 
but it is not common to see them served 
in this fashion. Usually they are 
stewed in syrup to form a dulce which 
is served as a dessert. When boiled 
they become somewhat tough, but they 
have a rich, delicious flavor resembling 
that of stewed loganberries. 
CULTURAL REQUIREMENTS 
Brought into cultivation under favor- 
able climatic environment, it seems 
The Journal of Heredity 
reasonable to believe that the Colom- 
bian berry will attain much greater 
size than that reached by fruits borne 
upon wild plants in the Andes. If it 
should attain a length of three inches 
or more, with its proportionate 
breadth, it would probably stand 
unique among cultivated species of 
Rubus so far as size is concerned. Its 
quality is sufficiently good so that I 
believe fruit produced by cultivated 
plants would find a sale in North 
American markets, where its huge bulk 
would be certain to attract attention. 
It will, however, be desirable to im- 
prove the species by selection or other 
methods of plant-breeding: the size of 
the drupelets in relation to that of the 
seed may well be increased, the flavor 
may perhaps be made richer and more 
aromatic, and the proportionately 
large size of the torus should certainly 
be reduced. These are all changes 
which can probably be effected by 
means of selection alone. There is, 
also, the possibility of obtaining valu- 
able new fruits of large size by hybridiz- 
ing this species with some of the 
cultivated blackberries or allied species 
of the genus Rubus. It will be desir- 
able to improve the productiveness of 
the plant by some means, in order to 
make its cultivation commercially 
profitable. Likely, however, much 
can be done toward this end by proper 
pruning, an operation of much impor- 
tance with many members of this genus. 
PLANT PREFERS MOIST, COOL CLIMATE 
As to the climatic requirements of 
the plant, it would appear from its 
occurrence in Colombia in a limited 
area of particular climatic conditions, 
that it is exacting in this respect. It 
is entirely possible, however, that it 
can be made to succeed under natural 
conditions considerably different from 
those of its native home, if given the 
proper cultural treatment. This can 
only be determined by experiment. 
Judging by conditions in the Penon 
section, and in general throughout the 
territory in Cundinamarca in which 
the plant occurs, one is perhaps 
justified in predicting that the Puget 
