This Paradise of Ours 127 



he never would have meddled with the forbidden 

 fruit. They were very abundant when there was 

 sufficient rain. Then come the dewberry, a variety 

 of the blackberry, the red and black raspberry, 

 strawberry, gooseberry, whortleberry, sarvisberry, 

 and others, among them the hackberry. It seems 

 strange that nobody seems to know about this last. 

 It is the fruit of a large tree of that name. The 

 berry is about the size of swan-shot, with a large 

 seed in proportion to its size, and a thin but very 

 sweet pulp. A single hackberry does not amount 

 to anything. The way to eat them is to fill the 

 mouth full, and then attriturate the pulp. The 

 kernel is sweet, but its shell is too jagged, when 

 crushed, for human eating. Sheep, pigs, raccoons, 

 and other animals are very fond of them. The 

 largest of the wild fruits was the paw-paw, or cus- 

 tard-apple. Those who are not familiar with this 

 fruit do not like it, and it will not bear marketing. 

 To be at their best, paw-paws must be black-ripe. 

 The rank pumpkiny taste is then gone, and a mild, 

 rich flavor abides, which is agreeable to almost 

 every one. As a food they are both nutritious and 

 healthful. Some varieties hang upon the stem all 

 winter and retain their sweetness. The bark makes 

 famous whistles and specially fine whips. We used 

 to make whips, the "snap" of which could be heard 

 a mile, and would echo like a rifle-shot. Then 

 there was the persimmon, golden and sweet — a 

 variety of the plum — the black-haw and red-haw, 



