30 FIRST FRUITS OF THE LAND. 



Four or more cranberries are found in the State. Vac- 

 cinium parvifolium is a pale, red berry, small, dry, with a 

 very slight cranberry taste, and not used. Vaccinium 

 ovalifolium, high bush cranberry, is a large, blue berry, 

 good and in some localities where fruit is scarce very 

 useful ; much sought by the Indians. Vaccinium micro- 

 phyllum is a red, high bush cranberry, smaller, juicy and 

 palatable ; only found high up in the mountains. Another 

 is found in the Cascade and Coast ranges as an evergreen 

 bush, and bears a dark, purple berry ; edible. Local 

 botanists speak of other varieties. 



The barberry (Berberis Aquifolium), Oregon grape, so- 

 called, is a superb and elegant ornamental evergreen shrub, 

 in leaf somewhat resembling the English holly ; in the 

 wild state growing two or three feet high ; under cultiva- 

 tion making a showy lawn plant, six to eight feet, with 

 finely cut, polished leaves and symmetrical head ; early 

 in spring bearing a profusion of showy, yellow flowers, 

 followed in their season by clusters of dark purplish black 

 berries, the size of wild cherries; altogether a thing of 

 beauty rarely equaled ; fruit acid and make a fine bever- 

 age, and good pies and preserves. There are others of 

 the barberry family. 



The salal ( Gaultheria Myrsinites) is scattered through 

 the dense fir forests of the State; is another beautiful, 

 small shrub, evergreen, bearing an acid, edible berry, size 

 and color of the Oregon grape; much sought by the 

 Indians, and in early days made an excellent wine for the 

 resident Hudson Bay Company employees. The salal is 

 a variety of wintergreen, and seems to thrive best in the 

 deep shade of the forests ; has not been cultivated. 



The service berry, or Juneberry, a small tree six to 

 twelve feet high, we expect to make a good record for in 

 the future. This has been cultivated in other parts of the 

 world and much improved. The service berry in the 



