i8o CROP PRODUCTION 



regional! Europe and Asia. Its fruit has doubtless been 

 relished by mankind ever since human beings appeared 

 upon the earth and forms of it have been cultivated for 

 at least sixteen centuries. A great many improved varie- 

 ties are now grown in Europe and many have been intro- 

 duced into America during the last hundred years. Most 

 of these, however, have not proved hardy inour cHmate, so 

 that very few of them are now grown here. The fruit of 

 these European sorts is generally larger and of finer qual- 

 ity than those derived from our wild red raspberry. 



The American Red Raspberry is native to the great 

 northern region extending from the Atlantic Ocean west 

 to Arizona and Missouri and north to Alaska. It is 

 generally abundant and as a wild plant yields a fair 

 quality of fruit. Most of the varieties now in cultiva- 

 tion have been derived from chance seedlings that have 

 been brought into gardens and given good culture. These 

 varieties are generally hardy in our climate and have the 

 habit of ripening their fruit during a much shorter period 

 than the European varieties. The latter point is of 

 special advantage in growing for market, as the fruit 

 can be gathered with fewer pickings. Both these types 

 of red raspberries multiply by suckers sent up from 

 the roots. Cuthbert, Turner, and Loudon are three of 

 of the best American Red Raspberries. 



The Purple-cane Raspberries or the Purple Rasp- 

 berries are believed to have been derived from a natural 

 hybrid between the Blackcap and the American Red 

 Raspberries. The fruit is of a purplish red intermediate 

 between the colors of the fruits of these two species, and 

 the plants multiply both from the tips like the blackcaps 

 and from root suckers like the reds. As a rule these are 



