318 THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIVE FRUITS 



most perfectly developed berries from the Wilson 

 Early plant, which grew in same hill with the Dor- 

 chester, planted the seed first in greenhouse, and when 

 large enough to transplant in open, field were set in 

 single hills four feet apart in nursery row, and allowed 

 to remain there with good culture and pruning for 

 four years, until the true character of each was de- 

 veloped, and one proved to be superior to all the 

 others, producing an abundance of fruit, larger and 

 earlier than its parent, the Wilson Early. That one 

 best plant was called Wilson Junior, and preserved 

 for propagation. All the rest of that family of plants 

 were destroyed. The Wilson Junior has been carefully 

 propagated, and as fast as the young canes became old 

 enough to bear fruit, have been very satisfactory, and 

 last year (1884) one acre yielded 110% bushels of fruit 

 by side of five acres of Wilson Early in same field, 

 with similar culture, which averaged but 53 bushels, 

 and the whole crop of blackberries in the county of 

 Burlington, N. J., is reported at 47 bushels per acre. 

 The fruit was large, early and very fine, and sold better 

 in market than any other sent from the Pomona Nur- 

 series, selected berries measuring 4% inches around 

 lengthwise by 3% inches crosswise. Many visitors 

 called to see them, and all, so far as we know, thought 

 well of them. * * * * 



"In 1877 we again repeated the same experiment, 

 by selecting the largest and most perfect berries from 

 the Wilson Early, grown by side of the Dorchester, 

 planted them separately, grew them four years, then 

 selected the best which is called Eureka, and all the 

 rest of that family were destroyed. Of the Eureka 

 we have propagated several thousand plants. They 



