VII 



VARIOUS TYPES OF BERRY -LIKE FRUITS 



ALTHOUGH we have now discussed those groups of 

 native fruits in which the greatest progress has been 

 made, there still remain several types of considerable 

 importance; and one of these, the gooseberries, is in 

 interest second only to the raspberries and blackberries, 

 among improved native berries. In all these groups, 

 however, the history has been less eventful than in 

 those already discussed ; and since it is our primary 

 purpose to record only what has been done and not 

 what may be done, these remaining plants may be 

 given brief running sketches at a single sitting. 



In reveiwing these various plants, one is tempted to 

 call attention again to the great native pomological 

 wealth of North America. The species which are con- 

 sidered in this book are but a small fraction of the 

 whole number of promising indigenous species. An- 

 other century will see types of fruits of which we 

 know little or nothing, but it is impossible to prophesy 

 from what native sources these types will spring. We 

 have seen how this wealth of native fruits impressed 

 the explorers and colonists. We could glean abundant 

 references to this native wealth from the early records. 

 Thus, William Wood, in 1634, speaks of the berries in 

 the wilds of Massachusetts Bay, as follows: "There 

 is likewise Strawberries in abundance, verie large ones, 

 some being two inches about ; one may gather halfe a 

 (386) 



