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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



California Grape (Vitis Californica). Along our streams the 

 native grape-vine attains large size and fruits freely, the fruit re- 

 sembling the "frost grape" of the East. The vine frequently covers 

 and sometimes kills large trees with the density of its foliage. Some 

 variation is reported in the species, but it is possible that some of the 

 better kinds are seedlings from some imported species, bird planted. 

 The species has attained something of a reputation as a phylloxera- 

 resisting root for grafting, but it has proved exacting in its choice 

 of soils and situations, and otherwise not desirable, and some East- 

 ern species are now relied upon for this service. 



Elderberry (Sambucus glauca). The elderberry makes a fine 

 tree in California, sometimes twenty feet or more in height, and with 

 a trunk a foot and a half in diameter. The fruit is borne in large 

 quantities and is used to some extent for preserves and pastry. 



Raspberries (Rubus sp.). In the mountains of the eastern part 

 of the State is a scarlet hemispherical berry of pleasant flavor, which 

 is called "thimbleberry" (Rubus parviflorus). It seems to have an 

 advantage over a variety (velutinus) of the same species which is 

 found near the coast and has a dry, insipid fruit. Another raspberry, 

 which is found in all hilly and mountainous regions, both on the 

 coast and in the interior, is Rubus leucodermis. It resembles the 

 black-cap raspberry of the Atlantic slope, except that it has yellow- 

 ish-red fruit. This fruit is quite largely gathered for domestic uses, 

 and some efforts have been made to cultivate the plants. 



Salmon Berry (Rubus spectabilis). The beauty, size, and de- 

 licious flavor of this fruit are highly commended by all who have 

 enjoyed it in the upper coast counties of California and farther 

 northward. The plant makes a strong bush, five to ten feet high, 

 and delights in the woods and shady banks of streams. The praise 

 of all who know the fruit has led to frequent attempts to introduce 

 the plant to warmer and drier parts of the State, but such efforts 

 have thus far uniformly failed. 



Wild Blackberry (Rubus vitifolius). This fruit should perhaps 

 be called a "dewberry," as it has trailing, or, at most, but partially 

 raised stems, which extend from five to twenty feet. The plant 

 occurs abundantly on banks of streams and other sufficiently moist 

 locations, both in the coast and interior regions of the State. Around 

 the margin of Humboldt Bay, on land cleared by fire or axe, black- 

 berries spring up abundantly on the denuded land. Tons of the fruit 

 are said to remain after the local housewives have done their utmost 

 in preserving and jelly-making. In the low-land region around 

 Stockton considerable quantities are sometimes gathered for sale. 

 The fruit, which has been held in high repute ever since pioneer 

 days, is oblong, black and sweet. The species is variable, and the 

 anomaly, a white blackberry, has been reported from Del Norte 

 county. The native wild blackberry is one of the parents of the Lo- 

 ganberry and of some of Mr. Burbank's hybrids which are widely 

 known. 



