192 OUR COMMON FRUITS. 



equal even to the Blackberry ; and it is therefore entirely 

 to comparatively modern cultivation that its present ex- 

 cellence and the number of its varieties is due. Even so 

 late as in 1729 Langley writes, " We have only three 

 Easpberries in England the red, the white, and the pur- 

 ple ; " but since then not only has the yellow been intro- 

 duced from Holland, but numerous varieties of all these 

 colours have been originated by our own gardeners, so 

 that a list of about 40 may now be reckoned, which differ 

 considerably in quality. 



The native kind, still often found wild in the northern 

 counties and in the woods of Sussex, was first generally 

 replaced among cultivators by a much larger sort called 

 the " Antwerp," because introduced from that place, and 

 which still maintains as high a position as almost any in 

 the estimation of market gardeners, in consequence of its 

 producing an abundance of fruit which ripens early and 

 bears carriage well. The latter quality is a crowning 

 virtue without which any others are comparatively use- 

 less, a very fine variety called the " Barnet Raspberry " 

 being almost entirely limited to private gardeners, because, 

 though excellent in every other respect, it is too tender 

 to bear transit uninjured. The very valuable double- 

 bearing kind brings forth a first crop in July and another 

 in September; a double-blossomed sort is grown for 

 ornament ; and a specially curious variety called the 

 " Black Raspberry," the fruit of which is of a very dark 

 purple colour, was obtained by Mr. Eivers by means of 

 crossing the Raspberry with the common Bramble. The 

 pale colour is considered by M. Poiteau to be the result 

 of feeble organization and inferiority, a practised eye 

 being usually able to tell in mid- winter whether a Rasp- 

 berry-bush will bear white or red fruit, the white plant 

 having paler bark, and stalks weaker and shorter than 

 the red, while it is also less fertile. 



Our Raspberry has been naturalized in America, but 

 the indigenous varieties taken under culture seem to be 

 preferred there, especially the Catawissa, which was first 

 found growing in a graveyard in Pennsylvania, and which 

 is of so prolific a nature that it often bears as many as 



