LEGUMES, BERRIES AND SMALL FRUITS 



187 



American currant species are cultivated. Cultivated gooseberries 

 are derived from species native to the cooler parts of Europe and 

 Asia; the fruits may be red, yellow, green or white in color. 



Most members of the Huckleberry Family are likewise natives 

 of the cooler portions of the temperate regions; those with edible 

 berries are still rudely cultivated in the wild state, and no do- 

 mesticated varieties have as yet arisen. Huckleberries and blue- 

 berries (fig. 123) are common shrubs of eastern United States, 



Fig. 123. — Blueberries and 

 huckleberries are familiar small 

 shrubs of eastern United States. 



Fig. 124.— Cran- 

 berries are trailing 

 plants common to 

 bogs and cool habi- 

 tats. 



the latter growing particularly well on shallow acid soil. Wild 

 blueberries are cultivated after a fashion, in Maine and New 

 Brunswick, by burning over the wild stands and gathering the 

 berries with a cranberry rake; these regions produce most of the 

 supply for canning. Blueberries are also cultivated to a slight 

 extent on the New Jersey sand barrens. Cranberries (fig. 124) 

 grow as trailing plants which are native to bogs and other acid 

 habitats throughout cooler portions of the temperate region; 

 native species are found from New England south to New Jersey 

 and west to Wisconsin. Originally cranberries were picked from 



