DELIGHTFUL BERRIES 315 



species, known to the botanist as Rubus leuco- 

 dermis. This plant, as its Latin name suggests, 

 has a white stem. As to fruit, it rather closely 

 resembles the eastern black raspberry which is a 

 parent of our cultivated blackcap. It is a strong, 

 vigorous grower, producing stout upright canes 

 and berries that are unusually sweet and of a 

 pleasing flavor. 



Several years ago, while in the Eel River 

 region in Humboldt County in California, I dis- 

 covered many excellent plants of this western 

 blackcap of specially vigorous growth, and pro- 

 ducing berries of extra size and quality. A large 

 number of berries were gathered from the most 

 promising plants, and their seeds carefully 

 planted. 



After several years of planting and selecting, 

 a promising berry was produced, fully as good, I 

 think, as most eastern blackcaps and much larger 

 than any then known. Unfortunately, the stem 

 and backs of the leaves of the plant are covered 

 with long, sharp prickles, and these are so an- 

 noying in cultivating or picking the fruit that it 

 seems not worth while to introduce a plant thus 

 handicapped. 



There is opportunity, however, to do away 

 with these prickles through hybridizing and 

 selective breeding along the lines already fully 



