CHAPTER XXII. 



RUBUS OCCIDENTALIS BLACK-CAP AND PURPLE CANE 



P^SPBERRIES. 



"XXTE now turn to the other great American species — 

 ^ ^ Riibus Occideiitalis — the well-known black-cap, or 

 thimble berry, that is found along almost every roadside 

 and fence in the land. There are few little people who 

 have not stained their lips and fingers, not to mention their 

 clothes, with this homely favorite. I can recall the days 

 when, to the horror of the laundress, I filled my pockets 

 with the juicy caps. It is scarcely necessary to recall its 

 long, rambling, purple shoots, its light-green foliage, silvery 

 on the under side, its sharp and abundant spines, from which 

 we have received many a vicious scratch. Its cultivation 

 is so simple that it may be suggested in a few sentences. It 

 does not produce suckers, like R. Sfrigosus, but the tips of 

 the drooping branches root themselves in the soil during 

 August and September, forming young plants. These, 

 planted, produce a vigorous bush the first year that bears 

 the second season, and then dies down to the perennial 

 root, as is the case with all raspberries. Usually, the tips 

 of the young canes will take root, if left to themselves, unless 

 whipped about by the wind. If new plants in abundance 

 are desired, it is best to assist Nature, however, by placing 

 a little earth on the tip just after it begins to enlarge slightly, 

 thus showing it is ready to take root. This labor is quickly 

 performed by throwing a handful or two of earth on the 



