BLACKBERRIES— VARIETIES, ETC. 247 



know they are black only, and I can wait. When the children 

 report, ' The birds are eating the berries ! ' I know I can wait. 

 But when they sa)^, ' The bees are on the berries ! ' I know they 

 are at their ripest. Then, with baskets, we sally out ; I taking 

 the middle rank, and the children the outer spray of boughs. 

 Even now we gather those only which drop at the touch ; these, 

 in a brimming saucer, with golden Alderney cream and a soKpgon 

 of powdered sugar, are Olympian nectar; they melt before the 

 tongue can measure their full roundness, and seem to be mere 

 bloated bubbles of forest honey." 



Notwithstanding this eloquent plea and truthful statement, 

 the Lawton is decidedly on the wane. It is so liable to be 

 v/inter-killed, even with best of care, and its fruit is so un- 

 palatable, in its half-ripe condition, that it has given place 

 to a more successful rival, the Kittatinny, — discovered in 

 Warren county, N. J., growing in a forest near the moun- 

 tains, whose Indian name has become a household word 

 from association with this most delicious fruit. Mr. Wolver- 

 ton, in finding it, has done more for the world than if he 

 had opened a gold mine. Under good culture, the fruit is 

 very large ; sweet, rich, and melting, when fully ripe, but 

 rather sour and hard when immature. It reaches its best 

 condition if allowed to ripen fully on the vines; but the 

 majority of pickers use their hands only, and no more think 

 of making nice discriminations than of questioning nature 

 according to the Baconian method. They gather all that 

 are black, or nearly so ; but if this half- ripe fruit is allowed 

 to stand in some cool, dry place for about twelve hours, 

 Kittatinny berries may be had possessing nearly all their lus- 

 cious qualities. The plant is an upright and very vigorous 

 grower, exceedingly productive if soil and culture are suit- 

 able. Its leaves are long-pointed, " finely and unevenly 

 serrate." The season of fruiting is medium, continuing from 



