VARIOUS SPECIES OF FRUITS 113 



HYSLOP. Large, brilliant dark red with purple bloom, clustered. Tree 

 hardy, good grower, reliable biennial, almost annual, cropper. One of 

 the best-known and widely grown Grabs. 



MARTHA. Large, handsome yellow and red, excellent quality. Tree 

 fairly sturdy, very hardy, precocious, almost a regular annual, good to 

 heavy cropper. Fruit hangs well to the twigs. 



TRANSCENDENT. Rather large, red and yellow streaked; excellent culinary 

 variety. Precedes Hyslop. Tree good grower spreading, hardy, very 

 productive, almost annually. 



WHITNEY. Large yellow and red late Summer Grab; very popular in the 

 Northwest. Good for dessert and excellent for cooking. Tree vigor- 

 ous, precocious, very productive. 



BARBERRY 



Among the many species of Rarberries grown for ornament the 

 "common," not the Japanese, one is of interest for its scarlet fruits 

 which ripen in late Autumn and hang on the bushes until Spring 

 unless eaten before that time by birds. These berries, while too 

 acid to eat raw, make an ornamental pickle useful for garnishing, an 

 acceptable though rather seedy preserve and an excellent jelly of 

 peculiarly brilliant color and distinct tart flavor. The plant will 

 grow in any well-drained soil and with no attention except the occasional 

 removal of failing stems in the interior of the bushes. 



BLACKBERRY 



The Blackberry is nature's barbed-wire entanglement. Of all 

 the untamable, obstinate, "sot-in-its-way," fruit plants it is generalis- 

 simo. With rare and trivial aberrations of purpose it has refused to 

 part with its needle-like spines and it similarly refuses to spare any 

 mortal who attempts undue familiarity with it. The only two safe 

 ways to handle it are to wear mediaeval armor and to keep a safe 

 distance away from it! For it seems to take delight in finding vulner- 

 able spots and stabbing, grabbing and tearing human flesh when 

 least expected. 



Then why give such an unappreciative, distrustful, vindictive 

 plant a place in the home garden among docile, self-respecting fruit 

 and vegetable society? Let the following conversation supply the 

 answer. 



One of my city friends who has recently moved to the suburbs 

 was asking me about the kinds of fruits to plant in his garden. When 

 I came to Blackberry he said neither he nor his family liked them. 

 Then he remarked that very few people of his acquaintance enjoy them 

 and asked why I recommended them. 



"City bred people," I replied, "have never eaten any but the 

 unripe, day old or older, fruit they get at the groceries. In order 



