VII 



THE DEWBERRIES 



Dewberries are a little more than merely 

 trailing or prostrate blackberries, although the 

 two forms grade into each other and are some- 

 times distinguished with some difficulty by the 

 layman. Dewberries, however, strike their 

 roots more deeply into the soil than black- 

 berries, they propagate in nature by tip layer- 

 ing, and the center blossom of the cluster 

 opens first, while the blossom cluster of the 

 blackberry is larger and blossoms from the 

 margin toward the center. 



Serious attempts to cultivate the dewberry 

 date back scarcely half a century. Lucretia, 

 the first variety to be introduced, is still the 

 most popular sort, and it is plain that the 

 amelioration of this new fruit has not gone 

 far. Even so, the dewberry has much to offer 

 to the lover of fruits, It is productive and 

 within its range it is not difficult to grow, while 

 the well-ripened berries must be ranked with 

 our most delicious and refreshing fruits. 

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