1 66 Notes and Gleanings. 



The Wachuset Blackberry was described and figured in our fourth vol- 

 ume, p. 220. Aug. 3, by invitation of Mr. Fletcher, we visited the Shaker Village 

 at Shirley to see the blackberry growing. We found it quite as productive as 

 the Dorchester, or more so ; and though, to our taste, the flavor was hardly 

 equal to that variety, it possesses a very great advantage in its comparative 

 freedom from thorns. None of the suckers which have come up the present 

 season had been removed, but all were preserved for propagation, forming quite 

 a " swamp " of plants ; yet, though the bushes are not absolutely free from 

 thorns, they have so few, that we could move round among this mass of plants 

 as we never could have done among a similar lot of Lawtons or Dorchesters. 

 Although permitting the suckers to grow had doubtless lessened the size of the 

 fruit, we found the largest berries were just the size of the largest in our cut 

 referred to above. 



New Seedling Gooseberry. — We are indebted to J. S. Graham of Ge- 

 neva, N.Y., for specimens of a new seedling goosebery, raised by Mr. William 

 Sesson of that place. It is of large size, oval, greenish-white, in appearance 

 quite equal to any American seedling ; but the fruit when it reached us was not 

 of the first quality. It is described by Mr. Graham as being as prolific as the 

 Houghton, and having borne for five years without showing the least tendency 

 to mildew. Mr. Sesson had in his garden an English variety, name unknown, 

 and a Kansas seedling, the latter a very thorny bush, bearing a red fruit a little 

 larger than the Houghton ; and the new variety no doubt sprang from the seed 

 of one of these, it is supposed the English kind, as it resembles it in color. It 

 is said to be much larger than either of its supposed parents, a more vigorous 

 grower, much more thorny, and not so sweet when ripe. It has occurred to us 

 that it may be an accidental cross between the two. 



Note on Seedling Raspberries. — I have fruited, this year, a few seed- 

 lings from a yellowish-white raspberr}', which I have had several years, but 

 whose specific name I do not know ; and the seedlings are all identical in color 

 and flavor with their parent, not showing the slightest variation. This coming 

 true from seed may be a common occurrence ; but I have never seen it men- 

 tioned. No other kind grew in the garden where the parent plants were culti- 

 vated. J. M. M., Jun. 



[The Orange Raspberry, as mentioned in another article in this number, was 

 said by Dr. Brinckle, who originated it, generally to reproduce itself from seed ; 

 while, of the seedlings from the Col. Wilder, some were identical with their par- 

 ent, and others diiTered from it. 



In an experiment which we made some years ago in raising raspberries from 

 seed of the Red and Yellow Antwerp, we found that they followed their parent 

 in color, but varied in the size of the berry and pips, and also in shape, firmness, 

 and flavor. We consider it important to collect such facts as the above in rela- 

 tion to the variation of seedlings, that we may at least know what is the chance 

 of obtaining distinct varieties. — Ed.^ 



