352 HISTORY OF FRUITS. 



Gerard says, they formerly grew in Finchley Wood, 

 near Highgate, and on Hampstead Heath. The red kind, 

 which makes the fine purple dye, is found abundantly in 

 several parts of Westmoreland, and the white whortle- 

 berries principally in Lancashire; but most of our northern 

 hills abound with some of the varieties. From their 

 growing in high bleak situations, they are often called 

 wind -berries. 



We have never seen this shrub cultivated, although it 

 is more ornamental than many foreign shrubs that are 

 raised with difficulty.* The berry, which is a size larger 

 than that of the juniper, is covered with a fine blue 

 powder, similar to the bloom of our finest purple plums. 



There is also another species of heath-berry, growing 

 on the mountainous parts of the northern counties, as 

 well as in Scotland, on which the heathcocks and grouse 

 feed. 



There have been no less than fifteen species of the 

 whortle-berry brought into this country from North Ame- 

 rica, between the years 1761 and 1796. (Hortus Kew- 

 ensis,) 



* Since the first edition of this work has been published, these 

 shrubs have been cultivated in Devonshire with success by Robert 

 Hallet, esq. 



