202 



THE CAXADIAN IIORTTCCLTCKIST. 



difference between these varieties no 

 one around liere is clever enough to 

 distinguish it. But we keep them in 

 different fields for separate propaga- 

 tion ; close together a slight difference 

 mif/ht be manifest. The berry is very 

 black, of tine size, and veiy good to 

 take Avhen it first comes in, and the 

 bush is very productive. It begins to 

 iil)en nearly with Highland Hardy, 

 and utterly supersedes here the old 

 l)avidsoii Thornless, which had become 

 vei-y unproductive and generally nn- 

 ii'liable. 



Now, as the season of Tyler is about 

 over, the 



Gregj is just coming in. It is not 

 nearly so black as the former (on ac- 

 count of the light-grey bloom in the 

 little hollows of the berry), and it is 

 not so hardy in winter, nor will it be- 

 liave so well on light soils ; yet of all 

 tested sorts it still stands ahead, for its 

 unrivalled firmness and .size. It is also 

 sweeter than Tyler. On loamy soil 

 with fair treatment it is very produc- 

 tive, and when it comes into market 

 nil other black caps must stand aside. 

 But it comes in very late. 



Ohio. — This is the sort that attracts 

 so much attention in New York State 

 as a berry for drying. I don't see 

 how it can be as profitable for this pur- 

 j^o.se — quart for quart — as Gregg, for 

 the latter is certainly firmer, and ap- 

 parently less watei-y. But, I daresay, 

 more quarts can be i-aised per acre of 

 the Ohio. I find it, without question, 

 the healthiest growing Black Cap that 

 I have tested. It is also about the 

 sweete.st and most delicious. So, if I 

 coidd plant only am Black Cap for the 

 use of my family, I would set out 

 Ohio; but I would try hard for an 

 earlier one, and a later one also. The 

 Ohio is about medium in season. 



Centennial. — This new sort pleases 

 me exceedingly. The fruit is quite 

 large. Selected specimens, indeed, 



crowding closely the larfjest Gre^-fi', 

 though the average size s^ems smaller 

 than the Gregg average. It is quite 

 black, and it is sweeter and better than 

 Tyler, about as delicious as Ohio, while 

 it appears firmer than either. I feel 

 that a test on one year ])lants is not 

 sufficient to pass settled judgment 

 upon ; V)ut if it fulfils its pi-esent pro- 

 mise with me, I must place it as far 

 away the best of ail the eai hj Black 

 Caps tested here. 



Cltapinan and Nemaha grow well, 

 but have not fruited yet. They were 

 ]jlanted in spring of this yeai-. 



Befhes Golden. — A new sort that 

 grows a yellow berry on a " Black 

 Cap " bush. The fruit is about the size 

 of Gregg, or nearly so, sweet, exceed- 

 ingly firm, and is produced very 

 abundantly. The bush appears very 

 hardy and vigorous. The oidy objec- 

 tion seems to be that the color v/lien 

 over-i-ipe becomes rather too dark, so 

 that purchasei-s at first think the fruit 

 dirty or decaying. A little experience, 

 however, will overcome that idea, and 

 at present this variety is the only 

 valuable " white " variety I know that 

 can be ship)>ed to market, so I have 

 good hopes of its future record. It 

 tastes better than the following : — 



Caroline. — A noble A^ariety for home 

 use or near market. The plant is re- 

 markably vigorous and overwhelmingly 

 productive, while the berries are rather 

 lar::re and of the attractive orange-bufi' 

 tint of the old Brinkle. But the re- 

 semblance ends with the color. The 

 quality is decidedly inferior to that of 

 the Brinkle, and the form of the berry 

 is shorter. But the children like it, 

 and visitors exclaim ovei- it in rapture.s. 

 We must think well of a fruit that 

 every one likes, except the connoissinir. 

 So with its beauty, hardiness, antl 

 almost unequalled productiveness, the 

 Caroline shoidd stand first of its color 

 everywhere, except in the garden of 



