ON THE SUNBERRY 



I have never known a person who could be in- 

 duced the second time to attempt to eat this so- 

 called "garden huckleberry," the taste being 

 villainous. 



The plant is indeed somewhat closely related 

 to the black nightshade, Solarium nigrum, the 

 American species that is common everywhere, one 

 form of which, known as the stubble-berry, is 

 said to be poisonous, especially if eaten by chil- 

 dren, in large quantities when not fully ripe, 

 although fairly palatable when cooked. 



The stubble-berry in one or another of its 

 varieties has been used for cooking, in all coun- 

 tries where it grows, when fruit is scarce, chiefly to 

 make pies, as well as for canning. But it is neces- 

 sary to have the fruit fully ripen; which is often 

 accomplished in cold climates by spreading the 

 berries thinly on shelves and allowing them to 

 mature slowly. 



In some regions, as in the Dakotas, the bushes 

 are pulled and hung in the cellar, the fruit being 

 used from time to time as it ripens. 



In France the young shoots of this plant are 

 used as a green vegetable, and the plant is even 

 advertised in French catalogs. 



The "garden huckleberry," however, differs 

 considerably from the ordinary French stubble- 

 berry, the fruit being much larger in size but far 



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