CHAPTER XVIII. 

 THE RASPBERRY AND BLACKBERRY. 



240. The Raspberry : Origin of American Varieties. 



The raspberry has been cultivated as a fruit over Europe 

 and Asia during the historic period and even back to the 

 fourth century. The best European varieties were intro- 

 duced quite as early as the apple, pear, and grape. But 

 like the European grape it was soon found to be unreliable, 

 except in a few favored localities. Indeed, it may be said 

 that the imported varieties of raspberry were more general 

 failures than the grape, as the latter does well in Califor- 

 nia, while the European raspberries, with the exception of 

 the Antwerp and Fontenay, are not a commercial success 

 anywhere on our continent. Gradually by selection and 

 hybridizing we have developed a number of red, black, 

 and yellow varieties that compare favorably with the best 

 of the Old World. It is now a popular commercial fruit 

 in all parts of the Union and quite a favorite with 

 amateurs, as a well-managed plantation lasts for many 

 years without renewal. 



241. Cultivated Species. Attempts have been made 

 within the past five years to classify our cultivated varieties 

 and determine the species to which they belong. But it 

 is not wholly satisfactory, as it is evident that we have 

 many hybrids difficult to place botanically. Even our list 

 of European varieties mostly shows traces of crossing with 



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