BOTANY OF THE HUCKLEBERRIES 497 



swamps might be easily improved by supplementary planting 

 when the stand of bushes is imperfect. 



On the whole, there seems to be no reason why the huckleberry 

 should not acquire a prominent place among the cultivated fruits 

 of our gardens, and in its natural habitats become a source of 

 very considerable profit. Its successful culture will doubtless 

 be chiefly confined to the eastern half of the country, principally 

 to the Allegheny region and Atlantic coast. The possibilities in 

 the cooler Eocky Mountain regions, or on the moist north Pacific 

 slopes, are unknown. So far as reported, all trials to grow the 

 huckleberry on the Plains have resulted in failure. 



The name huckleberry is applied as a generic term to cover 

 the fruit of all species of the two genera, Gaylussacia and Vaccin- 

 ium. In a restricted sense, it is used locally to designate one or 

 more species of the former genus, the name blueberry being then 

 applied to fruit of Vaccinium species. In other cases the term 

 huckleberry is applied to black-fruited species of either genus. 

 The more general custom is to apply the name huckleberry to 

 the fruit of all. 



The most important difference between these two genera is that 

 in Gaylussacia the fruit is ten-celled, each cell containing a single 

 seed, or properly a little stone, while in Vaccinium there are sev- 

 eral seeds in each cell, these being small, and the fruit forming a 

 pulpy berry. The seeds of the former, while less numerous, are 

 far more troublesome than those of the latter. The leaves and 

 branchlets of Gaylussacia are clammy with resinous dots when 

 young. 



Many species belonging to these two genera are known, chiefly 

 in America, but only a few need be considered here. The follow- 

 ing are most important as fruit-bearing plants, with possible 

 adaptability to garden culture. 



GAYLUSSACIA FRONDOSA (L.) Torr. & Gray. Blue Tangleberry or 

 Dangleberry. 



This is a shrub growing from 3 to 5 feet high, with slender, 

 divergent branches, which in the new growth are reddish yel- 

 low, while the older wood is covered with ashy gray bark. Its 

 leaves are pale and glaucous or white beneath. The flowers are 

 borne in long, loose, drooping racemes. The fruit is large, sweet, 



FF 



