Uses 103 



result is, that oftener than otherwise the berries are picked 

 green, and consumers, supposing them to be ripe because 

 they are black, growl because they are sour or sometimes 

 bitter. For distant markets this cannot be wholly avoided, 

 as the fruit must be picked while still firm, even at the 

 expense of quality. For home use, if left till the bees 

 begin to eat them, there will be no cause for complaint 

 at the quality of the cultivated blackberry. In commercial 

 work much attention must be given to this point. If 

 picked while still firm, the fruit handles and carries well. 

 If left until fully ripe and beginning to soften, the ideal 

 condition for immediate use in its fresh state, it will 

 quickly spoil on the market. A blackberry when first 

 turned is a very firm fruit, when fully ripe a very soft one. 

 The fruit is marketed either in pint or in quart baskets, 

 as best suits the fancy of the selected market. The black- 

 berry is a fruit which usually meets with a ready sale at 

 good prices, and one which handles well. Many small 

 inland towns and villages consume very considerable 

 quantities of the fruit at prices which are eminently satis- 

 factory to the grower. In localities where wild fruit is 

 abundant the demand may be limited. 



USES 



The blackberry is primarily a table fruit for immediate 

 consumption, either in its fresh state or in the making of 

 pies, puddings and the like. Heating changes its flavor 

 and color materially. This is a change rather than an 

 injury, however, for by many the cooked product is pre- 

 ferred to the uncooked. The fruit therefore lends itself 



