The Dewberries 121 



lection it can hardly fill the place which its co-laborers 

 in the garden are ready to accede to it. Unless it can be 

 induced to correct some of its bad habits and overcome its 

 failings, the place is even yet likely to be taken by some 

 young, vigorous and early-ripening blackberry. One 

 serious though excusable fault of the dewberry is its thorni- 

 ness. While lack of fertilization and consequent produc- 

 tion of imperfect fruit can hardly be denied as a family 

 trait, it is no doubt true that the more productive mem- 

 bers have suffered unjustly, owing to the behavior of the 

 rogues of the household. There is no disputing the fact 

 that stock of the Lucretia dewberry, as sold about the 

 country, has been badly mixed. As received and grown 

 at the Cornell gardens, it comprised two distinct sorts, one 

 with small blossoms, more delicate growth, and small, 

 imperfect and worthless fruit; the other with large blos- 

 soms, vigorous growth, large, plump and glossy fruit. 

 The cuts (Figs. 13 and 14) well illustrate the difference 

 between these two types, which is in itself a ready explana- 

 tion of many of the conflicting opinions regarding the 

 Lucretia. 



By taking the best of what we already have as a basis 

 for future improvement, there seems to be no reason why 

 the dewberry may not be brought to such a state of per- 

 fection as shall render its place assured. In the Wilson's 

 Early and Wilson Junior blackberries we have a type 

 intermediate between the dewberry and the blackberry. 

 This form may suggest lines of breeding which in time 

 shall produce offspring superior to anything which we 

 now have, either in the blackberry or the dewberry. We 

 need more careful and skillful breeders, who shall breed 



