Buffalo Berry 357 



of the plant are against it. Plants vary in the latter re- 

 gard, and careful selection might develop forms compara- 

 tively free from thorns. The berries vary much in size, 

 commonly being about the size of currants, though some- 

 times as large as small gooseberries. It generally occurs 

 along the borders of streams, which indicates that it may 

 need a moist soil. It is sometimes found on loose, dry 

 sand, but with available moisture beneath. Its early- 

 blooming period may subject it to injury from spring 

 frosts, hence a cool northern slope would be desirable. 



Plants are propagated from suckers, cuttings or seeds. 

 The suckers are produced but sparingly, but are readily 

 separated whenever found. From the fact that a large 

 number of plants produced from suckers proved to be all 

 staminate, S. B. Green was led to infer 1 that perhaps 

 the staminate plants produce more suckers than the 

 pistillate. Later observations did not enable him to 

 settle the point definitely. It is said to grow readily from 

 cuttings taken in autumn and treated like grape and 

 currant cuttings. Seeds should be planted when the fruit 

 is ripe, or mixed with sand and planted the following 

 spring. Fuller states 2 that the best way is to plant at 

 once in rows, one or two inches deep, transplanting into 

 nursery rows when one year old. He says that they will 

 usually bloom the third year from seed, when the stam- 

 inate and pistillate plants can be readily marked or sepa- 

 rated. 



In planting, it is important to see that both sexes are 

 placed together; otherwise no fruit can be produced. 



1 Bull. 18, Minn. Exp. Sta., p. 129. 



2 Small-Fruit Culturist, 252. 



