THE MALIGNED BLACKBERRY 



although tin- cultivation of it did nol begin t<> attract 

 much attention until about twenty years ago. In the 

 southern Btates it is rarely cultivated, because it grows 

 in Buch profusion "ii the abundant wild lands. 

 There is do bush-fruil which is capable of yielding 

 greater i »i< »tit . It is the last of the small fruits to 

 ripen, and when it is well grown it affords ;i lux-ions 

 addition to the dessert of midsummer. Some <>t' my 

 readers will ;it once take issue with me respecting the 

 lusciousness <>t' the blackberry, and we may as well 

 argue the >nl>j''<-t to a finish while we are in the 

 mood. In justification of my position, I shall Bay 

 that those persons \\li<> <1<> not like the garden black* 

 berry have probably never eaten a rip'- one. Those red 

 ;m<l juiceless objects which «'ii<- funis frying in the 

 sun and patronized by flies in front of grocery stores 

 are not the fruits aboul which I am writing. They 

 illicit have been green berries <>r red berries, but they 

 were never ripe blackberries. There is no berrj fruit 

 grown which sooner deteriorates after picking, and few 

 which are necessarily picked in such unfit condition. 

 The blackberry is not ripe simplj because it i> black; 

 it must be Boft, and it nni.-t drop into the hand when 

 the cluster is Bhaken. In this condition it i> full of 

 the Bweetness and aroma of midsummer. It is our 

 most delicious bush-fruit. Of course, Buch berru 

 these never iiu<l their way to the market, and hence it 

 comes that mj reader who lia> never grown the fruil 

 II wincing in memory of the unbearable acid of 

 the blackberry. Then, there are those who declare that 

 the tame berry is intolerably Bourer than the wild 

 It i- true that it i- more juicy when well grown, and 

 tlii- juice i> verj »our until the beiTj is soft t<> the 



