330 THE EVOLUTION OP OUR NATIVE FRUITS 



The Dewberries 



Within the past few years several varieties of dew- 

 berries have come into more or less prominence. The 

 greatest differences of opinion exist as to their merits, 

 and few systematic attempts have been made to deter- 

 mine their peculiarities and values. Some of them 

 must possess value for certain purposes, for they 

 have been strongly recommended by many growers 

 and dealers ; and it is also to be considered that the 

 presumption is against any new fruit, especially one 

 which has been rescued from the fields, and any com- 

 mendation which it receives from honest men is proof 

 that it possesses some points of usefulness. The 

 histories of fruits are soon lost, and all definite 

 knowledge of methods of variation and degrees of 

 improvement is, therefore, impossible. This is no- 

 where better illustrated than in the dewberries them- 

 selves, for although they are among the most recent 

 additions to our fruits, 1 have found it impossible 

 to learn the exact histories of all of them. 



At first thought it seems strange that Mich 

 unqualified encomiums and sweeping condemnations 

 could be bestowed upon any frnit as have fallen to 

 the lot of the dewberry. But there are reasons for 

 these disagreements, some of which the following 

 pages may discover. .Most fruits receive both praise 



and censure, for there are few which succeed in 

 all parts of the country and under all kinds of 



management ; and if the frnit is wholly new in 



kind, it is particularly liable to hi' misunderstood 



and mismanaged. But it further turns out. upon 

 investigation, that the varieties of dewberries are verj 



