388 THE EVOLUTION OF OUR NATIVE FRUITS 



banks of everlasting snow. Only one berry grows 

 upon each plant, but this one makes a most delicious 

 mouthful. It is the size and form of a large dewberry, 

 but the color is a bright crimson, half -ripe, and a 

 golden yellow at maturity. Its taste is sweetly acid, it 

 is exceedingly juicy, and so delicate that it might be 

 thought impossible to preserve it." 



In a recent report to Congress on the agricultural 

 possibilities of Alaska,* Walter H. Evans writes as 

 follows of the wild fruits : "Alaska is preeminently a 

 land of small fruits and berries. But little attention 

 lias been given to their cultivation. What few attempts 

 have been made seem to promise well. Hardly any 

 berries are cultivated except strawberries, currants and 

 raspberries. Of these, both wild and cultivated forms 

 were seen growing, and the adaptability of the wild 

 plants to domestication was very evident. The wild 

 strawberry was seen under cultivation at Wrangell, and 

 specimens of Bubus stellatus, known as dewberry, 

 'morong,' and 'knesheneka,' are growing in a garden 

 at Sitka with apparently considerable success, and it 

 seems probable that more could be done in this line. 

 The flavor of mosl "I' the Alaskan berries was found to 

 be excellent, and some of them might be worthy of 

 introduction into portions of the states. 



"Of the berries which have the widest distribution, 

 may lie mentioned the salmon berries {Bubus spectabi- 

 lis)-, two kinds of cranberries, the high -bush [Vibur- 

 num pauciflorum) and the small cranberry ( Vacchtium 

 Vitis-Idcea)\ red and black currants (Bibes ritl>r><»i 

 and /»'. laxiflorum) ; crowberries (Empetrum nigrum) \ 

 huckleberries ( Vaccinium uliginosum and its variety. 



•Bull, 18, Office of Exp. stMti..n-. Dept. of Aprlc. 



