Wild Fruits of Tennessee 73 



The Farkleberry (Batodenclron Arboreum). 



I know that this berry is familiar to every Tennessean who has 

 spent only a few hours rambling the woodlands, whether it be a 

 valley, a hill, or mountain top, for I have found it growing at all 

 altitudes in the State. This berry is known by Tennesseans as the 

 winter huckleberry. It grows on bushes that range in height from 

 5 feet to 25 feet, but the maximum given here is uncommon. They 

 are usually found in vacant spots in the woodland, and often a 

 "patch", covering from a quarter to a half acre, will be observed. 

 This farkleberry is closely related to the blue berries and huckle- 

 berries, but its ability to withstand the frost and freezes without im- 

 pairing the quality of the fruit makes it a most remarkable wild 

 fruit and a very valuable one. In January, 1913, I had the pleas- 

 ure of directing the botanist of the United States Department of Ag- 

 riculture to this plant and its merits. At that time our Government 

 botanist admitted that he was not aware of the fact that the berries 

 of any variety of the farkleberry remained so long on the trees. The 

 fruit is of a dark color, spherical in shape, and is ready to eat about 

 the first of November. It clings to the bush throughout January, 

 February, and I have gathered a few of the delicious berries as late 

 as the middle of March. The plants are usually heavy and regular 

 producers, and the fruit possesses meritorious qualities that place it 

 in the list of valuable wild fruits of Tennessee. 



The Huckleberry (Gaylussacia). 



On the mountains and hillsides, the huckleberry is a familiar fruit 

 to each of us. In the wild and shaded spots of these woodlands this 

 wild fruit, which is so highly prized, is found growing in abundance. 

 It has been demonstrated that huckleberries may be grown success- 

 fully, but the first requirement is an acid soil. I know a few people 

 in Tennessee whose efforts have been unsuccessful, from the fact that 

 the huckleberry plants were not set in soil that had an acid content. 



The Muscadine. 



These wild grapes found growing in Tennessee are not well known 

 to inhabitants in the northern United States. The name muscadine 

 is probably derived from the word muscadel, meaning like a nut- 

 meg, or smelling like a musk. In the southern United States, south 

 of 36 degrees latitude, the muscadine (rotundifolia) holds sway 



