178 



little known in this locality, being a plant of northern bogs. 

 The slender stems run through the sphagnum, and the berries, 

 about half as large as those of the cultivated species, lie, usually 

 singly, partly concealed in the moss. These berries are largely 

 collected by the Indians, and are marketed by them in many 

 northern towns. They are very sour, but are preferred by some 



Two fruits are commonly known as " mountain cranberry," 



n the 



mthern Allegh 



berries. The former is, ho' 

 erythrocarpus). Small is pro 

 distinct genus, under the nan 

 to purple, and sour, and is nc 

 well-known mountain cranb 

 Idaed). It is very largely us 



:he other 

 high m< 



with the blue 



arly all far nor 

 is. Both gro 



reria. Its fruit is sm; 

 ;ely eaten. The other 

 •f Europe {Vaccinium 



mailer cranberry ii 

 hey are slightly bit 

 Although the di; 

 >erries and huckleberries is out - 

 nembers of the group call for spei 



ts resemble those of the 



of a deeper red. When fresh 



Dr when properly cooked. 



ion of such well-known fruits as blue- 



,f plac 



1 this 



gatherer is familiar with a fruit known to country-people as 

 " poison huckleberry," or " green huckleberry." In the books 

 it is mostly called deerberry. We used to know the plant as 

 Vaccinium stamincitm, but it is now quite properly kept apart 

 from that genus as a Polycodium. Contrary to popular belief, 

 there is nothing poisonous about these fruits, which were very 

 generally used by the aborigines. They are not palatable like 

 the blueberry, being sour and slightly bitter, but may be cooked 

 like the mountain cranberry. The other is the so-called 

 southern or mountain gooseberry, of the southern Alleghenies. 

 It is described as especially valuable for cooking and more ought 





