181 



skins. Like the currants, they are of various shades of green, 

 yellow and red. It may be remarked that several species of the 

 Rocky Mountains (R. cereum, R. inebrians, etc.) are narcotic 



One of the least known, yet, to the taste of the speaker at least, 

 one of the most delicious of our native small fruits, is the Buffalo 

 berry {Lepargyraca argentcd). The plant, in many parts of the 



miles of ground, to the exclusion of most else. It produces its 

 one-seeded oblong berries, as large as huckleberries, greenish or 

 pinkish with purple blotches, in the densest profusion. The 

 Indians spread skins beneath the bushes and shake the fruits off 

 by the bushel. During the season they almost live upon them, 

 and they dry great quantities for winter use. The flesh is juicy, 

 sweet and acid, and its flavor may be compared with that of a 

 rich and sweet lemonade. They are prepared in many ways, 

 some of which involve the crushing up of the seed with the pulp. 

 The seed is soft, of not unpleasant flavor, and apparently fatty and 

 nutritious. There are many species of this genus in the northern 

 hemisphere, and a number, even of those cultivated as orna- 

 mental shrubs, are delicious. They exhibit a considerable va- 

 riety of acidity, sweetness and flavor. A related and similar, 

 though larger, fruit is the silverberry {Eleagnus argentca), which 



s farther 



Dlth. 



[ Of t 



Closely related to the crabapples a 

 tally different character from any of the fruits so far considered, 

 are the service-berries, also called June-berries, sugar-berries, 

 shad- berries, and by various other local names. They pertain 

 to the genus Amclanchier, now recognized as containing about 

 twenty species. These fruits have the structure of the apple and 

 pear, but the core is thin and soft, so that the entire fruit can be 

 eberry. The specific 





: tha 



e thei 



ss). It is a large shrub, and often becomes a smal 

 jits are eaten in almost every conceivable form. One c 



