REPORT ON FORESTS. 259 
was an important industry. The writer can just remember the 
long line of mule teams, bound to the shipyards on the shore, 
with long straight stems of the oak and smooth-bark pine. The 
logs are now, usually, short and small, the roads are good and 
level, so that with the help of a couple of skids, cant-hooks and 
parbuckles the handling of logs is a simple operation. 
The saw-mills are simple in nature and only work lumber for 
local demands, finding, however, in the resorts along the shore a 
good market for building materials. 
The income from the gathering of wild fruits is probably 
equal to, if not more than the yield from fire-wood. ‘The most 
important of these are the cranberry, huckleberry and blueberry. 
The cranberry (Oxycoccus macrocarpon*) is now extensively 
cultivated. It keeps well throughout the winter, and forms a 
rich crimson sattce, which is relished with turkey. Large 
quantities of these berries are exported to other States, and 
even to foreign countries. 
The high-bush blueberryt (Vaccinium corymbosum), which 
reaches perfection in the swamps of South Jersey, has never 
been cultivated. It is preferred by many to all other wild fruits. 
It reaches the dimensions of a large shrub, if not a small tree, 
on rich, moist, loose soil. The quality of the berries can be 
easily improved by trimming. The natives know this and 
accomplish it in a drastic, wholesale fashion by firing the woods. 
The young shoots which spring up after a fire bear large luscious 
berries. 
The wild grapes are also abundant. The fox grape (ltes 
labrusca), is plentiful in the swamps, the vines of which often 
form luxuriant tangles in the tops of the trees. The fruit is 
dark purple or amber in color, with a tough pulp, but delicious 
musky aroma, and famous for jelly. 
The persimmon tree (Diospyros virginiana) bears an abund- 
ance of rich fruit. The improvement of this fruit by grafting 
has begun. At present, when a little green, the fruit is puckery ; 
when ripe, too soft ; it is also too small and has too many seeds. 
* The term ‘cranberry ”’ is properly restricted to the genus Oxycoccus, the term ‘‘huckleberry’’ to 
the genus Guylussacia, and the term “‘ blueberry ” to the genus Vaccinium. 
{ White or pink varieties are not uncommon, which are simply cases of albinism. These are very 
sweet and worthy of propagation. 
