WHEN BERRIES ARE RIPE 139 



lasted only a short time. Perhaps because they 

 wanted their berries to get ripe. They were gone 

 before Violets, and while the berries were growing 

 Wild Raspberries and Blackberries had their blos- 

 soms. 



Blackberry blossoms were all white, and quite 

 large. They don't grow on little plants like 

 Strawberries, but on prickly vines that run along 

 the tops of fences, or twine themselves in and out 

 among the grass; or else they grow by the road- 

 side, and stand up quite straight. Tommy says 

 the ones that do this are different kinds of Black- 

 berries, although they look almost the same to me 

 as the ones that are vines. 



The Wild Raspberry's blossom is the prettiest 

 and largest of all. It looks almost exactly like 

 Wild Rose, only its pink is more purplish, and it 

 hasn't the same kind of sweet scent. It grows on 

 a bush and the leaves are large and something the 

 shape of a Maple-tree's leaves. The fruit is not 

 ripe yet, but Tommy knows that it tastes almost 

 the same as garden Raspberries, only a little more 

 spicy. He thinks I will like Wild Raspberries 

 very much. " They look," he says, " like little 

 thimbles. Some people even call them Thimble 

 Berries." 



Tommy thinks it's the greatest joke that many 

 city people believe Wild Raspberries are poison- 

 ous. He laughs and laughs over this, and says it's 

 lucky they leave them for those who know better. 



