THE CROW BERRY. 



347 



feet; and there are places where the pedestrian 

 can pull handfuls of berries as large as the com- 

 mon black currant of the gardens. 



Two other species of vaccinium, the black 

 whortleberry, and the red (the ci'anberry) are 

 common enough in pome parts of this country. 

 One, if not both of these, grows most readily in 

 moist situations, such as the dry patches in peat- 

 bogs. Tusser mentions " hurtil-berries" amongst 

 the cultivated fruits of his time. These were, 

 perhaps, confounded with the fruit of the bram- 

 bles. "Dewberries" (though supposed by some 

 to be gooseberries) were formerly amongst the 

 delicacies of fruit, if we may judge from the 

 celebrated passage in Midsummer's Night's 

 Dream : — 



" Peed Mm with aprioocks and dewberries, 

 With purple grapes, green figs, and mulberries." 



The Red Cranherry, fvaccinium vitis Idem, J of 

 which the berries are excellent, has borne fruit 

 abundantly under cultiyation. The berries of 

 the Pennsylvanian vaccinium ai-e very ornamen- 

 tal. This genus of berries is very abundant in 

 North America, and also in the northern parts 

 of Russia. 



The American Cranberry (vaccinium macro- 

 carpon,) forms a considerable article of com- 

 merce; and, as does not appear to be the case 

 with some others of the genus, it may be culti- 

 vated to advantage on the margins of ponds, and 

 in other moist situations. The importation of 

 cranberries to this country is about 30,000 gal- 

 lons annually, the duty being sixpence per gal- 

 lon. This species has been grown in England. 



An interesting account of its culture and 

 produce is given by Sir Joseph Banks, in the 

 Horticultural Transactions. In one year, from a 

 bed of about eighteen feet square, three and a 

 half Winchester bushels of berries were pro- 

 duced, which, at five bottles to the gallon, gives 

 140 bottles, each sufficient for one cranberry 

 pie. 



Wherever there is a pond, observes Neill, the 

 margin may at a trifling expence be fitted for 

 the culture of this plant, and it will continue 

 productive for many years. All that is neces- 

 sary is to drive in a few stakes two or three feet 

 within the margin of the pond, and to place 

 some old boards within these, so as to prevent 

 the soil of the cranbeiTy bed from falling into 

 the water. Then to lay a parcel of small stones 

 or rubbish in the bottom, and over it peat or bog 

 earth, to the depth of about three inches above, 

 and seven inches below the usual surface of the 

 water. In such a situation the plants grow 

 readily; and if a few be put in they entirely 

 cover the bed in the course of a year or two, by 

 means of their long runners, which take root at 

 different points. From a very small space a very- 



large quantity of cranberries may be gathered, 

 and they prove a remarkably regular crop, 

 scarcely affected by the state of the weather, and 

 not subject to the attacks of insects. The cran- 

 berry will also succeed when planted as an edging 

 to any pond, provided some bog earth be placed 

 for its roots to run in; or if a bed of bog earth 

 be sunk in any shady situation, so as its surface 

 may be a few inches below the general level for 

 the sake of retaining water, the plant will thrive 

 well, and being regularly watered in the driest 

 weather, produces abundant crops. 



The Crow Berry, (empetrum nigrum.) Di- 

 cscia triandria, Linn. 



This humble plant, in appearance resembling 

 some of the mosses, derives its generic name 

 from growing on rocks, and elevated stony 

 mountains. The berry is jet black; and hence 

 probably the common name of ci-ow berry. It is 

 common in all the northern parts of Europe, in 

 elevated situations, on dry, barren, moorish, or 

 boggy soils; and is more patient of cold, bleak 

 atmospheres, than even the common heath. The 

 berries have a slight subacid taste, and are eaten 

 by children in the Highlands. The Russian 

 peasants eat them ; and the Kamchatdales gather 

 great quantities of them to boil with their fish, 

 or to make a sort of pudding, with the roots 

 of their lilies; wild game especially grouse, feed 

 on them. They afford a dark purple dye; and 

 boiled with fat, are used for imparting a black 

 colour to otter and sable skins. 



CHAP. XXXVI. 



THE ORANGE, lEMON, LIME, CITRON, SHADDOCK, 

 POMEGRANATE, EIG, OLIVE, &C. 



The natural family AuranticKece, or Hesper- 

 idecE, contains some of the most beautiful and 

 important of exotic fruits. The family belongs 

 to the class polyadelphia, and order potyandria 

 of Linnseus. 



The common character of the citrons or orange 

 family, is that of low evergreen trees, with ovate 

 or oval, lanceolate, entire, 'or serrated leaves. On 

 the ungrafted trees, and those growing in a na- 

 tural state, there are frequently found axiUary 

 spines. There is a structure of the petiole of the 

 leaf, which serves to distinguish the species. 

 Thus, in the orange and shaddock the petiole is 

 winged, producing a marked form of the leaf, as 

 seen in the wood cut, 127. 



In the citron, lemon, and lime, the petiole is 

 naked. The flowers appear in peduncles, axil- 

 lary or terminate, and one or many flowered: the 

 citron and lemon have ten stamens, the orange 

 more. The fraits are large berries, round or ob- 

 long, and generally of a yellow colour. In tha 



