268 



THE GARDENER'S ASSISTANT. 





Bramble (Bubus). — There are several spe- 

 cies and varieties of Bramble, in some of which 

 the fruit is of excellent quality for making 

 pies, tarts, and preserves; in others it is of a 

 very inferior description, but all appear to 

 be susceptible of improvement by cultivation. 

 Some account of the different kinds and their 

 productions may therefore prove useful, and 

 may lead to experiments being made for their 

 improvement; indeed varieties classed as Rasp- 

 berries, one of them producing orange, others 

 purple fruit, have been obtained by Mr. Rivers 

 from a hybrid between the Raspberry and 

 Bramble. 



Brambles may be raised from ^vd or layers, 

 but the latter seldom take good root till the 

 second year; a better and more expeditious 

 met hod is to cuwr the point of the shoots with 

 soil, in consequence of which they make plenty 

 of roots the first year (tig. 1052). The species 

 with herbaceous stems require to be grown in 

 peaty soil; the others will succeed well in any 

 good garden ground, and may be trained like 

 Raspberries, either to upright stakes, or arched, 

 which is doubtless for them the more natural 

 way ; or the shoots of the current year may 

 be disposed in circles round the centre of the 

 plant, and kept in their position by means of 

 pegs. With the exception of cutting out super- 

 fluous shoots and dead wood, no further care 

 will be required. 



Buckthorn-leaved. — Stems long, trailing, armed with 

 straight, deflexed, reddish prickles; leaves generally qui- 



Fig. 1C52.— Bramble rooting at its free end. 



