PROMISING WILD FRUITS. 



17 



sary. Further improvement might, perhaps, be ob- 

 tained more quickly by additional crossing with foreign 

 varieties, as has already been done, but a more perfect 

 adaptation to our climate may be looked for from 

 selection alone, and the seedlings are sufficiently varia- 

 ble to promise abun'dant 

 success by this method. 



JUNEBERRY [Aiinlaiiihier 

 Canadensis, var. ) — The suc- 

 cess of the dwarf June- 

 berry isno longer doubtful. 

 Its earliness, ease of cul- 

 ture and prolific bearing 

 insure it a permanent place 

 among our small plants. 

 It is very susceptible to 

 differences of soil and cli- 

 mate, however, and atten- 

 tion should be given to the 

 production of new varie- 

 ties adapted to different 

 locations. It will doubt- 

 less continue to be, as it is, 

 most popular in the west, 

 on account of its hardiness 

 and ability to stand drier 

 climates than some of our 

 other small fruits. It is 

 somewhat lacking in 

 flavor, especially at the 

 north, and until fully ripe 

 the color is not as attrac- 

 tive as it should be. In 

 these particulars improve- 

 ment should be sought. 



Mulberry {Aloriis r 11 - 

 In-a). — While the mulber- 

 ries of the Old World have 

 been extensively intro- 

 duced into the United 

 States for the purposes of 

 silk culture, timber and 

 fruit, our native red mul- 

 berry has been strangely 

 overlooked. For the pur- 

 pose of fruit production, 

 however, this native spe- 

 cies is well worthy of at- 

 tention. It is found as far 

 north as latitude 43°, but 

 its fruit is larger and of 

 better quality in the south- 

 ern states, especially 



through Tennessee and the northern portions of Geor- 

 gia, Alabama and Mississippi. In this region the fruit 

 of the wild mulberry was a favorite food of the Indians. 

 Bartram, La Salle, De Soto and other explorers make 

 frequent mention of its use and describe two or three 

 varieties, differing in the color and quality of their fruit. 



Mulberries are said to have been more highly 

 esteemed by the Romans than any other fruit, but in 

 this country, at least, attempts to introduce the general 

 cultivation of the mulberry for fruit have not been very 

 successful. Apparently valuable varieties for this pur- 



Fig. g. Pyrus Toringo. (See page 12. 



pose have been originated here and introduced from 

 Europe, but their cultivation has always been limited. 

 The Russian mulberry, extensively advertised and sold 

 in the northwestern states as a fruit and timber tree, is 

 little if any better as a fruit than our wild red mulberry. 

 If the mulberry is to become an important fruit in this 



