126 
THE CANADIAN NATURALIST 
F. — That is the Leather plant (Dirca Pahistris) ^ so 
called from the extreme toughness of the inner bark^ which 
is so strong that the stoutest man could not break, by pulling, 
a strip of an inch in width, taken from the main stem. The 
bark is used as strings for many purposes^ especially by 
millers^ who collect great quantities for the purpose of tying 
their flour bags. The wood^ when stripped of the bark^, is 
remarkably soft and brittle^ snapping with the slightest 
effort^ almost like the pith of elder. Like the elm^ it blos- 
soms before leafing. It is here commonly known by the 
name of Wickaby. 
C. — The leaves of the raspberry are opening. Is this 
plant a native ? 
jP. — I believe it is : Eaton mentions it by the name of 
Ruhus IdcBus, among the native plants. It grows and spreads 
abundantly, so as quickly to overspread a large space of 
ground. I have never seen it in the primitive woods^ but 
whenever a clearing is made^ the raspberry appears. I 
think it is the most delicious of our native fruits ; fully 
equalj if not superior^ to the garden raspberry of England : 
an unusual thing, for the advantage is almost universally 
on the side of the cultivated fruit. In Newfoundland^ it 
also grows abundantly^ and in the most unpromising situa- 
tionSj springing up from a mere bed of stones. As a weed 
it is troublesome^ and not very easy to eradicate ; mowing 
will, however, keep it down in grass land, and in tillage 
land we plough them up, and turn the bushes under the 
furrow. The stumps of trees that have been cut down, 
which we are obliged to leave in the ground for several years, 
but which give our fields so unsightly an appearance, are 
invariably surrounded by a clump of raspberry bushes ; 
these seem privileged places. Another fruit-bearing plant, 
but of somewhat fairer proportions, is leafing ; the Black 
Cherry (Prunus Virginiana), The cherry grows to a con- 
