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No. 98.] 145 
poultry yard, finding but three stung by this insect, while in the same 
number on the tree outside thirty-seven had been stung. Nearly all 
the trees within the poultry yard produced a good crop of fine plums, 
while the one outside bore DUE a few specimens, 
HUCKLEBERRY. 
It will hardly be denied that the huckleberry possesses better nat- 
ural qualities than either the currant or gooseberry, yet the latter have 
been cultivated for centuries, while the former has received very little 
attention from horticulturists, few regarding it as even worthy of 
mention. ‘The reasons for this neglect do not appear. We are unable 
to learn that sufficient effort has been made to improve this fruit to 
justify an opinion that its improvement is impossible. ‘The history 
of our economic plants offers hope that this plant may yield, under 
proper culture, varieties superior to those found in the state of nature. 
Will the plant submit at all to the conditions of cultivation ? Does it 
vary in its natural habitat? Can it be propagated from seeds? Will 
the flowers admit of cross-fertilization? ‘These are interesting and 
important questions. 
In answer to the first, we find little testimony. A correspondent of 
the New York Tribune, writing from Maine, not long ago, stated that 
he had grown the huckleberry in his garden for forty years, and that 
the plants bore finer fruit than those left in their wild state. A. 8S. 
Fuller says: “That the swamp huckleberry, Vaccinium corymbosum, 
will grow and produce fruit upon high and dry soils I have proved by 
experiment.” Of eight full-grown plants of this species and V. penn- 
sylvanicum transplanted to the Station garden last spring, five sur- 
vived, one of which blossomed, but set no fruit. 
The second question may be answered affirmatively. From corre- 
spondence the past season we learn that varieties of the huckleberry are 
sometimes found producing white, flesh-colored and carmine fruit. 
Mr. Fuller says the swamp blueberry, or high bush huckleberry, V. 
corymbosum “assumes Various forms and colors; sometimes the fruit 
is oval, approaching oblong, while others are globular or slightly com- 
pressed.” Dr. Gray also says this species ‘‘ exhibits the greatest vari- 
ety of forms.” Our own observation has shown the seeds in different 
samples of fruit from the same species vary greatly innumber. Analogy 
would say that if a plant varies this much in the state of nature, it 
will vary much more under cultivation. 
In the third question we meet some discouragements. Prof. C. 8. 
Sargent of the Arnold Arboretum has succeeded without difficulty in 
erowing the plants from seed, but the latter require several months to 
germinate, and sometimes the young plants do not appear until the 
second year. These require careful treatment, and do not bear until 
from three to five years old. ‘These facts may possibly account for the 
little interest the matter has received. Prof. Sargent thinks that the 
plants would fruit earlier if grafted at the age of two years upon old 
stocks. ‘The plants may be propagated by budding, grafting and lay- 
ering, performed in the usual manner. 
It is said that the seeds should not be allowed to become dry before 
planting, and perhaps the best way to avoid this is to mash the berries 
[Assem. Doc. No. 98. ] 
