Small Fruits

Blackberries (Rubus nigrobaccus var. Sativus Bailey).

—Among the small fruits one of the most common and abundant is the blackberry. This fruit grows wild over large areas in the United States, mostly in the middle portion between the extreme north and south. The brier on which it grows is an annual plant, springing each year from the roots and dying after bearing fruit. The plant is very largely cultivated, bearing larger and more presentable berries, but gaining nothing in flavor and palatability. The berries are generally black when fully ripe, though red during the ripening stage and sometimes when mature. They are eaten raw, stewed, and in pies or “cobblers.” The berry is extensively used for making jams, jellies, and preserves, and for canning purposes. The juice of the berry is used for making a wine, usually with the admixture of sugar. Blackberry cordial is blackberry juice preserved in whisky or brandy.

Dewberry.

—This is a variety of blackberry in which the vines lie on the ground instead of standing upright. Some of the dewberries possess unusual fragrance and palatability. In other respects they conform to the statements relating to blackberries.

Gooseberry (Ribes oxyacanthoides L.).

—The gooseberry resembles very closely the currant in its general properties. In the European gooseberry the surface is covered with prickles, but the American variety is smooth. The gooseberry bush is found in most gardens, affording a fruit of high condimental value. The fruit is eaten raw, but principally in pies and as preserves.

Huckleberry (Gaylussacia resinosa Torr. and Gray).

—The fruit of the huckleberry bush is used very extensively for making pies, especially in the northeastern parts of the United States. There are many varieties of the berry on the markets. The blueberry is one variety that is very abundant. The term whortleberry is also applied to this fruit.

Mulberry (Morus nigra).

—The mulberry grows wild over extensive areas in the United States, especially in the Ohio valley. It is a tree valued highly for its wood, which is lasting and excellent for fence-posts. The berries ripen early in the summer or late in the spring and are used as food to a limited extent.

Raspberry (Rubus strigosus Michx.).

—The raspberry is nearly related to the blackberry in all of its characters. It is chiefly a cultivated plant, being less hardy than the blackberry, and therefore not growing wild to such an extent. The fruit matures just before the blackberry, and is usually of a red color and of a pleasant characteristic taste.

Strawberry (Fragaria Chiloensis Ehrh.).

—For edible purposes in its fresh state the strawberry is the most important of the small fruits. It is offered on the markets at all seasons of the year—ripening in the winter time in Florida and California and coming into the markets in the late summer in the northern and northeastern states. It grows on vines lying on the ground and ripens early in the spring in the latitude of Washington, viz., from about the middle of May. It is eaten raw—often with sugar and cream—more extensively than any other small fruit. The wild strawberry is not so large as the cultivated variety, but is more highly prized for its aroma and taste.

Composition of Small Fruits.—

Water. Protein. Fat. Sugar,
Starch
Etc. Ash.

Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent.

Blackberries, 86.3 1.3 1.0 10.9 0.5

Cranberries, 88.9 0.4 0.6 9.9 0.2

Huckleberries, 81.9 0.6 0.6 16.6 0.3

Raspberries, 84.1 1.7 1.0 12.6 0.6

Strawberries, 85.9 0.9 0.6 7.0 0.6