Georgetown weekly news., 1854-11-16
The Fruit bearing Shrubs
OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY.


regard to the wild fruit shrubs Of the north
ern coast of this State. The article from
which we copy is number three of a series.
the two first Of which we have not seen.-I
Citizen says: There are four kinds of ber-
ries, which though differing widely in some
respects, especially in the size and appear
ance Of their shrubs, yetreiemble each other
so closely in shape, arrangement of seeds.
and form Of flowers, as to justify their being
grouped together as members of the same
family The scarlet berry is a beautiful
bright red berry, about the size of pea,
and has pleasant tart taste. 1t grows on
shrub about eight or ten feet high, with
straight stems, beautiful, smooth angular
green twigs, and small, delicate, oval-shaped
leaves. 1t is found in the dryest parts of
the timbered region, and frequently grows
from the earth which clings to the roots of
a large fallen tree, ten or fifteen feet from
the ground. The whortleberry is found in
large quantities near the coast 1t grows
near the edges Of the timber or in open pla-
ces, on a crooked, unsightly bush, from five
to ten feet high, and resembles in size, color
and flavor the Wh0rtieberry Of the Atlantic
States. The sail berry is the most abun-
dant Of all Others 1t is found in the depths
of the forest, and in the open land and gem
orally On cold heavy soil. 1t grows ON a
bush from two to eight feet high, which as
SumeS the appearance Of vine in the forest
and forms in many places dense copse. 1t
is of the size of a large pea, pleasant fla
vored, and is the favorite food Of the bears.
The blue berry is the smallest of this family.
1t grows on bush not over foot high,
and the berries correspond in size with the
bush that bears them. It resembles the
whortleberry in color and flavor and ripens
in June; lasting until October. All these
are peculiar to this coast. The service ber-
ry is very plenty in the Bald Mountain
country; it is large, black, and we'll favored,
and unlike those of the older States, grows
on small. low bushes Wild currants are
found in the timbered region near the coast,
and resemble the cultivated varieties
Thimble berries are very plenty a little dis
tance from the coast, growing in warm,
rich places, on bush resembling that of
the currant; it is of bright red color, and
resembles the raspberry both in form and
taste.
Next in order is the thorny variety. The
salmon berry ranks number one among
these, both from It's abundance and its size;
it grows on a bush eight or ten feet high,
in rich shady alder groves near streams of
water; it resembles the blackberry in shape
and flavor, but is much larger, being some
times found an inch in diameter by an inch
and half long, and is Of bright yellow
color. 1t is peculiar to this coast. Black
berries are very numerous on the low lands
near the coast and the alluvions. They
grow on vines like the dew berry in the old
States, to which they bears too close re-
semblance to need particular description
here. GooSeberries are abundant and of
two kinds, one resembling those of the old
States, except that they are small and of
poor favor; the other is large, covered with
spines, and i'll favored. 1t is hardly neces-
sary to add, that they are unfit to eat
Strawberries are every where abundant
on the sand beach near the ocean, and on
the sloping lands of the interior. They are
Of medinm size and quite well favored
There Is a fruit called the Oregon grape,
which grows on a stiff low bush in the tim
Der; the fruit forming in punches on the
top of the bush, and resembles the grape in
size color, and the formation of the bunch
es, but are so exceedingly sour as to render
them unfit for use. Halle nuts are found in
great abundance both near the coast and
on the mountains. They closely resemble
those Of the old States, except that they
generally grow single and not in punches as
they do there There is an herb deserves
some notice from its novelty merely. 1t is
a vine resembling that of the gourd, or a
squash; its fruit resembles a gherkin at first
sight but is soft, pithy, and emits an often
sive odor when freshly broken. The root
from which it grows is sometimes found as
large as a barrel resembles an overgrowr
yam outwardly, and is soft, brittle and Jul
cy; it smells like a yam, but is as bitter as
gall The Yerba Buena, so much prized
by the old Californans, abounds in this re-
gion. 1t is a small aromatic vine, and is
much used and esteemed by inhabitants Of
this country as a substitute for tea.
State Journal.