The hydraulic press., 1859-06-04

WILD FRU TT s.

berry, blackberry, gooseberry, huckleberry,
grape and cherry The most plentiful of
these is the red PLAN. The bush which
bears it, and which is seldom higher than
two or three feet, is found in great abundance
on the ridge between the South and Middle
Forks of the Yuba, growing best within the
line Of deep wintes s.oH', and commonly on
warm thin soil of recent formation living
close to tifeparent granite, but thriving most
inxuriantly en- springy slopes. 1t constitutes
in some places almost the only underground,
covering many acres together, and has given
Its name to very pretty valley. 1t blossoms
in May and bears prolifcally, the limbs
hanging as full Of plums as they could well
! be withoet breaking. The fruit somewhat
resembles in color, shape and size, the red
riyer-plum ofthe Western aad Middle States,
but has not so fine a hayor-the skin, in
deed being rather bitter and astringent-
Yet it is considerably used for sauces and
preserves, and contains sufficient pectin to
make fine jelly. The skin can be almost
entirely diyested of its unpleasant taste by
allowing the fruit to lie in hot water some
! time, and then cooking it in fresh water
Perhaps two or three waters would be bet
ter. Unless this is done, it is apt, when ca
ten freely, to produce catharsis and slight
| gripping of the bowels. For two years past
the wild plum has been brought into market
as all article of sale, retailing at from ten to
fifteen cents per pound. 1t has even been
tlken in considerable quantities to the lower
country, and readily found purchasers. 1t
ripens from July to September, during which
season many ''plumming parties are formed
consisting of men, women and children" :"
who drive in a wagon to the most prolific To-
calities, spend the day gayly picking fruit,
and come back at night loaded with plums,
frecklcd and dusty yet jolly still.
Next to the plum, the most interesting III
digenous fruit is the strawberry. 1t is found
all over the country, and, indeed, through the
entire State, but abounds only in certain To-
calitics: generally Oh hill siles, or fats, near
springs or water courses. The fruit is very
small, but sweet and delicious, and is picked
by the birds nearly as fast as it trpens, which
is in April and May, or even earlier in the
most favored spots and mildest seasons. 4
successful attempt to domesticate and i'm
prove it which was made by one Of our citi-
zens, has already been noticed in the Press.
Two years ago the gentleman alluded to
transplanted from the woods to his garden a
number of vines, which this spring exhibit
a much larger leaf, grow in bushy hills, and
bear fruit four times larger than the uncult-
waited plant without its original flavor being
in the least impaired After tasting it, the
imported varieties seem rather tart and in
delicate No doubt it will much improve
with further cultivation. The native straw
berry has been successfully cultivated for
several years, in other parts of the State,
and the Culturist for May contains an engra-
wing of domeSticated plant in fine large
fruitage, remarking, that ''therc probably is
no cultivated variety that equals it in its
high strawberry flavor, on which account it
is preferred to any other for lmparting flavor
to syrupS etc, ices etc" As many
persons in this vicinity mean to go largely
into the strawberry culture by another sea-
son, it is to be hoped they will extend their
favor to the native plant.
Gooseberries are probably the most album
dant of our wild fruits after the tw 10 kinds
described. They do not differ in appearance
and taste from the wild gooseberry which
grows in the East except by having longer
more numerous and sharper thorns. A few
attempts have been made to cultivate this
fruit but as yet no marked improvement has
been observed.
Blackberrics and raspberrcs are scarce
and need no description. The same may be
said of huckleberries and grapes. The latter
are very small, purple in color, having little
pulp, taste like the frost grape of the Allan
tic States, only more acid, and grow chief,
along rayines and petty water courses, which
they serve to render picturesque with trailing
vines. Another variety Of the grape wa:
formerly quite common and luxuriant OH thu
banks of the rivers, but it has been nearly
extirpated by mining operations. From thi
variety, in other portions of California, ex
cellent wine has been made. The fruit i
somewhat larger and sweeter than that o
the mountain-yinc.
Our wild cherries are small, bright red il
color, grow thickly on n low bush which
E thrives best in gulches and by strcamlets
and have flavor not unlike that of tn
choke-cherry of our infancy, only less as
tringent. The miners used to cat them, oc
e casionally, III the early days whenregetable
r were scarce, with view to keeping off th