Vermont farmer. [volume] (Newport, Orleans County, Vt.) 1870-1877, 1874-09-25
3ortttulturt.
HYBRlDS AMONG THE RASP-
BERRIES.

When our attention was first called to the
new hybrid raspberrics at Norwood. we were
in doubt as to whether two briars differing so
much in their character and habits as do the
black caps and red raspberries could be made
to hybridize at all. The black caps and the
red raspberries all belong to the genus ru.
bus, aud so do the black berries. The red
raspberres and the high blackberries prop
agate from suckers that spring up from buds
on the roots, while the black caps multiply
and extend themselves only by roofing at
and blackberries, if lett to themselves, soon
become very troublesome weeds, aud should
never be set near fences or buildings, as the
roots get away and throw up suckers where
they are not wanted, but where it is often
impossible to destroy them Nor are any of
these berries perfectly hardy,-even the ma
tive wild bushes being frequently killed dur
ing our severe winters.
The black caps or thimbleberries, as they
are often called, are much superior in hardi-
ness and have not the fault of spreading be.
yond easy control but they are most Of
them lacking in quality. They are too
seedy, or as some express it, " too boney."
The editor of the Germantown Telegraph
has for years rated the black caps as only tit
for those who know Of no better berries /,
but it must be remembered that we in New
England are a long way north Of Philadel-
phia, and berry which is hardy there may
freeze to death here nearly every winter. Iu
this locality hardness is Of the first impor-
tanco. A raspberry that must be covered
every winter, however good the fruit, can
never be very popular. The black caps are
uniformly hardy, and it is from this fact
added to their great productiveness, that
they have become so highly esteemed with
u.s. But give us a good Favored, large sized
red raspberry that can stand the winter un-
protected year after year, and it would soon
replace any black cap we have yet cult-
waited
That the red raspberry and the black cap
are susceptible Of being hybridized is no Ion.
ger a question. We have the present summer
found on our own farms chance Seeding
which has every appearance OF being hy-
brid Of this description. When not in fruit,
it would be pronounced by every one black
cap or thimbleberry. The fruit, however, is
a raspberry, not quite SO light red as the
common wild ones, but bordering towards u
purple. This hybrid is Of no value only as
it shows what may be done by way of cross
ing this fruit. The berries are very imper-
feet in form, and of small size, being smaller
than the best black caps but since discover
ing this one we have found several others on
the farm of Mr.. II. l.. Cook, Of West
Wrentham, that are fully equal to the aver
age black caps, both in size aud productive
ness, while the quality is far ahead Of them.
If there were nothing better, these would be
well worthy Of cultivation and dissemination
but it we have, or can have hybrids from
the best black caps and the best garden va
riotes OF the raspberries, it would be hardly
worth while to spend ones time over those
which are inferior. We advocate using the
best and the best only, The Norwood is
far ahead of any hybrid we have seen. 1t
was produced by crossing the Clarke rasp'
berry on the DavidsOn's Thornless,-both
very good berries. We called on Mr.