The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1876-12-24
A LAND OF LUscIoUsNEss.
The Grapes, Berries, Cherries P!ums
and other Choices Fruits of the
tS0y5t@ Black Hills. % ."-

N< SeA~
ttass5s& Black Hills. "-
A correspondent, writing from Dead
wood, gives glowing accounts OF the
products of the Black Hills, from which
we quote:
ssThe Black Hills is the home OF the
red raspberry. Near Garden City, on
False-bottom creek, there is a raspberry
thicket fve-miles long and half a mile
wide, and the vines stand as thick on
the ground as wheat; the vines resem-
BILE the Clark raspberry. The berries
have a finer size, color and favor than
the Clark raspberry, at the same time
are more prolific than the Philadelphia
berries. Thousands of gallons of these
berries were picked by the miners and
carried in baskets from six to ten miles
TO Deadwood, and sold at 81 per gallon.
Ihave never seen a black cap raspber-
ny in the Hills. Blackberries flourish
in great abundance on the foot hills
around Centennial and Crook City.
Strawberries grow to great Illusion
in all the valleys, mountain nd foot
hills in the Black Hills. Thousands of
acres of ground are covered with the
vines. 1 have seen as large stools of
wild strawberry plants them Hills the
states. The berries ripen in July. 1
have seen some very fine specimens
growing wild on the mountain side. 1
have no doubt but that as fine strawber-
ries could be grown here as at any point
in the world, if the improved varieties
were brought here and properly culti-
waited. 1 have in the last few days seen
whole acres of vines looking as fresh
and green as any Fawcett, or Decker
can show at this season of the year.
The WILD g~ooseberry plant almost
reaches the dignity of trees. On Saw
pit gulcRI have seen the plant growing
as high as my head; the fruit is large
size andabundant.
Wild currants are very plentiful along
the gulches, red, white, and black. The
fruit compares favorably with the cul-
tiyated variety in the states.
Wild cherries, OF choke cherries as
they are commonly called, are very
abundant; the bushes are a little taller
than the g~ooseberry, and in season are
loaded with fruit. Some persons eat
them, and seem to like them very much.
1 an very fond of fruit, but 1 don't
take much stock in choke-cherries; but
they certainly would make.a very pretty
ornament in the yard.
Wild plums grow in great variety on
the foothills. Whole acres of plum
trees are found near Crook and Centen-
NAL cities. Plums as large as the green
gage, and of equal havor-red plums,
blue plums, yellow plums, and white
plums grow in the greatest profusion,
and not a curculio to modest or make
them rotten or wormy. l don't think
there is a c~orcullo in the Black Hills.
Wild grapes grow in great abundance
in the valleys along the foothills, al
though 1 have never seen a grapevine
near the mines. At Crook City and on
the Red Water l have seen grape-vines
six inches in diameter.
The fruit is of the variety usually
called fox or winter grapes in the States,
and contains too much acid to be very
palatable. But, owing to the dryness
Of the atmosphere here,I have no doubt
but the cultivated grape could be raised
in great perfection, especially the Con-
cord, Clinton, and Norton's Virginia,
and other hardy varieties. A grape
would never mildew or rot here, and
that the season is plenty long to mature
them is proven by the ripening of the
wild grape, which is a month later ma
turing than the cultivated varieties in
the States. Grapes grown here would
be very rich in saccharine matter; con-
s~equently would make good wine.
The high-bush cranberry full of fruit
is beautiful sight. On the 10th of
September / took a bushel basket and
went up Whiteood creek to look for
cranberries. After going up the creek
about a mile from Deadwood, 1 found
myself in a cranberry thicket, the BUSH
es of which were about ten feet high
when standing erect, but at the time 1
saw them the tops of the bushes were
bent nearly to the ground with the
weight Of crimson fruit. The high-bush