Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1877-01-11
Wild Fruits in the Black BILLS.

Wild Fruits in the Black BILLS.
DIR. R. D. PORTER writes from Dead
wood City to the Louisville C0urter-Jour
nal !:
Strawberries grow to great profusion in
all the valleys, mountains and foothills in
the Black Hills. Thousands of acres of
ground are covered with the vines |
have seen as large stools of the wild
strawberry plant in the hills as ever
saw that was cultivated ON the hill system
in the States The berries ripen in July
/ have seen some very fine specimens
>growing wild on the mountain side. |
have no doubt that as fine fstrawber-
ries could be grown here as at any point
in the world, if the improved varieties
were brought here and properly cultivated.
have in the last few days seen whole
acres of vines looking as fresh and green
as any Fawcett, bravo, or Decker can
show at this season of the year.
The Black Hills is the home of the red
raspberry. Near Garden City, on False
bottom Creek, there is raspberry thicket
five miles long and half a mile wide, and
the vines stand as thick on the ground as
wheat; the vine resembles the Clark rasp-
berry The berries have a finer size, color
and flavor than the Clark raspberry, at the
same time are more prolific than the
Philadelphia berries. Thousands of gal
Ions of these berries were picked by the
miners and carried in baskets from six to
ten miles to Deadwood, and sold at one
dollar per gallon. l have never seen a
black cap raspberry in the hills. Black
berries flourish in great abundance on the
foothills around Centennial and Crook
City. | have not seen them in the noun
tains.
Wild currants are very plentiful along
the gulches, red, white and black. The
fruit compares favorably with the cult
waited variety in the States.
The wild gooseberry plant almost
reaches the dignity Of trees. On Sawpit
gulch ! have seen the plant growing as
high as my head; the fruit is large size
and abundant.
Wild cherries, or choke cherries, as
they are commonly called, are very album
dant; the bushes are little taller than the
gOOSeberry, and in season are loaded with
fruit. Some persons eat them, and seem
to like them very much. | am very fond
of fruit, but don't take much stock in
choke cherries; but they certainly would
make very pretty ornament to grow in
| the yard.
Wild grapes grow in great abundance in
the valleys along the foothills, although
[ have never seen grapevine near the
mines. AT Crook City and on the Red
Water, L have seen grape-yines 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, | have no doubt
the cultivated grape could be raised in
great perfection, especially the Concord,
Clinton and Nortons 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 maturing than the cultivated
varieties in the States. Grapes grown
here would be very rich in saccharine
matter; consequently would make good
wine.
Wild plums grow in great variety on
the foot. hills. Whole acres of plum trees
are found near Crook and Centennial
cities. Plums as large as the green gage,
and of equal f1av0r-red plums. blue
plums, yellow plums and white plums
grow IN the greatest profusion, and not
curculio to modest or make them rotten or
wormy. l don't think there is a curculio
in the Black Hills.
! The high bush cranberry, full of fruit,
l. a beautiful sight. On the 10th of
september, | took bushel basket and
went In White Wood Creek to look for
cTanbel;ies. After going up the creek
about lille from Deadwood, I found
myself ID cranberry thicket, the bushes
OF Whlch Wee about ten feet high when
Standing cree. but at the time [ saw
them the tops e the bushes were bent
nearly to the grouAd with the weight of
crimson fruit. The high bush cranberry
resembles in the fruit he cultivated berry
of the States, not quite 81 large or acid
but Of much finer flavor. Tn one hour I
gathered bushel of berries, md ate some
of the best of pies, jelly and lam made
out of them
| have no doubt the hight bush cram
berry could be cultivated in the Sates
with good profit, as they grow without
irrigation or overlooking, as is the case
with the low-bush variety. Sarvis Der
ries, red and black haws grow here.
Hazel-nuts grow here in great quantities
Apples, think, would dowell The sea-
son is too short for peaches.