The Lake County star. [volume] (Chase, Mich.) 1873-current, 1877-01-11
Black Hills Products.

DIR. r. ID. Porter writes from Dead
wood City to the Louisville Coarier-Jour.
nal: Strawberries grow in great pro.
fusion 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 nice
specimens growing wild on the mountain
side. i have no doubt but that as fine
strawberries could be grown here as at
any point in the world, if the improved
qualities 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 Raspberry. The berries have
finer size, color, and flavor than the
Clark Raspberry, at the same time are
tmore prolific than the Philadelphia ber-
ries. Thousands of gallons of these ber-
ries were picked by the miners, and car
ried in baskets from six to ten miles to
Deadwood, and sold at one dollar per
gallon. ] have never seen black cap
raspberry in the hills Blackberries -four
ish in great abundance on the foothills
around Centennial and Crook Cities. /
have not seen them in the mountains.
Wild currants are very plentiful along
the gulches, red, white and black. The
fruit compares favorab!y with the culti-
waited variety in the States.
The wild gooseberry plant almost
reaches the dignity of trees. On Sawpit
Gulch l have seen the plant growing as
high as my head; the iruit is large sized
and abundant.
Wild cherries, or choke cherries, as
they are commonly called, are very
abundant; 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.
l am very fond of fruit, but don't take
much stock in choke cherries, but they
certainly would make very pretty orna-
ment to grow in the yard.
Wild grapes grow in abundance in the
valleys, along the foothills, although l
have never seen a grapevine near the
mines. At Crook City, and on the Red
Water, have seen grapevines 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, l have
no doubt but the cultivated grape could
be raised in great perfection, especially
the Concord, Clinton and Norton's Vir-
ginia, and other hardy varieties. A
grape would never mildew or rot here |;
and that the season is plenty long to ma
ture them is proven by the ripening of
the wild grape, which is month later
maturing than the cultivated varieties
in the States. Grapes grown here would
be very rich in saccharine matter, conse-
quently would make good wine.
Wild plums grow in great variety on
the foothills. Whole acres of plum-t trees
are found near Crook and Centennial
cities. Plums as large as the green-gage,
and of equal favor-red plums, blue
plums, yellow plums, and white plums,
grow in the greatest prOfusion, and not
curculio to molest or make them rotten
or wormy. don't think there is cur
culio in the Black Hills.
The high-bush cranberry, full of fruit,
is beautiful sight. On the 10th of Sep
tember took bushel-basket and went
up White Wood Greek to look for cram
berries. After going up the creek, about
mile from Deadwood, / found myself
in cranberry thicket, the bushes of
which were about ten feet high when
standing erect; but at the time l saw
them the tops of the bushes were bent
nearly to the ground with the weight of
crimson fruit. The high. bush cranberry
resembles in the fruit the cultivated
berry of the States-not quito 80 large
or acid, but of much finer flavor. In one
hour l gathered bushel of berries, and
eat some of the best of pies, jelly, and
jam, made out of them. / have no
doubt but the high-bush cranberry could
be cultivated in the States with good
profit, as they grow without irrigation
or overaowing, as is the case with the
low-bush variety. Sarvis berries and red
and black haws grow here. Hazlenuts
grow here in great quantities. Apples
II Ill. l. IL