Evening star., 1909-08-29
IDENTIFYING THE SUhBERRY
CHARGE THAT THE WONDER
BERRY IS BLACK NIGHTSHADE.
Botanists Hold Conflicting Opinions
on Luther Burbank's New Crea-
tion-Question Of Edibility.
From the Literary Digest.

From the Literary Digest.
Some Of the horticultural papers are
exercised over the identity and properties
Of q plant called the wonderberry or sun
berry, advertised as a recent production
of Luther Burbank and described as an
edible combination Of two wild berry
plants Of the night-shade family, both OF
which yield only poisonous fruit. The
catalogue of one dealer who processes to
be the only one to offer this marvel says
of it:
Its influence in an economic sense Oh
the human race will be far-reaching, for
1t is entirely novel and distinct and
valuable article of food which any one
may grow in abundance anywhere at
practically no cost; in short, get the max
imum results from a minimum output IN
labor or expense. Luther Burbanks ap-
pArcntly wild estimates of its vaiue nave
been more than confirmed by our large
crops of it the past summer, and by the
fruiting specimens in our greenhouses
this winter"
Mr. Burbank Is quoted in the Rural
New Yorker, to which which We are also
indebted for the extract given above, as
making the following statement concern
ing the parentage of the new plant:
This absolutely new species of berry
plant is Of great scientific interest, having
been produced by the combination or TWO
very distinct wild species, Soianum gull
neense of West Africa and Solanum vii
losum of the west coast Of America.
Neither Of these wild species bears edible
berries, but this new species bears the
most delicious. wholesome and heaithfui
berries in the utmost orofuson, and al
ways comes as exactly true from seed as
any species produced by nature.
English Opinion.
After examining the seeds of the plant
and looking up the history of its parents
the Gardeners Chronicle, an English pub
lication, concluded that the wonderberry
was practically the same thing as the
black nightshade. which in England is a
poisonous plant. To a correspondent who
wrote direct to Luther Burbank about
this Mr. Burbank replied. making an offer
of $1,000 to any one who can prove that
the wonderberry is either the black night
shade or is Identical with any previously
known berry. The editor of the Rural
New Yorker, as stated in that paper, then
purchased wonderberry seeds and grew
the plant under glass This plant, the
editor asserts. has been declared by ex-
pert botanists to possess all the charac-
teristics Of the black nightshade. Com
munication with Mr.. Burbank ELECTED
letter, parts of which are as follows:
Having no personal or financial inter-
est in the sunberry, or 'wonderberry,' as
1t has been rechristened by its purchaser
and introduced, I would refer you to my
own statement OF the origin of the sun
berry. AS to it's absolutely unique char
acter you perhaps can be further in
formed by those who know it little bet
ter than you do.
Perhaps, also, you may obtain some
further information, which you evidently
need. from some of those who have seen
the plants growing on large scale dur
ing the past three years. and who have
eaten the fruit fresh, and canned or In
sauces, pies and in all other ways in
which the vaccintum pennsylvanicum is
used; but the verdict of the people is the
one which stands. That verdict is final,
and the edi or of the Rural New Yorker
will be obliged to accept it. Fortunately.
the sunberry, like corn and cucumbers.
can be tested in a single season. while
the value of fruit trees can be obtained
only by long and extensive trials"
Hunting for the Money.
The Rural New Yorker. however, is
after Mr.. Burbank's $lO..vJ, in the pos
session Of which, apparently. the question
of edibility is not involved, but only that
OF identity with the black nightshade or
some other existing berry, On this point
the editor proceeds to give botanical tes-
timony. DR.. N. L. Britton Of the New
York Botanical Garden says of Mr.. Bur-
banks production:
"Of course, 1t Is a solanum, Of the af-
fnity of solanum nigrum, the black night