of the history or cultivation of this fruit, from the fact that there is nothing connected therewith which would make the subject interesting. The Huckleberry is one of those fruits which have always been neglected; none of our horti. cultural writers have deemed it worthy of any particular description, and but very few have thought it worthy of mention.

Why this neglect, I am at loss to understand, for the Huckleberry possesses naturally better qualities than even the Currant and Gooseberry.

All of our northern species are perfectly hardy, produc ing no thorns, (which is such a disagreeable feature with many of our small fruits,) and the plants are generally quite productive.

The berries are more firm than the Raspberry, Blackberry, or Strawberry; consequently, will bear carriage well, and are suitable for market.

Thousands of bushels are annually gathered from the woods and fields, but these sources of supply will not always be available; besides, we should not be content with depending wholly upon nature for either the necessaries or the luxuries of life, while a helping hand would not only increase the quantity, but improve the quality.

Those species, which naturally grow upon high, dry soils, will probably be the best for garden culture; still, because a plant is found in its wild state in any particular soil or situation, it does not follow that similar circumstances are always necessary for its best development when under cultivation. If nature invariably located plants un der the most favorable conditions for growth, then improvements would be less certain and far more difficult than now. The history of horticulture affords abundant testimony to the fact that many plants succeed far better in soils and locations differing very materially from the one in which nature has placed them, than otherwise.

The Swamp Huckleberry, (V. corymbosum,) is some

times found upon high, dry soils, although it grows chiefly in locations where the roots are immersed in water for the greater portion of the year. That it will grow and produce fruit upon high and dry soils, I have proved by experiment.

There is no great difficulty in removing the plants from their native locality to the garden, but our main dependence for improvement should be upon seedlings, because they will always vary more or less from the parent, and by carefully selecting the best improvements, are certain. The seeds are quite small, and require considerable care in sowing.

A good plan is, to crush the berries, and mix them with fine sand; then put them in a box or flower-pot, and bury in the open ground until spring. Prepare a seed-bed, the soil of which should be, at least, half leaf-mould, or peat, from a swamp; the remainder may be any good garden soil. Surround the bed with boards, a foot or more in width, mix the soil thoroughly and rake level, then sow on the sand containing the seeds; then sift over this soil suf ficient to cover the seeds, about a quarter of an inch deep, give a good soaking of water and place a screen over the frame. It may be made of lath, coarse cloth, or anything that will partially shade the plants when they come up, but not wholly exclude the light. Keep the soil well wa tered, applying the water with a watering-pot, or in such a manner that the seeds or plants will not be disturbed. The seedlings may be transplanted when one year old, if they have made a good growth, or remain in the seed-bed for two years. They will usually come into bearing in three to six years, at which time the best should be marked, so that they may be propagated. The inferior kinds may be thrown away, or be reserved for stocks, on which to work the others. Budding and grafting may be employed in propagation, as well as layers, the operation being per formed in the usual manner.

CHAPTER XI

SHEPHERDIA,

FAMILY ELEAGNACEÆ.

[Named in honor of John Shepherd, formerly curator of the Liverpool Botanic Garden.]

GENERAL CHARACTERS.

Deciduous shrubs, or small trees, with silvery leaves; flowers dicecious, the sterile

ones, (fig. 105) having a fourparted calyx, and eight sta

mens; the fertile flowers, (fig. 106,) have an urn-shaped calyx, enclosing the ovary which becomes a berry-like fruit. Leaves opposite, entire, deciduous; the flowers very small, yellow, borne in the axils of the small branches.

A very small family of plants, and there is but one species of this genus that is worthy of being cultivated for its fruit.

Fig. 105.

Fig. 106.

Shepherdia argentea.-Buffalo Berry; Rabbit Berry; Grosse de Buffle, of the French; Hippopha argentea, of Pursh. Leaves oblong, silvery-white on both sides;

branches rusty dull white, with many small thorn-like branchlets; fruit round, dull red, sprightly acid, agreea ble, borne in very compact clusters in the axils of the smal. branches, as shown in figure 10%. Ripens its fruit in early autumn, or late in summer.

Found on the banks of the upper Missouri, and other large rivers of the Northwest. It is seldom seen in cultivation, but it is really deserving of a place in every gar. den. The plant is quite ornamental, in addition to its edible fruit, which is produced abundantly. The plant is very hardy, and grows quite readily in almost any good soil. The Shepherdia, being diœcious, it is therefore necessary to plant one of each sex to obtain fruit; consequently, those who may have occasion to send to the nurseries for plants, should be careful to order at least one of each kind, although if several are to be planted in a group, one staminate plant will be sufficient to fertilize a half dozen or more pistillate plants.

At the present time, the Shepherdia is not grown as a market fruit, but the time may come when we shall see it in our markets, and it is more than probable that new and improved varieties will be produced by some of our enterprising fruit growers. The thorn-like character of its small branchlets makes it a suitable plant for ornamental hedges, and very probably it would be equally serviceable as the Buck-thorn and other similar plants, for turning cattle. It is well worthy of trial, and up to the present time I am not aware that it has been subject to disease, or attacked by any insect.

PROPAGATION.

Gather the berries when ripe, crush the pulp, and wash out the seeds; then sow them, or preserve in sand, until the ensuing spring. The best method is, to sow the seeds in drills soon after they are gathered, covering an inch or two deep. Transplant when one year old into