northeastern parts of the United States. There are many varieties of the berry on the markets. The blueberry is one variety that is very abundant. The term whortleberry is also applied to this fruit.
Mulberry (Morus nigra).—The mulberry grows wild over extensive areas in the United States, especially in the Ohio valley. It is a tree valued highly for its wood, which is lasting and excellent for fence-posts. The berries ripen early in the summer or late in the spring and are used as food to a limited extent.
Raspberry (Rubus strigosus Michx.).—The raspberry is nearly related to the blackberry in all of its characters. It is chiefly a cultivated plant, being less hardy than the blackberry, and therefore not growing wild to such an extent. The fruit matures just before the blackberry, and is usually of a red color and of a pleasant characteristic taste.
Strawberry (Fragaria Chiloensis Ehrh.).—For edible purposes in its fresh state the strawberry is the most important of the small fruits. It is offered on the markets at all seasons of the year—ripening in the winter time in Florida and California and coming into the markets in the late summer in the northern and northeastern states. It grows on vines lying on the ground and ripens early in the spring in the latitude of Washington, viz., from about the middle of May. It is eaten raw—often with sugar and cream—more extensively than any other small fruit. The wild strawberry is not so large as the cultivated variety, but is more highly prized for its aroma and taste.
Composition of Small Fruits.—
Sugar, Starch
Water. Protein. Fat. Etc. Ash.
Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent. Percent.
Blackberries, 86.3 1.3 1.0 10.9 0.5
Cranberries, 88.9 0.4 0.6 9.9 0.2
Huckleberries, 81.9 0.6 0.6 16.6 0.3
Raspberries, 84.1 1.7 1.0 12.6 0.6
Strawberries, 85.9 0.9 0.6 7.0 0.6
Tropical and Subtropical Fruits.
(Bulletin 87, Bureau of Chemistry.)
Anona.—This is a variety of edible fruit grown in the tropics, especially in Cuba, but on account of its restricted production is of little importance. There are three varieties, known as follows: Sweet-sop (anona) (Anona squamosa L.), sour-sop (guanabana) (Anona muricata L.), and custard apple (chirimoya) (Anona reticulata L.). The sour-sop is a green, irregular-shaped, pod-like fruit, varying from 3-1/2 inches to 12 inches in length and about two-thirds as broad near the top, and curving to a blunt point at the lower end. The skin is thick and covered with numerous small, hooked briers. The pulp has the appearance of wet cotton and surrounds the numerous seed sacs containing the small brown seeds. A fibrous core runs through the fruit from the stem to the lower point. The fruit weighs from 3.5 ounces to 2.2 pounds.
