Bramble Varieties
War has certainly taught our people, even emigrants from towns, the worth of the kindly fruits of the earth Almost every cottage household has taken advantage of the bumper crop of blackberries, a fruit that has all the advantages. It is little attacked by birds (though I have seen even pheasants and dogs eat a few); it does not grow too high, and it ripens progressively. There has been a considerable exodus from the towns for the sake of this most savoury fruit. The handicap to the stranger is that he, or more often she, does not know just where the best sorts grow. There are several dozen varieties, some almost useless, some bearing as big berries almost as the garden ivy-leafed sorts (which are well worth growing). What a benefit it would be if the inferior sorts could be grubbed! One can imagine a landowner of eccentric kindliness planting the ivy-leafed sorts in his hedgerows and grafting the crabs with Cox's, and substituting Kentish cobs for the common—but excellent —hazel!
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