Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 7.pdf/161

Rh The barberry (Berberis Aquifolium), Oregon grape, so-called, is a superb and elegant ornamental evergreen shrub, in leaf somewhat resembling the English holly; in the wild state growing two or three feet high; under cultivation making a showy lawn plant, six to eight feet, with finely cut, polished leaves and symmetrical head; early in spring bearing a profusion of showy, yellow flowers, followed in their season by clusters of dark purplish black berries, the size of wild cherries; altogether a thing of beauty rarely equaled; fruit acid and make a fine beverage, and good pies and preserves. There are others of the barberry family.

The salal (Gaultheria Myrsinites) is scattered through the dense fir forests of the State; is another beautiful, small shrub, evergreen, bearing an acid, edible berry, size and color of the Oregon grape; much sought by the Indians, and in early days made an excellent wine for the resident Hudson Bay Company employees. The salal is a variety of wintergreen, and seems to thrive best in the deep shade of the forests; has not been cultivated.

The service berry, or Juneberry, a small tree six to twelve feet high, we expect to make a good record for in the future. This has been cultivated in other parts of the world and much improved. The service berry in the Willamette Valley grows in all soils, and at altitudes as high as the snow line, bearing a sweetish, pleasant tasting berry about the size of our largest wild cherry; as yet it has not been cultivated with us or much utilized.

A black haw (Cratægus Douglasii), not unlike the black haw of the middle west, is sparsely found in some localities.

Our one filbert, hazel nut (Corylus rostrata), is of the same species as the imported nuts in our market, and closely approximating in size, flavor, and quality, and grows everywhere in our valleys, sometimes to a tree ten inches in diameter and from eight to fifteen feet high.