Narrative
F. A. NEWBERRY, Port Angeles, WashingtonIn the month of July in the year of 1941, we took a number of plants from our place when the Government took over for a housing project; namely, Boysenberries, Loganberries, St. Regis Everbearing Raspberries, and Cuthbert Raspberries.We were not too careful digging them as we were in a hurry and took them over to this place, dug a big round hole and chucked them in, all mixed up, and trampled the dirt down around them.That summer was very dry and hot. We did not have an opportunity to water them at all.Late the following spring we dug them out. We had a few Cuthbert Raspberry canes, a few St. Regis Everbearing canes, only one Boysenberry and three Loganberry canes. They showed but little life and all the Loganberry plants presumably died; but about 5 or 7 weeks later a plant came up about 5 or 6 inches from one of the stalks of Loganberries.The foliage of this plant appeared to be much different than any plant I had ever seen, so I went down and asked our County Agent, at that time the late C. D. Yeager, to come up and look at it. I said to him, "Mr. ' Yeager, what kind of a plant is that." He looked it over very carefully then said, "Mr. Newberry, I don't know but I believe you have a Sport but we cannot tell if it is worth anything till it has fruit On it. It may not amount to anything." So when the fruit was ripe, he came out again and our present County Agent Melvin Mickel was with him, and Mr. Yeager said I had a wonderful flavored berry and he advised me to take care of it but that in time it may revert back to one particular kind of the four varieties named.I waited about two years and it still kept its flavor and general appearance, and up until this time, to the best of my knowledge, has shown no indication of disease and in the year of 1946, I started proceedings for a plant patent from the U. S. Patent Office which patent is still pending.These canes reach a height or length of between 9 and 11 feet. They do not do well if they are cut back like a raspberry plant, and they are very much inclined to droop as their canes attain length, so, therefore, I trellis them on wire 42 inches high. I recommend that the plants stand 11 feet between each hill and not less than 6 feet between the rows. I have tried several different kinds of fertilizer and I find that chicken fertilizer or litter of straw is best.The berries have a tendency to cling far more than any raspberry I have ever seen, although they pick like a raspberry. The general public verifies the fact that they have a decided tart or tang in comparison with any raspberry they have ever tasted. They claim they make wonderful jelly, jam, preserves, and are excellent for pies , and stand up both as in flavor and appearance when frozen, and according to the response of the public in all categories they will soon be one of the most popular berries on the market.This year from 172 full grown plants and 244 plants set out last spring we had a total picking of approximately 3400 lbs. This year the first berry was ripe on the 1st of July and we are still picking about 3 boxes every 4 days.First amount worth mentioning on July 9, 1949, 8 crates, to a high of 14 crates and to a low of 1 1/2 crates on August 18, 1949, with a total picking between these dates of 34 pickings and gradually tapering off to the present date of November 29, 1949.At the present time the Western Washington Experiment Station has the plants, also the Oregon Station at Corvallis, Oregon.Mr. Melvin Michel, Clallam County Agent, is familiar with these plants and berries and would gladly answer any questions.
named for F. A. Newberry, plant breeder
WHY NAMED= Special flavor, with an uncommon tang for raspberry
NAMED FOR= F.A. Newberry, discoverer