Black Raspberries...

[Steve]

I love black raspberries - and I grew up as a boy in the '60s going to my grandmother's house (she was born 1888, her house was built in 1834) and eating lots and lots of fresh, sweet black raspberries from those old raspberry bushes. Around 1900, I read there were over 200 varieties of black raspberries but sadly, only a handful of varieties commercially remain. The alarming thing to me is Cornell or one of the other Univ sites had a prediction that within 25-50 years black raspberries could very well become extinct - and reportedly, black raspberries have the most potent anti-oxidant power of any food product.

Is there anyone who grows/sells any of these old time berries like the Ohio Everbearing, Gault, Ebony, Farnsworth, Ironclad, Daily Bearing, etc?

Secondly, I'd like to buy some Haut black raspberries and I've burned out the Web with no luck. Hartmann supposedly had them once about a time but Haut is no longer listed in their catalog.

Thank you in advance,

Steve

[Newt]

Hi Steve,

My mouth is watering as I type this just thinking of these berries! I realize you have been searching, but have you searched with the term:
heirloom black raspberries
heirloom black raspberry

Then you can click on the cached version and quickly scan through the material and see terms highlighted.

I just did a quick google with Haut black raspberry and found this site. I'm including the cached version.
http://74.125.95.132/search?q=cache:...&ct=clnk&gl=us

I found this:

'Haut'. Bred in Maryland by Harry Swartz, currently the most active blackcap breeder, and released in 1984, Haut ripens three to five days later and has a longer picking season than most blackcaps.

So I googled: Harry Swartz + Haut raspberry

and found this:
http://www.ssan.com/Detailed/Garden_...les_30752.html

The middle Atlantic region and Ohio are traditional hotbeds of black raspberry enthusiasm. There are a few commercial growers of black raspberries in the East, all with small plantings. The state that grows the most black raspberries is Oregon, with about 1,000 acres planted. Most of these berries are mechanically harvested for processing into jams, dessert flavorings and even a natural dye for meat.

Return of a Native

The black raspberry is a native fruit, growing wild along the edges of woods from Quebec to North Dakota, and south to Arkansas and Georgia. The first variety, Ohio Everbearing (small and not very tasty), was named in 1832. By the end of the 19th century, thousands of acres of black raspberries were being planted in western New York alone. In his 1925 classic, The Small Fruits of New York, Ulysses Prentiss Hedrick described almost 200 varieties of black raspberry, most of them selections from the wild. Today, however, only a handful of black raspberry cultivars are readily available.

You might want to contact them and ask if they know where you can purchase plants. You don't say where you live, but if you are in the area where the plants grow as natives, you may be able to find some in the areas they describe and dig some out. I did read on one site they ripen in July instead of August, the way most raspberries do.

At another site I found with a search using:
Haut raspberry retail
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...007/040307.htm

In skimming through that Canadian site they mention Vineland.

Black Raspberry Cultivars

Bristol: Berries are large, firm and glossy with good quality. Bristol ripens mid-July at Vineland. May be susceptible to winter damage in colder areas of Ontario.

Jewel Berries: Much larger than Bristol and glossy black. May be more winter-hardy and disease resistant than other black raspberries.

Other black raspberries that may also be suitable are Dundee, Black Hawk, Haut, Lowden and Huron. Black raspberries are very susceptible to Verticillium wilt.

Then I searched the site with the word Vineland and found this page about The Vineland Research Station. The contact info was at the bottom.
http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/...007/040307.htm

For more information, media may contact:

Kelly Synnott
Minister Dombrowsky's office
(416) 326-6439

Media Relations
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Ottawa, Ontario
613-759-7972
1-866-345-7972

Conrad Bellehumeur
Director of Communications
Minister Strahl's Office
613-759-1059

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For more information:
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E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca

You might want to contact Vineland in Canada and ask them for leads to retail nurseries.

Just found this info on a forum for heirloom plants:

...Backyard Fruit Growers, out of Lancaster County PA. They appear to have members from surrounding states. Members can swap scionwood and cuttings, and there are many heirloom selections available, including apples and pears which came from Europe with Colonists.

Would that help you? Maybe you could add your location to your profile. It would sure make it easier for me to find specific info to your area.

Does it help knowing how I searched?

Newt

[Steve]

Hi Newt,

Again I'm very appreciative of your time and expertise.

I live in southern Michigan and yes, I've used every combination of searches including heirloom(s). There's a ton of info on the varietal description of black raspberries and so forth, but nothing in the way of retail sales of these older berries. There are some "wild" black raspberries but my guess is they are probably Mungers.

As for the Canadian & European retail vendors who do berries, a few have the Haut variety but according to their websites, they can't ship these to America. I don't know if it's a trade agreement issue, an inspection issue, or if its something else.

I have read many of the University Research Centers as you outlined and these sites often list their suppliers with web addresses. The suppliers are either wholesale only "no exceptions" or they sell retail and only have the common black raspberries like Jewel, etc.

I was hoping someone here knows of a nursery who specializes in black raspberries and may have some of the older varieties OR would be willing to sell me some cuttings of these older, now apparently obsolete berries. It would be a sad day indeed if 200+ varieties of black raspberries are now extinct after 100 years and there's less than a dozen or so varieties remaining.

Thank you again, Newt!

Steve

Originally Posted by Newt

Hi Steve,

My mouth is watering as I type this just thinking of these berries! I realize you have been searching, but have you searched with the term:
heirloom black raspberries
heirloom black raspberry

Then you can click on the cached version and quickly scan through the material and see terms highlighted.

I just did a quick google with Haut black raspberry and found this site. I'm including the cached version.
National Gardening Association :: Gardening Articles :: Edibles :: Small Fruits & Berries

I found this:



So I googled: Harry Swartz + Haut raspberry

and found this:
SSan.com: Blackcap Brambles



You might want to contact them and ask if they know where you can purchase plants. You don't say where you live, but if you are in the area where the plants grow as natives, you may be able to find some in the areas they describe and dig some out. I did read on one site they ripen in July instead of August, the way most raspberries do.

At another site I found with a search using:
Haut raspberry retail
Government Investment to Begin Vineland Renaissance

In skimming through that Canadian site they mention Vineland.



Then I searched the site with the word Vineland and found this page about The Vineland Research Station. The contact info was at the bottom.
Government Investment to Begin Vineland Renaissance





You might want to contact Vineland in Canada and ask them for leads to retail nurseries.

Does it help knowing how I searched?

Newt

[Newt]

Steve, you are very welcome. I wish I could have been of more help, but if you find what you are looking for, I'd love to know. I've also sent you a private message.

Newt