Thornless Blackberries

Blackberries are in full swing now and I am amazed at the difference between wild and cultivated berries. The cultivated berries are gigantic! I have gotten my share of scratched up hands and arms over the years picking the free, wild blackberries that abound in this area, but lately I have been happy to pay for the privilege of picking these enormous berries from thornless canes, neatly held upright on wires. Check out The Berry Patch in Melrose (440-8484) or Phillips Berries in Winston (679-0251).

A cultivated blackberry and an average-sized wild blackberry