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bloom. The fruit has a pleasant acid flavour, somewhat like the 

 Cranberry, and is largely used in the northern countries of Europe 

 and America, either raw with sugar and cream, in tarts, or preserved 

 in the form of jam and jelly. When eaten in either form the fruit is 

 considered to be wholesome, and to have useful medicinal properties. 

 The juice of the berries is also said to be used as a hair dye in some 

 parts of Northern Europe when mixed with the bark of the Alder tree. 



CULTIVATION & PROPAGATION. 



This plant is found growing naturally in peaty soils, and yields its 

 fruit in great abundance. Though this fruit has, as yet, received no 

 attention in Australasia, it might prove to be worth cultivating in some 

 of the colonies. Possibly this plant might be naturalized in the 

 alpine regions with advantage. It requires a peaty or sandy soil 

 containing a good proportion of vegetable matter. 



In preparing land for this crop, stir deeply without bringing up the 

 under soil, and make provision for taking away any surplus water 

 that is likely to hang in the ground. Though this fruit likes a fair 

 amount of moisture it will not thrive in boggy land, though some 

 other species of the same family will do so. Plant in rows like vines, 

 leaving a space of from eight to ten feet between. The time for 

 planting is between the fall of the leaf in the autumn and the starting 

 of growth in the spring. A plantation will last for a number of years, 

 and when fairly started requires only a moderate amount of attention 

 in keeping clean. But little pruning is required, all that is necessary 

 being to keep the plants shapely, and to thin out the branches when 

 overcrowded. 



Propagation may be effected by seeds, cuttings, layers, and root 

 suckers. Seeds should be sown in a frame or pots as soon as possible 

 after they are obtained. When the young plants are large enough to 

 handle they should be pricked out into beds, leaving them three or 

 four inches apart, or shifted into small pots. Shift them again when 

 the plants require more room, and the following season plant out 

 where required. Cuttings of the previous season's wood, if put in 

 before growth commences, will strike in sand or light soil. Layers 

 should be put down before the spring, and will furnish good plants 

 the following season. 



OTHER SPECIES. 



Various other species of Vaccinium yield edible berries, and might 

 prove worthy of attention from fruit cultivators. Prominent among 

 them are the Bog Bilberry or Great Whortleberry (Vaccinium 

 uliginosum), which is indigenous to Europe. Northern Asia, and 

 America, and in habit is similar to the common Bilberry, but the 

 fruit, though nearly alike in colour, is more astringent and inferior. 

 This species flourishes in boggy land, and might prove serviceable in 

 some localities. Two North American species, Vaccinium Canadense 

 and Vaccinium Pemisylvanicum, which are very closely allied, yield 

 what in the United States are known as Blueberries or Huckleberries, 

 which are highly valued in that part of the world. These and other 

 useful species will be dealt with under a separate heading. 



