VACClNIUM (classical Latin name of the European 

 Whortleberry; etymology uncertain). Ericaceae. In- 

 cluding Bilberry, Blueberry, Huckleberry, Whor- 

 tleberry, Cranberry. Branching shrubs, creeping 

 vines or small trees, sometimes epiphytes : lvs. alter- 

 nate, evergreen or deciduous, coriaceous or membra- 

 naceous: rts. small, white, pinkish or reddish, in lateral 

 racemes or terminal clusters, sometimes solitary in the 

 axils, mostly nodding on slender-bracted pedicels and 

 bearing blue, black or red berry-like fruits, mostly edi- 

 ble; calyx 4-5-toothed, adherent to the ovary, persistent, 

 forming a crown-like appendage to the fruit; corolla 

 various in shape, usually campanulate, cylindraceous 

 or urn-shaped, rarely subglobose, 4-5-toothed or cleft; 

 stamens twice as many as the lobes of the corolla, dis- 

 tinct, included within the corolla-tube or exserted; an- 

 thers often 2-awned at the back, the cells separate and 

 prolonged upward into tubes at the apex, opening by 

 terminal pores or chinks; pistil single, with a 4-5- or 

 8-10-loculed ovary, which is glabrous or hirsute. Flowers 

 borne in spring with or before the leaves; berries ripe 

 in summer and autumn, sweetish or sometimes acid, 

 mostly edible. The genus includes about 125 species of 

 wide geographic distribution, extending from the arctic 

 circle to the high mountains of the tropics; most com- 

 mon in North America and the Himalayas. With very 

 few exceptions (e. g., I*. erythrinum in Java and Emir- 

 nense in Madagascar) the genus is unrepresented in the 

 southern hemisphere and in the lower regions of the 

 tropics. 



There is much confusion in the popular names ap- 

 plied to these fruits. The terms "Bilberry" and "Whor- 

 tleberry" usually mentioned as "common names" by 

 American writers are seldom or never heard among 

 the common people in this country ; while "Huckle- 

 berry " is often used indiscriminately for plants of 

 this genus and for the Gaylussacias. In the central 

 states the term "Huckleberry" is usually applied to 

 V. corymbosum, while "Blueberry" is given to the low- 

 growing species, like V. Canadensis and Pennsylraiii- 

 cum. In New England, "Huckleberry" is reserved for 

 species of Gaylussacia, while "Blueberry" is applied to 

 the lower growing species as above, and "High-bush 

 Blueberry " to V. corymbosum. The red-berried species 

 are, in general, referred to as "Cranberries." 



Among the plants which lend tone to the landscape 

 in October and November by reason of their bright 

 foliage, many of the species of Vaccinium may be in- 

 cluded,— the brilliant red, crimson and orange colors 

 often persisting much longer than the bright-hued 

 leaves of a majority of other plants. Of the ornamen- 

 tal species none are more strikingly beautiful late in 

 the autumn than the common High-bush Blueberry, V . 

 corymbosum. When well grown it is a stout, thick, 

 spreading bush 8-10 ft. high. The plant is beautiful 

 when in flower; the fruit is attractive and of the best 

 quality, and the bright scarlet and crimson effects in 

 late autumn, rivaling the sumach in brilliancy, are un- 

 surpassed. As an ornamental plant the species deserves 

 a place in every garden. V. Pennsylvanicum also 

 brightens waste places for a short time, but drops its 

 f 'liage too early to be worthy of planting as an under- 

 shrub. The same is true of V. Canadense, which is in 

 many respects similar. V. staminenm, though early 

 deciduous, is attractive when in bloom and throughout 

 the summer, by reason of its graceful habit. Though 

 usually found on gravelly soil, it will thrive in any 

 good garden soil, and it is one of the very few orna- 

 mental shrubs specially suited for densely shaded situa- 

 tions. It has the peculiarity of never forming a true 

 flower-bud, the blossom being open from the first. I'. 

 arboreum forms an irregular shrub too diffuse and 

 straggling to be of value except in masses at the South. 

 V. hirsutmn is as beautiful in its autumn coloring as is 

 V. corymbosum and, like that species, retains its foliage 

 late in the season. I'. Vitis-Idaa and uliginosum, with 



their shining box-like foliage, are effective as edging 

 for the shrubbery border. 



In the wild state the Blueberry was originally wor- 

 thier of notice than was the blackberry, raspberry or 

 currant, but the natural supply is so abundant that 

 little attention has been given to garden cultivation. 

 At the Maine Agricultural Experiment Station syste- 

 matic work is in progress, and several instances of suc- 

 cessful amateur cultivation are recorded from Massa- 

 chusetts. The plants of some species are very suscep- 

 tible of improvement under good cultivation; the best 

 in order of merit being V. corymbosum, vacillans and 

 Canadense. The bushes should be transplanted in the 

 fall and treated much the same as currants. Any good 

 garden soil is suitable. 



Of all the American species used for food, the most 

 important are, V. corymbosum, Pennsylvanicum, Cana- 

 dense and vacillans . The first of these, the High-bush 

 Blueberry, or Swamp Blueberry, or "Huckleberry " of 

 the middle west, is of firm texture, good size and ex- 

 cellent flavor. The shrub is easily transplanted, grows 

 rapidly on any good soil, and more than any other spe- 

 cies shows a marked tendency to vary in the size, 

 shape and quality of its fruit. It is the natural starting 

 point in attempts to add the Blflieberfry to the list of 

 cultivated fruits. During the past few years it has re- 

 ceived considerable attention as a garden fruit, espe- 

 cially in New England. The other species named grow 

 mostly on uplands,— I'. Pennsylvanicum, especially, on 

 dry sandy "barrens" — and form the bulk of the Blue- 

 berry crop as seen in the cities or at the canning fac- 

 tories. 



In many of the northern and eastern states — particu- 

 larly in New England, New York, New Jersey, Michi- 

 gan and the mountain districts of Pennsylvania and 

 West Virginia— there are many thousand acres of land, 

 worthless for agricultural purposes, which after the pine 

 is removed send up an abundant growth of Blue- 

 berry bushes, alders, poplars, gray birches and spireas. 

 These lands are, for the most part, considered as public 

 property and are recklessly burned over by irresponsi- 

 ble parties to promote the growth of the Blueberries. 

 In New England, particularly in Maine, the manage- 

 ment of such lands has been systematized and Blue- 

 berry canning has become an important industrial 

 operation. In some instances the whole business is un- 

 der the management of the landowners, but in most 

 cases the land is divided into several tracts, each of 

 which is leased to some responsible party who assumes 

 the whole care of burning, keeping off trespassers, har- 

 vesting and marketing the fruit; the owner, in such 

 cases, receiving as rental one-half cent per quart for all 

 fruit gathered. Pickers receive lJ^-3 cents per quart. 

 Those who lease the land and haul the fruit to canning 

 factory or station for shipment receive %-l cent per 

 quart. These rates are determined in accordance with 

 the market value of the crop. 



Every year a certain section of each lease is burned 

 over. This burning must be done very early in the 

 spring, before the soil becomes dry; otherwise the fire 

 goes too deep, the humus is burned from the ground 

 and most of the bushes are killed. Many hundred acres 

 on what should be the best part of the Blueberry plains 

 have thus been ruined. The method most commonly 

 used in burning a given area is for the operator to pass 

 around the section to be burned, dragging after him an 

 ordinary torch or mill-lamp. He then retraces his steps 

 and follows over the burned area, setting new fires in 

 the portions which have escaped and back-firing if 

 there is danger of spreading unduly over areas which 

 it is desired to leave unburned. A device occasionally 

 used consists of a piece of K-inch gas-pipe, bent near 

 the end at an angle of about 60°. The end opposite the 

 bent part is closed with a cap or plug and in the other 

 end, after filling the pipe with kerosene, is placed a 

 plug of cotton waste or tow. This device is by many 



(1889) 



