STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 37 



attention given to the garden culture of the blueberry, save that 

 recently undertaken at the Maine Experiment Station. 



In many parts of our State there are thousands of acres of 

 land utterly worthless for agricultural purposes, which after the 

 timber is removed, send up an abundant growth of blueberry 

 bushes, alders, poplars, gray birches, etc., and which by proper 

 management may, it is believed, be made to yield a handsome 

 profit to. their owners. In New Hampshire the picking of blue- 

 berries has come to be an important industry in many of the 

 country towns. Whereas, a few years ago, farmers thought the 

 blueberry crop of no account, and allowed perfect freedom in 

 gathering the fruit; many of the owners of blueberry pastures 

 now charge "stumpage" at the rate of two cents per cjuart, and 

 the blueberry field is regarded with as much concern as the apple 

 orchard. 



In the southeastern part of Maine, principally in Washington 

 county, there are about 150,000 acres known as the "blueberry 

 barrens." The fruit from the barrens is mainly taken to the 

 canning factories at Cherryfield, Columbia Falls and Harrington. 

 The total output from these factories the present season was 

 about 50,000 cases of two dozen cans each, representing a cash 

 value of considerably more than $100,000. 



Now, as already intimated, there are vast areas in our State 

 which, while bearing a considerable number of bushes, and yield- 

 ing a profitable return to the few people who make a practice of 

 gathering the wild fruit, are not utilized as they might be. The 

 systematic treatment of these wild lands, after the manner prac- 

 ticed on the barrens, might with profit be extended to many 

 other sections. 



Again, there are large areas, otherwise worthless, which might 

 without doubt be made to yield good returns if in some way a 

 growth of blueberries could be started — either by setting bushes 

 or by scattering seed. Perhaps this suggestion may be regarded 

 as visionary, but it is Cjuite within the range of possibilities. 



Another phase of the subject, which is worthy of careful atten- 

 tion, is that of domestication and the improvement of types by 

 selection. 



Little has been attempted in the garden culture of the blue- 

 berry. That satisfactory results might be obtained, however, 



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