-4- 



probably become more acute in the near future. The denand in industry for 

 skilled, semi-skilled, or even unskilled labor at high -rages and short hours 

 has lured aimy much of our available farm labor. The draft is also being 

 keenly felt in many cases. 



The committee makes the following suggestions for farmers; (1) Hold 

 on to ski lled labor, if possible, as such men cannot be replaced at the present 

 time. ~[2) Good farm l abor sh ould be and usually can be deferred by the draft 

 board , if the "farmers will take pailis' to" COTTtact" The TocaTr dra"ft bo'ard~'oF 

 Board of Appeals. (3) B_ettar inanagement or plaruiing to make full use of la- 

 bor a^'ailable. Operations may of ten "be inc'reased or" decreased to fit the 

 labor supply. (4) Father and son partnerships. This is an ideal situation 

 where it is successful. In most cases of failure it is because the son is 

 not given enough responsibility or direct interest in the enterprise. (5) 

 Use of unskilled labor. Boys betvreen the ages of 14 and 21, still in school, 

 are often good help during the surmer, Vv'omen and girls may be used to a 

 greater extent, particularly on fruit and vegetable farms. (6) Use of part- 

 tLme l abor . Industrial workers on a 40-hour v/eek v;ill often be glad"To spend 

 some of their spare time on the farm. Older men and others capable of hold- 

 ing down regular jobs may often be used to advantage for a few days' work. 

 (7) Increase d use of ma chinery . This may not necessarily mean purchase of 

 nevr equipment but bettor use of that on hand. A few days hire or swapping 

 the use of machinery may often accomplish much at little cost. 



B luebe rries in the United States 



The term "blueberry" includes several distinct tjqpes of berries which 

 are less closely related than, for example, the various varieties of stravj-- 

 berries or of apples. According to George !'. Barrow, pomologist in the United 

 States Department of Agriculture, six tj'pes or species of blueberries are 

 marketed extensively in the United States. 



The l owbus h blueberry (Vacciniun angustif oliun) is the most import- 

 ant commercial species ranging from Ilaine to Tinnesota and southward in the 

 Alleghenies to West Virginia. The aianual value of the fruit harvested (only 

 a small part is harvested) is probably m.ore than y 5 » 000, 000. The highbush 

 blueberry (V. cer;;,'mbosum) is native from southern Ifaine to southern Michigan 

 and southv.-ard to Georgia. The annual value of the crop from the v/ild ranges 

 from $1,000,000 to ^1, 500, 000. It is from this species that the cultivated 

 varieties of blueberries have come through years of selection and hybridiza- 

 tion. The value of the 1938 cultivated crop v/as about 0400,000. Cultivated 

 blueberries are raised comrnsrcially in relatively few states. The estimated 

 acreage in 1939 v/as 1045 acres in Tew Jersey, 200 acres in North Carolina, 

 200 acres in liichigan, and 100 acres in all other states including liassachu- 

 setts. The dryland blueberry (V. pallidum), "lov/ huckleberry," is important 

 in northern Alabama and :feorgia, and northv/ard to Uaryland and l/est Virginia. 

 The arjiual value of the crop is around ^300, 000. The e vergre en blue berry 

 (V, ovatum) is native on the Pacific Coast from centraTT California to British 

 Columbia. The annual value of the fruit crop is estimated at close to 

 $200,000. Furthermore, its branches are of about equal comm.ercial value 

 for decorative purposes, being shipped to eastern cities as "evergreen 

 huckleberry." The mountain blueberry (V. membranaceum) is a native of 

 the high slopes of the Cas'c'ade Tlountains (Oregon and Yi'ashington) and eastward 

 tovm.rd IVisconsin. The berries are very large and high in quality. 



