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BLUEBERRY VARIETIES 



During the past tv;o or three years there has been an increasing 

 interest in the planting of cultivated blueberries. As with other fruits, 

 a careful selection of sites, soils, and varieties is highly important in 

 making a good start. 



Better blueberry varieties are being introduced so rapidly that 

 in a very few years much better varieties than those in our present list 

 will be available. Since this will probably be just as true 3, 5, 10, or 

 100 years from now, the grower who always \vaits for those better varieties 

 will probably die waiting. "Time is now," so let us make the best of v>rhat 

 we have. 



Since blueberry varieties vary from partly to totally self unfruit- 

 ful, tv;o varieties are needed for cross pollination. The coirunercial list 

 is short, - Pioneer, Rubel, and \Tarehain. To these might be added Gabot where 

 an early variety is desired for roadside stand or local trade. 



Pioneer is a midseason variety, ripening from middle to late July or 

 early August. The berries are large, fine flavored, attractive, and good 

 keepers, Tlie bush is of medium height and fine appearance for ornamental 

 planting. Unfortunately the yield is lov/ and it is difficult to propagate 

 and prune. It is being rapidly replaced in other sections and will probably 

 be replaced in Massachusetts as soon as a better midseason variety appears, 



Rubel is a late variety, ripening a few days after pioneer. It is 

 a good producer. The berries are only fair in size, but their color and 

 quality are good and they ship well. The bush is tall, upright, well 

 shaped, vigorous, and easy to propagate and prune. This is one of the 

 best varieties for the home gardener because it will withstand adverse 

 conditions as v^ell as any and better than most other varieties, 



y/areham is an excellent late season variety, ripening a week after 

 Rubel"]! The bush is vigorous, upright-spreading, easy to propagate and 

 prune, and yields heavily. The berries develop good size throughout the 

 season and have a highly aromatic, wild flavor v/hich is v;ell liked by most 

 and highly pleasing to some. Although it starts v/ith Rubel, it ripens about 

 15^ of its crop after all other varieties are through. Unfortunately, it 

 is dark in color and, therefore, not so attractive as other varieties and 

 cracks badly following rains, 



Cabot is an early variety, ripening a few days to a vieek before Pioneer, 

 The berries are largo and ship well but are rather flat in flavor. The 

 plants are low and spreading and not so vigorous as Rubel, but yields are 

 good. They are hard to propagate, costly to prune, and very susceptible 

 to Phomopsis gall, a trouble v/hich looks much like crown gall. 



Other varieties which are recoLuiended for trial only are; 



Stanley is a promising midseason variety. The fruit is large, handsome, 

 and excellent in flavor. The bush is upright, fairly vigorous, productive, 



