runnors freely, having larf^e, green, smooth leaves ^.vith upright petioles, and 

 taken only frora fields !:novm to have been productive. Second, a slower but a more 

 positive method for providing grovrers v/ith better stock is that of indexing the 

 laore desirable varieties vdth Llarshall or f.oino other good indicator varioty. Plants 

 tlius proved to be free of virus must be propagated under surveillance in a vector- 

 free area for replacement of planting stock nor; being uc-3q. The iudexing of 

 varieties and naintenaiice of clean stock can probably best be done by State 

 Experiment Station V/orkers, Since each State -grows coir.paro.tivcly fov; varieties, 

 it -..■ill be a small task to index those fevr sorts best adapted for growing in that 

 particular State. Vriien a sufficient quantity of clean stock has been propagated 

 from the indexed varieties, a portion nay bo distributed to plant grc'ers for mass 

 production under State regulations assuring maintentjice of clecji stock," 



Such a system of maintaining virus-free stock would be similar to the method 

 of producing ^/irus-free foundation stock of seed potatoes in isolated sections 

 vrtiere the insect vector for tlic virus does not abound, 



— 0, C, Boyd 



:^ :;; >!i )(-- :^; :(: :f; ;i; :?: ^i :*: :j; :<i: :}; 3|< % :+i * ^ 



IIiPRO\T::i:!;^T OF TIS r.'IID La\T/J3II DUJEBEHIiY 



The harvesting oaid marketing of lov.'bush blueberries has become dx\ industry of 

 some importance in the State, Alth.ough infonnation conoorhing the size raid value 

 of this industry for tlie State as a i/hole is not available, a limited survey made 

 in the tovms of Granville njid Blandford in -'lojnpden County revealed that there arc 

 nearly 1500 acres of blueberry lots in tlicsc to\-T.3 aiid tho,j?jin"iial value of the crop 

 is about V 100, 000, 



Naturally, the lowbush blueberry grcr./s on soils which are lo-.'; in fertility, 

 and often dry, v.-here competition from other vegetation is at a minimum. Under such 

 conditions growth ajnd jdelds are necessarily limited. It v/ould seem., therefore, 

 that where moisturo is not the limiting factor, grer.-.i:h and yield could be improved 

 by the use of fertilizers. This has been tried vdth the usual result that competing 

 vegetation v;as stimulated to the point where the blueberry/, in spite of increased 

 grov.-th, could no longer compete and vras lost in a mass of its more vigorous 

 neighbors , 



In addition to fertilizer :ead weed problems, the grov;ers are faced vdth out- 

 breaks of disease and insect attack. During tlio pact summer a serious outbrcalc of 

 the blueberry flea beetle occvu'red in tlic C-ranvillc-Blandford area. This problem 

 was vigorously attacked by members of the Entomology Department, They found that 

 DDT and Parathion arc very effective in controlling this beetle, V.'ork is undervTay 

 to deternine its full life history so that more effective control measures may be 

 developed, 



Tlie grovrers of lowbush blueberries rcalizo tiiat they have several problems and 

 have requested that something be done about thorn. Consequently, a Station project 

 for the improvement of the lo'.-.-bush- blueberry has "-^ocr. started. This project wdll be 

 broad enough to cover all phases of lowbu.sh blueberry culture and as 2iev; problems 

 develop they vd 11 be attacked as far as personnel csid funds vdll peiTrdt, 



The problem of wood control must bo solved ''.jofore an effective fertilizer 

 progrojii cm bo dcvolopcd, A recent v;ced survey in C-ronvillc and Blandford revealed 

 that about 40 kinds of weeds occur vdth some frequency cxid that eight of these, 

 bayborry, sweet fern, America:! aspen, meadow sv/eet, common brrJ:o, chokeberry. 



