publication summarizes the results of an experimental harvesting and 

 handling system tested in a commercial orchard in Massachusetts with 

 the Baldwin variety of apples in 1962. 



*************** 



GROWER COMMENTS ON RIPENING OF BLUEBERRIES 



William J. Lord 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



The comments below were written by Mr. 0. W. Stewart, Elm Street, 

 R.F.D. 2, Kingston, Massachusetts, in response to an article that ap- 

 peared in the January, 1965, issue of Fruit Notes entitled "Random 

 Thoughts on Blueberries". I'm sure that readers will find his comments 

 of interest and value. Mr. Stewart is co-chairman of the Research Com- 

 mittee of the Massachusetts Cultivated Blueberry Association. 



"These further random thoughts on cultivated blueberries are promp- 

 ted by your interesting comments in the January 10th issue of Fruit 

 Notes . 



"I am restricting these thoughts to the ripening of the fruit, bas- 

 ing them on my past dozen years of experience of growing 1 1/2 acres of 

 blueberries completely enclosed under netting. 



"Speaking broadly, I have found that any blueberries, grown under 

 good cultural conditions, will be sweet if permitted to ripen fully on 

 the bush. 



"The fact that blueberries have turned blue does not in itself mean 

 that they are ripe. Varieties differ considerably in the time, after 

 becoming fully blue, until the fruit is completely ripe and sweet. 



"Berries of some varieties become sweet almost as soon as they turn 

 blue. Among these are Earliblue, Wolcott, G.N. - 87 and Berkeley. 



"On the other end of the ripening scale are Blueray, Bluecrop, Her- 

 bert and Coville. Such varieties will be deliciously sweet and flavor- 

 some only after they have been on the bush - blue - for a period up to 

 a week and sometimes longer. 



"Then there are intermediate varieties which become sweet after a 

 blue period of two to four days. I think the Collins variety may be in 

 this group, with Dixi and others. My variety listings here are far from 

 complete and there will be overlapping in times and in different years. 

 For instance, a prolonged hot spell in early August can cause midseason 

 and late varieties to start ripening together. 



