"After blueberries are picked, some further ripening can occur, 

 but from my observations, only if they have already ripened near to the 

 point of sweetness. When picked soon after turning blue, fruit of the 

 varieties requiring nearly a week or so of blue color to be sweet, will 

 almost surely remain unripe and sour. 



"Birds are responsible for part of the poor reputation of culti- 

 vated blueberries with many people. That is, combined with growers who 

 pick unripe berries to get ahead of the birds. 



"There are as yet no reliable ways of repelling birds. The only 

 remedy for the bird problem is to exclude them from crops susceptible 

 to bird loss . 



"Many blueberries are still grown in the open without covering or 

 enclosure of any type. As a result, growers are faced with the dilemma 

 of either losing much of the crop to birds, or picking blue but unripe 

 berries and placing them on sale or shipping them to market. 



"The public should be made aware of the fact that many progressive 

 growers are assuming additional costs in protecting their plantings with 

 netting in order to exclude birds and delay harvest, thus providing 

 riper and sweeter berries." 



Editor's Note : In the July 10, 1964, issue of Fruit Notes , Professor 

 J. S. Bailey presented data from Rhode Island that showed the increase 

 in fruit volume after development of blue coloration of highbush blue- 

 berries. This increase in volume will result in a. sizeable yield in- 

 crease per acre. In one year, the added income derived by prevention 

 of bird depredation and leaving the berries to "size-up" will go quite 

 a way toward paying the cost of netting. 



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



VESPER STRAWBERRY 



William J. Lord 

 Department of Plant and Soil Sciences 



The performance of Vesper in grower plantings indicates that it has 

 better quality than Jerseybelle, and is more productive. The fruit rip- 

 ens late, is very large in size, attractive, moderate in firmness and 

 good in flavor . 



Vesper berries appear to soften quickly after they become ripe on 

 the plant. Therefore, it is the opinion of some that Vesper should be 

 harvested daily, or picked every other day while the color is still on 

 the "pink side". 



