1+ - 



The hlghbush blueberry acreage has approximately doubled during 

 the last decade and is still expanding. The industry is concentrated 

 in the southeastern part of the state with 3500-1000 acres of which 

 about 75 percent are producing. There are about 50 acres of rabbiteye 

 blueberry (Vaccinum ashei) varieties, of recent North Carolina and 

 Georgia origin, in Coastal and Piedmont North Carolina. Although the 

 fruit of the rabbiteye varieties are now confined to local and home 

 garden sales, it is believed that the fresh and processing potential of 

 this species will be more extensively utilized in the future. "The rab- 

 biteye species has a distinctive fruit quality, tremendous productive 

 potential, a ripening season following the highbush, the advantage of 

 minimal maintenance following establishment, and a broader tolerance to 

 a variety of soils than the highbush species," Galetta says. 



The major highbush varieties grown are Wolcott and Murphy. The 

 acreage planted to varieties such as Berkeley, Bluecrop and Earliblue 

 Is limited because of their susceptibility to cane canker, except in 

 the mountain area of North Carolina. Highbush blueberry varieties now 

 being planted are mainly Wolcott, Murphy, Croatan, Morrow (a new vari- 

 ety) , Jersey and Berkeley. 



Galetta reports that the major problems of the Industry are the 

 labor shortage, the best economic p runing of bearing bushes, resurgence 

 of a more virulent form of the stem canker fungus, the recent fruit set 

 failure of the Wolcott variety and "uneven" propagation results. 



Michigan 



Jerome Hull, Jr., Extension Specialist in Horticulture, Michigan 

 State University, East Lansing, MichigcLn, gives the following estimates 

 of the highbush blueberry industry in Michigan. 



The 195^1 Michigan Agricultural census reported M-,160 acres of high- 

 bush blueberries and production of about 10 million pounds. The present 

 blueberry acreage is about 9,000 acres with 7,000 to 8,000 acres of bear- 

 ing age, and within the next several years an Increase to 10,000 acres 

 is anticipated. Blueberry production in 196M^, was approximately 22 

 million pounds. In 1966, a yield of 22 million to 23 million pounds 

 was anticipated. Generally, 60 percent of the production Is processed 

 and the remainder sold as fresh fruit. 



Approximately 50 percent of the present acreage is planted to 

 Jersey, but the popularity of this variety is declining because of un- 

 satisfactory productlon--small seedless berries. Although the cause of 

 these small seedless berries is not known, poor pollination is suspected. 

 The Rubel variety is still popular in Michigan and accounts for 20 to 

 25 percent of the highbush acreage. The variety appears to be holding 

 its own acreage-wise, because it appears to be ideally adapted to mechan- 

 ical harvesting. Five to 10 percent of the present acreage is planted 

 to Stanley, which has been popular for the early market season. This 

 variety, along with Rancocas and Weymouth, is no longer being planted, 

 however, as the popularity of Bluecrop has Increased during the last few 



