BLUEBERRY CULTURE 7 



thcA will stand by removing the shades on cloudy days. However, the shades 

 must be put back at once if the sun comes out, for even a few minutes of bright 

 sunlight may do great harm. 



The cuttings may be taken during the winter and stored in moist sphagnum 

 or two-year-old sawdust (newer sawdust heats) till spring. Or the bushes may 

 be pruned late in March and the cuttings, which must not be allowed to dry, 

 taken at once from the prunings. 



Cuttings are made from wood of the previous season's growth, and must have 

 no fruit buds. Weak, spindling cuttings are not desirable as plants grown from 

 them are usually small and slow in growth. Cuttings over a quarter inch in 

 diameter seem to root less readily than medium-sized ones; but when they do 

 root, they usually make large, vigorous plants. The best length is three to four 

 inches, with the top cut just above a bud and the bottom cut below and as close 

 to a bud as possible, without injury to the bud. All cuts should be slanting and 

 made with a very sharp knife so as to be clean and smooth. 



The cuttings, beginning with the earliest varieties, should be put in the bed 

 early in April before the buds begin to break. They may be set either at an 

 angle of 45° or vertically, one inch apart, in rows two inches apart. If each 

 cutting is placed deeply in the propagating medium with only the top bud out, 

 usually onh- this bud will develop and a better plant will be produced. 



After the cuttings have been set, the bed should be watered well and the sash 

 put in place. The shades can be left off till the buds begin to break. This is 

 desirable if the weather is cool. The shades may be of burlap or of slats supported 

 about four inches above the sash. If they are made of slats, the proportion of 

 slats to space should be about three to one. The cuttings must be watched 

 closely during the rooting period. If any begin to rot, the bed must be aired by 

 raising the sash slightly. 



After the cuttings begin to root, the latter part of June, ventilation of the 

 frames is started and is gradually increased until the sash can be removed alto- 

 gether. The latter part of August, the light given the cuttings is gradually in- 

 creased b^' removing the shades earlier in the evening and replacing them later in 

 the morning till they are left off entirely. 



The young plants may be left in the cold frame during the winter with hay, 

 straw, or like material over them for protection. In the spring they are set in a 

 nursery to grow for a year or two before they are put in the field. The nursery 

 should be cultivated well, but not deeply enough to disturb the roots of the plants. 



Planting 



Planting should be done as early in the spring as the condition of the soil 

 permits. The planting distance depends largely on the method of cultivation, 

 the varietal characteristics of the plants, and the fertility of the soil. Plants 

 on a very fertile soil grow larger and need more room than these on a less fertile 

 one. Vigorous varieties need more space than less vigorous ones. Tractor 

 equipment requires more room than hand or horse-drawn cultivators. Rccm for 

 cultivating machinery- need not be considered under a mulching system. In no 

 case should the plants be set closer than 5 feet in rows 8 feet apart. So spaced, 

 1,089 per acre are required. The rows must be 10 feet apart for cultivation with 

 a tractor. 



It seldom pays to set plants under two years old. The saving in the cost of 

 younger plants is usually offset by higher mortality the first year in the field. 

 Each plant from the nursery has the roots in a ball of earth. This should be 

 disturbed as little as possible in planting. The holes for the plants should be dug 



