32 MASSACHUSETTS HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



deplorable habit among authors of often giving words of their own 

 coining rather than those in habitual use. 



Huckleberries and Blueberries have been strangely overlooked 

 both by horticulturists and annalists. Notwithstanding the great 

 use that must have been made of the berries by the Indians and 

 early colonists on the New England coast, yet I find but few 

 records referring to it. Roger Williams speaks of " divers sorts" 

 used by the Indians under the name of Attitaash. Parkinson 

 refers to Champlain in 1615, who found the Indians near Lake 

 Huron gathering blueberries for their winter store. Kalm speaks 

 of the Indians drying the berries in the sunshine or by the fireside 

 for winter use. These are the only references I have noted. 



The blueberrj' must have been an esteemed fruit since the 

 colonization of northern America, and is now collected for the 

 markets in vast quantities, j'et its culture seems to have been 

 almost entirely omitted. I find but few recorded attempts, and 

 these only within the last few years. In 1886, Frank Ford & Sons, 

 Ravenna, O., included them in their nursery catalogue, as follows : 



High-Bush Huckleberry or Blueberry. (Presumably V. corym- 

 bosum.) This grows six to eight feet high, fruit large size and 

 brings the highest price in market. Although a seedling of the 

 swamp variety, it can be grown on au}'^ soil. 



Dwarf Huckleberry. (Presumably V. Pennsylvanicum.) Very 

 early, fruit large, often one-half inch in diameter. Bush grows 

 from six to ten inches in height. This is the earliest variety 

 oflfered, and yields immensely. 



Low Bush Blueberry. (Presumably V. vacillans.') Fruit very 

 sweet, and of superior quality ; grows from one to two feet high. 



Black Huckleberry. (Presumabl}' G. resinosa.) Fruit large ; 

 bush two to three feet high, productive ; in flavor distinct from 

 other varieties, and preferred by many. 



Common Swamp Huckleberry. (Presumably V. Canadense.) 

 This variety grows in abundance in this vicinity in swamps, and 

 large quantities of fruit are marketed every 3'ear. And while we 

 would not recommend this as being as good as the High-Bush 

 described above, for upland culture, as that has been grown for 

 years on upland, it will adapt itself to most soils. 



In their introductory this firm say : 



"This much neglected fruit, which is of such great value, and 

 so eas}' of cultivation, ought to be found in every fruit garden. 



