THE BLUEBERRY AND HUCKLEBERRY 175 



largest berries taken. Cut back severely and set close 

 together about as deep as they stood in the pasture, 

 tramping the soil firmly a'jout the roots. A mulch 

 should be placed around the roots and if very dry a lib- 

 eral amount of water be poured into the holes to settle 

 the soil about the roots before the mulch is put on. 

 Additional mulch or manure should be placed about them 

 when it becomes thin. Another method of treatment 

 which is more generally satisfactory is to clear a blue- 

 berry or huckleberry lot of everything but good, strong 

 bushes of these fruits. Divide into three lots and early 

 in the spring spread manure or fertilizer among them. 

 Then mow the tops of one plot close to the ground. The 

 two plots not cut down will produce a large crop of fruit 

 if the season is favorable, and the new canes on the 

 other plot will make a strong growth that for the next 

 two years will yield very large and fine fruit. The 

 second spring plot No. 2 is cut down, and No. 3 and 

 Xo. 1 bear fruit. After this three years' rotation two 

 plots of bushes will be producing vigorous canes that 

 will yield an abundance of fine fruit, if, in addition to 

 cutting back, an occasional dressing of manure or 

 fertilizer be applied. 



Many brush pastures, by a little thinning out of 

 "robber" plants, treated in the above manner, may be 

 made a source of considerable income. Women and 

 children can generally be found who will pick the ber- 

 ries on shares "if the picking is good," and the fruit be 

 gathered when it will bring the best prices. 



