THE BLUEBERRY IX MAIXE. 



W. ]M. MUNSON. 



Authors have not made a very clear discrimination in the 

 vernacular names of the plants variously known as huckleberries 

 and blueberries. In New England, however, the term blueberry 

 is generally applied to various species of Vaccinium, — particu- 

 larly Vaccinium Pennsylvanicum, Lam., V. vacillans, Solander, 

 and V. Canadense, Kalm, which are not separated when har- 

 vested for market. V. corytuhosuin, L., is known as high bush 

 blueberry. Huckleberry, on the other hand, usually refers to 

 species of Gaylussacia in which the seeds are large and prom- 

 inent — particularly G. dumosa T. & G. and G. resinosa, T. & G. 

 The terms whortleberry and bilberry, which are given prom- 

 inence in American references to plants of this class, are never 

 heard among the "common people." The word huckleberry 

 does not occur in English works except those of recent date, 

 and there is no satisfactor}' explanation of the origin of the 

 word.* 



SPECIES FOUND OX THE BARRENS. 



In the summer of 1898, in company with Professor Harvey, 

 the writer made an extended visit to the blueberry fields in the 

 vicinity of Cherryfield for the purpose of studying the different 

 types found there. The following brief account of the species 

 found mav be of interest in this connection : 



* The term huckleberry is, according- to W. R. Gerard {Trans. Mass. Hort. Society, 

 1890, p. 17), merely a corruption by the Annerican colonists of hurtleberry, which 

 is simply a changed pronunciation of whortleberry, which again is a corruption 

 of myrtleberry (from Vaccinium myrtillus). The corruption from hurtleberry is 

 veiy easy bj' dropping the first r, i. e. hutleberry. Others derive the name whortle- 

 berry from the Anglo Saxon heort-berg, hart-berry, or as we would say deer-berry. 

 The question is discussed by Dr. E. Lewis Sturtevant, in the Transactions of the 

 Massachusetts Horticultural Society, 1890, p. 18. 



