124 MAINE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION. IOXJI. 



Several instances of the successful and profitable garden 

 culture of blueberries are cited in the Annual Report of the 

 Maine Agricultural Experiment Station. 1898. 1 



While for the production of improved types it will doubtless 

 be necessary to resort to the culture of seedling plants, the length 

 of time required for. results an«.! the careful attention to details 

 in ihe management of seedlings, as well as the uncertainly- of 

 results, will restrict such culture tc the experiment stations, or 

 .0 a few enterprising nurserymen. The ordinary fruit grower 

 may, however, secure a stock of plants from a neighboring 

 pasture or swamp, and by giving the same attention to culture 

 which he would give to currants may secure very satisfactory- 

 results. For this purpose, the high-bush blueberry. V. cot 

 bos win and, its varieties are perhaps the best sorts. They are 

 relatively easy to transplant, either from swamp or upland, and 

 are of good size and very prolific. The variety amanum is a 

 rather dwarf form with very large berries and grows freely on 

 the upiand. V, vacillans is the next best species for cultivation 

 £5 £ small fruit." 



THE BLUEBERRY INDUSTRY. 



Although from the earliest colonial times the blueberry has 

 been highly prized as an article of food, very little attention has 

 been given to the systematic exploitation of our resources in this 

 direction. 



In many of the northern and eastern states — particularly in 

 New England. Xew York, Michigan and the mountains of Penn- 

 sylvania and West Virginia- — there are thousands of acres of 

 land worthless for agricultural purposes which, after the pine 

 is removed, send up an abundant growth of blueberry busz-rs 

 alders, poplars, grey birches and spiraeas. It is believed that by 

 proper management these lands may be made to yield a hand- 

 some profit to their owners, and furnish employment to a large 

 number of people. 



At the present time these lands are, for the most part, con- 

 sidered as public property, and irresponsible parties, recognizing 

 the fact that the blueberry crop is more abundant on young 

 bushes which spring up after a fire, recklessly burn over vast 

 areas and destroy valuable forests for their own selfish gain. 



l Re] M m id Agr- Exp. Sta- 189S, 170 



