HORTICULTURAL STATUS OF THE GENUS VACCINIUM. 



125 



Although very large quantities of fruit are gathered through- 

 out the northern and Atlantic states, the industry has been more 

 nearly systematized in New England than elsewhere. One 

 writer in 1887 states 1 that he ships an average of 1,000 bushels 

 a year from his farm in New Hampshire and as many more for 

 his neighbors. He estimates that on one branch of the Boston 

 & Maine Railroad as many as 20,000 bushels are shipped 

 annually. 



THE BLUEBERRY BARRENS. 



In the southeastern part of Maine, there are about 150,000 

 acres known as the "blueberry barrens." Much of this land 

 was burned over by the Indians before the colonial period and 

 since the removal of the timber from the remainder, it too has 

 been repeatedly burned to keep down the growth of birches and 

 alders, and to facilitate the harvesting of the fruit. 



About 40,000 acres of the barrens belong to Mr. William 

 Freeman of Cherryfield, Maine, who may properly be regarded 

 as the pioneer in the blueberry industry of America. After long 

 and bitter litigation he proved beyond question his right to 

 charge royalty for all fruit gathered on his lands and estab- 

 lished a systematic method of treatment which is applicable, 

 under most conditions, everywhere. The method is somewhat 

 as follows : 



1 Country Gentleman, 1S87, 565. 



