V 



VACCINIUM [classical Latin name of the European 

 Whortleberry ; etyniuktiry itneertaiu). J^'rii'()c-'(.r. In- 

 cluding BlLBEKKY. BLL"EBEliKV, HlcKLEBEKUV, WlK.'i;- 

 TLEBEKKY, CUAXBEKUY. Bvanchiu.li- shruliS, rriTlMnij; 



viues or ^mall tr<.'L's. soim.'! iiiujs e|il|>hytfs : Ivs. alter- 

 nate, evergreen or deeidu^'us, euriarriMis or meiulira- 

 naeeous: Ms. small, white, pinkish ur redilish. in latrral 

 racemes or terminal clusters, sometimes solitary in the, 

 axils, mostly midding on slcudrr-hracted pedicids and 

 bearing '.due. hhiek or ri'd K.'rrvdike fruits, in(.)stlv edi- 

 ble; calyx 4-j-tMoth('d. adli-T.'nt to tin- ovary, pi-rsistent, 

 forming a er<.'\\'n-like a[>pi'niUii,a-- to the fruit; citMilla 

 various iu shape, usually canipanuUite, cylindrai-oous 

 or urn-shaped, rarely sul>gh>buse, 4-5-toothed or rieft ; 

 stamens twice as nuuiy as the lubes of the corolla, dis- 

 tinct, iucltided within the corolla-tul)e or oxsiTtt-d; ;iii- 

 thers often 2-awnod at the back, the cells se|iarair antl 

 prolonged upward into tubes at the apex, oi>L-uiu,L;- by 

 terminal pores or chinks; pistil single, with a 4-.")- oi- 

 8-10-loculed ovary, which is glabrous or hirstite. F1ow(-_ts 

 borne in spring with or before the leaves; berries ripi^ 

 iu summer and autumn, sweetish or sometimes acid, 

 mostly edible. The genus includes abotit 125 sjieidos of 

 wide geographic distribution, extending from the arctic 

 circle to the high mouutaius of the tropics; most com- 

 mon in North America and the Himalayas. With N^ery 

 few exceptions (e. g.. 1'. e riithr'nnim in Java and IJiii/r- 

 nense in Madagascar) the getius is unrepresented iu the 

 southern hemisphere and in the lower regions of the 

 tropics. 



There is much confusion iu the popular m^mes aji- 

 plied to these fruits. The terms "Bilberry " and "Whor- 

 tleberry" usually mentioned as "cunnnou names" by 

 American writers are seldom or never heard among 

 the cotnmon people in this cotintry ; while "Huckle- 

 berry" is often used indiscriminately for plants of 

 this genus and for the tlayhissacias. In the central 

 states the term " Hucklt-berry " is tisually applied tu 

 V. eofijmbosum, while " Blm-ljerry " is given to the low- 

 growing species, like I'. C<nind<'ii>iiti and Pen DStflrioi/- 

 ci(m. In Xew England, ''Huckleberry" is reserved for 

 species of Gaylussacia, while "Blueberry" is applied to 

 the lower growing spe'-ies as above, and "High-bush 

 Blueberry"to i'. ciri/niOmojnt . The red-brrrii-d species 

 are, in general, referred to as "Cranberries." 



Among the plants which lend tone to the landsca]ir 

 in October and Xnvember by reason of their bri.Lrht 

 foliage, many of the spocies of Vaccinium may be in- 

 cluded,— the brilliant rt-d, crimson and orange colors 

 often persistiTig nnicli longer than the bright-hued 

 leaves of a majority of other plants. Of the ornamen- 

 tal species none are more strikingly beautiful late in 

 the autumn than the common High-bush Bltieberry, I'. 

 cori/mhosiini. Wln-u well gn.iwji it is a stotit. thiid-;, 

 spreading bush 8-10 ft. high. The plant is beautiful 

 when in flower; the fruit is attractive and of the best 

 quality, and the bright scarlet and crimson effects in 

 late autumn, rivaling the sumach in I)rillianfy, are un- 

 surpassed. As an ornamental plant the spi-.dfs deserves 

 a place in every garden. T. Pmnifinl r<f nii-n m also 

 brightens waste places for a short time, but droj)S its 

 foliage too early to be worthy of planting as an und<-r- 

 shrub. The same is true of \'. dt mnh )!.■<(', V7\\\(']i is in 

 many respects similar. r. st<t in'nn-inn, thongli early 

 deciduous, is attractive when in bloom and tlirorii::)iont 

 the summer, by reason of jts graceful haldt. Thouiih 

 usually found on gravelly soil, it will thrive in any 

 good garden soil, and it is one of the very few orna- 

 rnental shrubs si)ecially suited for dei^sely shaded situa- 

 tions. It has the ]ieculiarity of never forming a true 

 flower-bud, the l>Iossom being open from the tirst. T . 

 cirhoreiini forms an irregular shrub too diffuse and 

 strangling to be of value except in masses at the South. 

 r. hirsnfum is as beautiful in its autumn coloring as is 

 V. eorymho^nni and, like that species, retains its foliage 

 late in the season. )'. \'iffS-T(Jcea and vJnji)ios}iin , with 



iheir shining box-like foliage, are (-ffectivo as edging 

 for the shrnl)bery border. 



In the wild state the Blueberry was originally wor- 

 thier of notice than was the blackbi-rry, ras|.l.je"rrv or 

 currant, but the natural supi>ly is so al>undan1 'that 

 little attiMition ha.s !.)e(m -iven to i^'arden coltivatii>n. 

 At tile .Maine Agrictiltural Experiment .Siaiion svsti-- 

 matic work is in progress, antl seviTal instajices of suc- 

 cessful amateur curti\-aIion are rei-,,rde<l frorn 31assa- 

 <-.liusi-tts. Tin- plants of some si)(^cies are very snsccp- 

 lilde i.'f improvL-nn'Ut under good <-iilti \atiM)i ;" ihe liest 

 in order of merit Lieing I', '■"riin/hnsioii , racil/ti ns ami 

 Cainidi-ii.^e. The liushes should be transplanted in the 

 fall and treated mtndi the same as curraids. An\" giioil 

 garden soil is suitable. 



Of all the American spe<des used for food, the ruost 

 important are, I', rornnihos/un. Pc u ii.^ijl i-<uiii-inii , Caini- 

 .Iriis,' and r.u'ilhiiis.' The lirst ..f these, the High-bii.l, 

 Blueberry, or Swa,nip Blueberry, or " II i)cklel.)erry " of 

 the middle west, is of tirni texture, good size and ex- 

 cellent flavor. The shrtib is easily transjilanted, grows 

 rapidly on an)' good soil, and more than auv othiiT spe- 

 ides shows a marked tendency to var\" in tlie size, 

 shape and quality of its frtiit. It is the natural stai'ting 

 point in attempts to a.dd the Blueberry to the list of 

 <'ultivate<l fruits. Dtiritig the past few )'ears it has re- 

 ceived Considerable attention as a ganh-n frtiit, espe- 

 cially in New England. The other species nanied grow 



mostiv on uplands,— I '. Prmisiih-:! nirmn . especiallv, on 

 dry sandy " barrens "—and form the ludk of the Blue- 

 berry crop as seen in the cities or at the canning fac- 

 tories. 



In nutny of the northern and eastern states — particu- 

 larly in New England, New York, New Jersey, Michi- 

 gan and the niountain districts of Pennsylvania and 

 West Virginia— there are many thousand acres of land, 

 worthless for agrictiltural purposes, which after the pine 

 is removed send up an abundant growth of Blue- 

 lierry bushes, alders, poplars, gray birches and spireas. 

 These lands are, for the most part, considered as (mblic 

 I)roperty and are recklessly burned over by irresponsi- 

 IJe parties to promote the growth of the Blueberries. 

 In New England, pai'ticularly iu Maine, the mamtge- 

 ment of such lands has heen systematized and Blue- 

 berry canning has become an important industrial 

 operation. In some instances the whole business is un- 

 der the management of the landowners, but in most 

 cases the land is divided into several tracts, each of 

 which is leased to sonie res])or)sible party who assumes 

 the whole care of burning, keeping oif trespassers, har- 

 vesting and marketing the fruit; the owner, in such 

 caees, rec(dving as rental one-half cent per qtiart for all 

 fruit gathered. Pickers receive 1^..-H cents per quart. 

 Those wIh' lease the land and haul tlie fruit to canning 

 fai.'tory or staliini for shi]'nieTit recidve ^-^-1 cent per 

 quart. These rates are determim.'d in accordance with 

 the nuirket value of the cro].. 



Every year a certain section of eaidi lease is burned 

 over. This burning must be done very early in the 

 spring, before the soil becomes dry; otherwise the fire 

 goes too deep, the humus is burm-d fr(nn the ground 

 and most of the busln-'s are killed. IMany hundred acres 

 on what should be the best part of the Blueberry plains 

 have thus been ruined. The method most commonly 

 used in burning a given area is for the operator to jiass 

 arouml the section to ))e burned, dragging after him an 

 ordinary torch or milldamp. He then retraces his steps 

 and follows over the burned area, setting new fires iu 

 The portions which have esca]>ed and back-firing if 

 there is danger of spreading unduly over areas which 

 it is desired to leave unlmrm-d. A device occasionally 

 used consists of a ydece of ^^-inch gas-pipe, bent near 

 the end at an angle of about bO'^. The end opposite the 

 bent p.art is closed with a cap or plug and in the other 

 end, after filling the pipe with kerosene, is placed a 

 plug of cotton waste or tow. This device is by many 



(1889) 



