Photograph from U. S. Department of Agriculture 

 THE GREENHOUSE BLUEBERRY OE I (HI 



This illustration was published in the National Geographic Magazine for February, 

 191 1, as an example of the fruit of a cultivated blueberry. These berries, reproduced in their 

 natural size, were among the first that were produced on greenhouse plants. The plant itself 

 was a seedling from a lar^e-berried wild bush. 



not only by the symmetry and beauty of 

 youth, but by youth's vigor and fruitful- 

 ness as well. The wild blueberry is the 

 real and literal phcenix among fruits. 



BLUEBERRIES ARE AS DIFFERENT AS 



INDIVIDUALS 



The development of a large-fruited 

 blueberry is very desirable from the 

 standpoint of the grower, for not only is 

 the cost of picking much reduced, but the 

 market price is much increased. One 

 characteristic of the blueberry, however, 

 is of far more importance than size, 

 namely, flavor. When one buys blue- 

 berries in the market he gets a mixture 

 of berries from many bushes, and the 

 composite flavor is always good. 



It would be a mistake, however, to in- 

 fer that the blueberries from all wild 

 bushes are of good flavor. Thev are not. 



In selecting wild bushes bearing large 

 and handsome berries, to be used as 

 breeding stocks, it has been found that 

 some wild blueberries are sour, others in- 

 sipid, other rank or even bitter in taste. 



All bushes whose berries are devoid of 

 sweetness and the special flavor that char- 

 acterizes the most delicious blueberries 

 are rejected for breeding purposes, how- 

 ever large or externally beautiful their 

 fruit may be. It is confidently expected 

 that the hybrids produced from such se- 

 lected parents not only will average better 

 in flavor than the wild berries, but that 

 an occasional hybrid will excel in this 

 respect the best wild berries that we 

 know (see pages 540 to 543). 



The improved and cultivated blueberry 

 will be above criticism as to the size of 

 its seeds. All the large-seeded species of 

 this class of berries belong - to the true 



538 



