E. W. TOWNSEND SONS • SALISBURY • MARYLAND 



21 



Commercial Blueberry Planting 



Photo, by U. S. D. A- 



Hybrid Blueberry Plant in Bearing 



rpHE gradually diminishing supply of blueberries 

 I in latter years has created a greater interest in 

 the possibilities of improving the blueberry and 

 growing it under cultivation. In 1908 Dr. F. V. 

 Covin of U. S. Department of Agriculture became 

 interested in this work and his efforts in the deter- 

 mining soil requirements and in breeding and se- 

 lecting varieties of unusually large size have been 

 of great value in developing the cultivated blue- 

 berries. Various State Experimental Stations have 

 taken up the work and are making rapid progress. 

 The improvement over the v.-ild blueberries has 

 been such as to merit the planting on a commercial 

 scale. They are also being grown successfully by 

 the market gardener and are being planted 

 throughout the country for home use. The varieties 

 that we are offering are all introductions made by 

 the Department of Agriculture and cover the sea- 

 son from early to late. 



Selective List New-Better 



• CABOT (Season Early) 



Cabot is an early variety, for many years the earliest of 

 the named varieties and has been planted very exten- 

 sively by blueberry growers. It is slightly acid, fruit of 

 attractive purple color, of an unusually large size. 



• CONCORD (Midseason) 



The Concord blueberry was so named because of its large 

 clusters of berries, which, all ripe at the same time, 

 resemble clusters of Concord grapes. Concord berries are 

 delicious when they are allowed to remain on the bush 

 until fully ripe and have lost the excessive acidity thev 

 possess when they first turn blue. Concord is a mid- 

 season variety, ripening at about the same time as 

 Pioneer. 



• PIONEER (Midseason) 



Pioneer was so designated because it was the first named 

 variety developed as a result of blueberry breeding. Its 

 berries are of light blue color, sweet, of excellent flavor, 

 and when fully ripe are without acidity. We recommend 

 Pioneer for a fine mid-season variety. 



• RANCOCAS (Medium Early) 



Rancocas is a second-early variety, ripening Its berries 

 later than Cabot and earlier than Pioneer. The original 

 bush bore berries up to 18 mm in diameter. Berries in 

 commercial plantations sometimes exceed 19 mm. Ran- 

 cocas tends to the production of heavy crops on young 

 and healthy bushes, so heavy indeed that unusual care 

 must be taken to prune the bushes severelv in order to 

 insure a good crop in the following year, the leaves of 

 Rancocas have finely toothed margins. The berries have 

 a small, dry scar and are very easily picked. 



SELECTIVE LIST 



GIANT HYBRID 



BLUEBERRIES 



YIELDS — Quite a little depends on varieties and proper 

 soil and cultivation as determining yields. Under good 

 soil and good business management one-third of an acre 

 of seven year old plants yielded at the rate of 96 bushels 

 per acre. Fruit sold for a little over SIO.OO per bushel. 

 The next year this jame acre yielded at the rate of 117 

 bushels per acre. Gross receipts: SI, 280 per acre. 

 TIME TO PLANT— To insure plants getting off to a good 

 start before hot weather it is best to prepare ground 

 and set as soon as possible in the spring. In the southern 

 states and mid-western states October and November 

 plantings can be made. 



FRUITING AGE — Commercial planters usually set strong, 

 one-year plants. Under proper cultivation these produce 

 some fruit the second summer after set. The two-year 

 plants if set in the spring will fruit the second stimmer, 

 and three-year old plants have been known to set fruit 

 the first year if no great amount of check in transplant- 

 ing takes place. The size of plants has a great deal to 

 do with the amount of fruit set early after transplanted. 

 However, this has no bearing on the amount of fruit 

 produced from plants after they have been set at least 

 two full years. 



Varieties Giant Blueberries 



• RUBEL (Large Mid-season Variety) 



This variety ripens about two weeks later than Cabot. 

 The bush is an upright grower, very vigorous, hardy and 

 productive. Fruit is medium large of a light blue, very 

 firm; can be shipped long distance. Some of the largest 

 Blueberry plantings in New Jersey have a good proportion 

 of their plantings to this variety. The quality is con- 

 sidered to be fairly good, although somewhat acid. From 

 the standpoint of growth, yields and other characteristics 

 this variety can be classed almost ideal. 



• JERSEY (Season Late) 



The berries of Jersey are large to extra large and. until 

 dead ripfe, too acid for the taste of most persons. It Is 

 a good shipping berry and one which stands up well In 

 transit. It 1? considered by commercial growers to be 

 one of the leading late varieties. Jersey is of remarkably 

 robust growth and makes an attractive ornamental 

 plant when grown in the home garden. 



• PRICES • 



TOWNSEND SELECTED STRAIN 

 GIANT BLUEBERRIES 









3 to 9 



10 to 29 



30 to 100 







Plants 



Plants 



Plants 



Plants 







Each 



Each 



Each 



Each 



1 yr. 



3-6 in. . 



. .$0.40 



80.35 



S0.30 



$0.25 



2 yr. 



7-12 in. 



. . . .75 



.65 



.50 



.45 



3 yr. 



12-18 in. 



. . 1.00 



.85 



.70 



.65 



4 yr. 



18-24 in. 



. . 1.50 



1.30 



1.15 



1.00 



• 



Larger Q 



uantity— V 



^rite ior S 



pecial Que 



(tations 



• Blueberry culture bulletin mailed free on request 



