QlwebeWuf, Guttute 



ADAPTABILITY — Cultivated blueberries are be- 

 ing successfully grown from North Carolina to 

 the Northern boundary of the country, and are 

 generally adapted wherever wild blueberries and 

 huckleberries are found. As cultivated blueberries 

 are now being grown only in limited areas, we do 

 not feel any exact limit of their adaptability has 

 been established, and would suggest small plant- 

 ings anywhere except in the deep South or where 

 the soil is alkaline or very dry. 



SOILS — On natural blueberry soils having an 

 abundance of humus and a fairly constant high 

 water table, blueberries grow well under clean cul- 

 tivation. Such soils must have good surface drain- 

 age, or the plants may be injured, while small, from 

 too constant flooding after heavy rains. Planting 

 on wide ridges, six or seven inches high, will great- 

 lj' reduce the danger of injury. This practice of 

 ridging is now generally followed on this type of 

 soil. On regular soil, the site selected for the 

 blueberry planting should also have good surface 

 drainage, be well supplied with humus and re- 

 tentive of moisture. It should be borne in mind 

 that the productiveness of a blueberry planting 

 depends largely on the moisture supply in the up- 

 per soil, which may be maintained by applying a 

 heavy permanent mulch. Blueberries require a 

 somewhat acid soil, growing well on soils ranging 

 from p. h. 3.8 to 5.5. Soils having a higher p. h. 

 value should not be used. For small plantings, 

 large holes may be dug and filled with soil having 

 the desired p. h., with humus in the form of peat 

 or leaf mold added. 



PLANTING — For commercial planting, plants are 

 set every four feet in rows eight to ten feet apart. 

 Where mulching is to be practiced, the wider row 

 is desirable, as many varieties of blueberries reach 

 a height of six to seven feet and a width of five to 

 six feet. Plants should be set slightly deeper than 

 they grew in the nursery, with the roots well 

 spread out. When planting, we place a thin layer 

 of pulverized peat and sand, which has been soak- 

 ed and mixed half and half, below and above the 

 roots. We feel this makes an ideal rooting med- 

 ium, and will keep the plant well supplied with 

 moisture until it becomes established. So far, we 

 have never lost a plant. Before planting, one-half 

 to two-thirds of the top growth should be pruned 

 off. Blueberry plants have beautiful foliage and, 

 when dormant, the bright colored wood is very 

 attractive, making them very desirable as orna- 

 mental plants. This, plus their large delicious 

 fruit, should give them a place in every home 

 planting. Blueberries are tolerant to partial shade. 

 For the home planting, plants may be set in what- 

 ever manner is convenient, giving them about thir- 

 ty-two square feet of space to each plant. 



MULCHING — On all but natural blueberry soil, 

 mulch should be applied as soon as the plants are 

 set. Such materials as straw, salt hay, sudan 

 grass, pine needles, or leaves may be used, applied 

 at the rate of six to eight tons per acre. Further 

 applications should be made each year in such 

 quantities as are required to maintain the mulch. 

 With individual plants, mulch should be applied 

 over an area six to eight feet square. 



POLLINATION— It is generally conceded that 

 many or all of the cultivated blueberries tend to 

 be self-fertile. Therefore, two or more varieties 

 should be planted to insure good pollination; usu- 

 ally one or two rows of each variety, alternating 

 across the field. 



YIELDS — Cultivated blueberries are very pro- 

 ductive. According to observations by one Experi- 

 ment Station, yields Chat may be expected after 

 the first two years are as follows : 



3rd year 960 qts. per acre 



4th year 1,920 qts. per acre 



5th year & thereafter 2,560 qts. per acre 



We have reports of yields of 4,000 quarts per acre, 

 but this was made on very good soil in the eighth 

 year, and weather was very favorable. Given pro- 

 per care, a blueberry planting will be profitable 



and productive for fifty to seventy-five years, and 

 possibly longer. A field of selected plants pro- 

 duced 2,336 quarts in its twenty-third year, and as 

 the present hybrids and selections are far more 

 productive and the fruit much larger, better yields 

 than this could be expected. 



FERTILIZER — The application of commercial 

 fertilizer has given a very marked increase in the 

 yield and size of fruit. Applications up to 600 lbs. 

 per acre have been very profitable, and indicate 

 that even heavier applications would pay. A mix- 

 ture of 100 lbs. nitrate of soda, 100 lbs. dried blood, 

 400 lbs. rock phosphate and 66 lbs. sulphate of pot- 

 ash has given good results on soils with a p. h. 

 value below 5.D. On less acid soils, sulphate of 

 Ammonia should be used in place of nitrate of soda. 

 In Michigan, a standard 5-10-12 fertilizer has been 

 used successfully. 



PROFITS— Since the introduction of the large, 

 delicious, cultivated varieties of blueberries, prices 

 have been very high, ranging from about 30c to 

 $1.00 per quart. There is never sufficient fruit 

 available to supply the ever increasing demand, 

 and, so far the potential market for cultivated 

 blueberries has only been scratched. Recently, one 

 of the largest receivers of fresh fruits on the New 

 York market told us they were only receiving a few 

 crates a day in the peak of the season, while they 

 could use at least 300 crates daily at practically 

 the same price. While on many of the smaller 

 wholesale markets, cultivated blueberries have 

 never been offered. 



We have been watching the progress of the cul- 

 tivated blueberries for the past nine years, and 

 with the development of better varieties dnd im- 

 proved cultural practices, we decided ''there was 

 gold in them thar blues" for most fruit growers, 

 and we felt it our duty to our customers to tell 

 them about it. We have a limited supply of plants 

 of the best varieties and although plants are still 

 quite scarce, our prices are very reasonable. Plant 

 some this year and get started in this new and 

 profitable business. 



Ready Made 



Blueberry Gardens 

 of the Finest Bearing Age Plants 



Either of these will produce an abundance 

 of large delicious fruit for the average family. 



ECONOMY GARDEN 



3 Cabot (Early), 6-12 in. 



3 Rancocas (Mid-season), 6-12 in. 



3 Jersey (Late), 6-12 in. 



All for Only $2.98 



EARLY BEARING GARDEN 



2 Cabot (Early), 12-18 in. 

 2 Rancocas (Mid-season)), 12-18 in. 

 2 Rubel (mid-season), 12-18 in. 

 2 Jersey (Late), 12-18 in. 



All for Only $3.98 



24 



