FOR REALLY RIG PROFITS 



Cultivated Blueberries are making big 

 Plant now that you too 



Altompts to improve the wild liiuelierry l>.v breeding were first made by Dr. Fredericli V. 

 Ooville of the U. H. D. A. in 1900, and from this worli has grown a new and very protfiable 

 industry. Until recently, cultivated blueberries could be grown successfully only on natural 

 blueberry Hoil. Such land is usually rough and far from good roads, requiring much labor 

 and expense to get it in condition for planting. On soils of this type, which have a high water 

 table and are abundantly supplied with turf, leaf mold and other organic matter, clean cultiva- 

 ( ion is pj'Mcticed right up dose to the plants. All attempts to grow cultivated blueberries on 

 iipl.'iiid soils in this iniuincr fiiileil ; the plants simply refused to make satisfactory growth. A 

 snuill pliinliiig ()]] tb(' N. .1. lOxpcrimeut Station farm near New Brunswick, N. J., cultivated In 

 lliis iiiiiiiiicr Tcir sc\cr:il yi'iirs, simply stood still; the plants lived but failed to grow. Finally, 

 it \v;is (Icciilcd Id pill llic plaiils under a deep piTmaiieiit mulch of salt hay. The following 

 yc!u- llic pbiiils mkkIi' ux'i'i Krowlli and biivc conliiiiuMl to do so ever since. We have been 

 walcliiiif,' I Ills |il:iij|iiiK for live years, growing on llic uplands of N. J., and it is fully as piM- 

 ducllv(' as iilaiiliiigs <iii (he liiicst natural blueberry soil — yielding as high as six quarts of large, 

 delicious berries per plani:. 



Our oxp(!rienie was the same with a small planting of Pioneer made in 1931. Cultivated 

 faithfully for four years, the plants simply stood still. Following the practice of New Jersey, 

 we decided to mulch willi pine needles. Every year since, the plants have made a nice 

 growth, often as nuicb ns clglilccn lo Iwcnly-fimr inches, and have produced good yields. 



The cause of this grcal response of bluelierries to mulching on upland soils is really very 

 simiile. The blueberry Is very slmllow root(>(l. yet I'lvpiircs a large ipiantity of moisture, 

 ('ullivallon on upliiiul soil ciiiiscs I be drying out of llic lop soil, while conserving the moisture 

 deeper down; Ibiis, llic blueberry |ilanl, willi its slmllow roots, is feeding in this dry top soil. 

 Willi I he deep pciiiiiiiiciit niulcli, inoislurc is relained riglit up to the surface of the soil and 



■ools are not ( 

 riicsc liiidings 



sliirl 



abilily of cuKi 



wide field for the growing of blueberries, which are now, by far, the 

 di fruits. The permanence, high profit possibilities and the depend- 

 lierries make them the one fruit crop you should be sure to consider. 



ADAl'TABIMTY— Cultivated blueberries an 



fully grown from North Carotin 



' ' ntry, and 



hern boundary of the 



•ies arc toun 



d. As cultivated blueberries 



lOinp: grown t 



unly in limited areas, we do 



in.v exact lin 



lit of their adaptability has 



hlislied, and 



would suggest small plant- 



•here except 



In the deep South or where 



alkaline or ■ 



.ci-.v dr.v. 



-On natural 



blueberry soils liaviii}: iiu 



■ of humus 



and a fairly constant high 





s K'ri'W well under clean cul- 



Such soils ni 



iist have good surface drain- 



■ plants niuy 



bo injured, while small, from 





afl.r heavy rains. Planting 



i,l';;es."s'i'x"'/; 



seven indies high, will great- 



llic <l;in^'.r 



..r in jury. Tins practice ot 





lly followed on this type of 



'rcirular' soi'l' 



, the site selected for the 



Phinlinp si. 



uild also liave good surface 



Cluster of 



Blueberries 



Delicious 



and Profitable Fruit 



ve ol ni.iisture. It should he borne in mind 

 the productiveness of a blueberry planting 

 ids largely nn the moisture supply in the up- 

 ;eil, which may be maintained by applying a 

 y permanent mulch. Blueberries require a 

 what acid soil, growing well on soils ranging 



p.h. 3.S to 5.5. Soils having a higher p.h. 

 ■ should not be used. For small plantings, 



holes may be dug and filled with soil having 

 ' the form of peat 



profits for growers; often returning $500.00 or more per acre annually, 

 may enjoy these big profits. 



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 iu 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 root- 

 ing medium, and will keep the plant well 

 supplied with moisture until it becomes es- 

 tablished. So far, we have never lost a 

 plant. Before planting, one-half to two- 

 thirds of the top growth should be pruned 

 oft. Blueberry plants have beautiful fol- 

 iage and, when dormant, the bright color- 

 ed wood is very attractive, making them 

 very desirable as ornamental plants. This, 

 plus their large delicious fruit, should give 

 them a place in every home planting. 

 Blueberries are tolerant to partial 

 shade. For (lie lionie planting, 

 plants may be set in whatever 

 manner is convenient, giving them 

 about thirty-two square feet of 

 space to each plant. 



MULCHING— On all but natur- 

 al 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. 



P0H.INAT10N— It is generally 

 conceded that many or all of the 

 cultivated blueberries tend to be 

 self-sterile. Therefore, two 

 varieties should be planted to in- 

 sure good pollination; usually one 

 or two rows of each variety, al- 

 ternating across the field. 



YIELDS— Cultivated blueberries 

 are very productive. According to 

 observations by one Experiment 

 Station, yields that may be ex- 

 pected after the first two years are 

 as follows: 



3rd year 910 qts. per acre 



4th year 1,920 qts. per acre 



oth year & thereafter 2,500 qts. per 



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 2.330 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. 



yield and size ot 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, 

 'k phuspliate aiul (HI lbs. sulphate ot pot- 



Four Year Old Kubel Bush. 



. . . Fruit on every twig the 

 rule with RAYNER'S 

 correctly grown Blueberry 



plants. 



