TWENTY-SIXTH SESSION. 
59 
THE OUTLOOK. 
What of the future? The distribution of the blueberry is not confined to 
n few thousand acres in Maine; but throughout New England, New York, 
Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, and many other states, are vast 
areas which, while bearing a considerable number of bushes and yielding 
a profitable return to the few people who make a practice of gathering the 
wild fruit, are not utilized as they might be. The systematic treatment of 
the wild lands, as already described, might with profit be extended to many 
other sections. 
There are also large areas, otherwise worthless, which might without doubt 
be made to yield good returns if in some way a growth of blueberries could 
be started— either by setting bushes or by scattering seed. Perhaps this sug- 
gestion may be regarded as visionary, but it is quite within the range of 
possibilities. 
Another phase of the subject which is worthy of careful attention, is that 
of domestication and the improvement of types by selection. Little has ever 
been attempted in the garden culture of the blueberry. That satisfactory 
results might be obtained, however, there is little doubt. The fruit in its 
wild state is far superior to that of many other cultivated plants, and is 
very susceptible to the influence of environment. 
At the Maine Experiment Station some attention is being given to this 
matter. Numerous clumps of bushes of the several species, which bore fruit 
of special merit, were transferred to the garden last year and are making 
a vigorous growth. The plot under cultivation at the present time includes 
about one-eighth of an acre and the area will be increased this fall. 
In Massachusetts several gentlemen have undertaken the cultivation of the 
blueberry in an amateur way with encouraging results. The fruit sold from 
the cultivated bushes commanded nearly double the price of that shipped 
in from the wild lands. The most promising species for this purpose of culti- 
vation appears to be the high-bush berry, Vaccinium Goryrribosum. Of the 
species there are very well marked varieties which may be perpetuated by 
division or by grafting. 
In general, one is perfectly safe in predicting, that within a very few years a 
race of garden blueberries, rivaling in value some of the best of the other 
small fruits, will be placed before the public and the culture of the blue- 
berry will be as much a matter of course as is that of the blackberry or the 
raspberry. 
The evening session was pleasantly terminated with an interesting talk on 
“Fruit Culture in the Mediterranean Countries,” by Mr. Walter T. Swingle, 
of the Section of Seed and Plant Introduction, U. S. Dept, of Agriculture. 
Mr. Swingle’s remarks were illustrated with lantern slides, and were much 
enjoyed by those present 
