be used on that soil if it were not mulched. The procedure in following years 
may be judged from the appearance of the plants: enough nitrogen should 
be used to maintain good growth and a dark green leaf color. 
Where natural conditions are far from favorable, it is possible to make 
up a soil suitable for blueberries. Wet spots can be drained and made into 
blueberry beds with very little additional trouble. Clay or well-limed land 
offers most obstacles to the blueberry gardener. Under extreme conditions, a 
trench may be dug 4 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and long enough to hold the 
number of plants wanted when spaced 4 to 6 feet apart. The trench is then 
filled with a mixture of one part sand or sandy soil, one part thoroughly rotted 
leaf mold, and one part weathered sawdust, shredded peat, or partly rotted 
oak leaves. If drainage is difficult to accomplish, the bed may be partly raised 
or even built above the ground level and the sloping sides sodded to prevent 
erosion. The plants are set in the middle of a bed so formed and are then 
watered and mulched. Watering will be necessary whenever the soil be- 
comes dry. 
The plants need commercial fertilizer for best growth. The mixture to be 
used depends on the fertility of the land, but as an example, well-fertilized 
fields use 7-7-7 or 5-10-5 at the rate of one half pound to a large bush. This 
1s spread evenly over the area between 6 inches from the plant and 2 feet 
away, soon after the plants start to grow in spring. A top-dressing of nitrate 
of soda or sulfate of ammonia, 2 to 3 ounces to a large bush, may be added 
in June if the plants appear to lack vigor. The sulfate of ammonia seems to 
give good results when the soil has a pH value above 5.5, and the nitrate of 
soda when the pH is lower. 
Set Vigorous, Well-Grown Plants 
Blueberry plants may be bought from nurseries or from growers in the 
blueberry region. The usual plants have been in a cutting bed for one year 
and in a nursery row for another year. They have a vigorous growth and are 
12 to 24 inches high. The lower figure is for Cabot, which is a spreading 
variety. Plants of this age are called “2-year old plants.” 
Usually, plantings in March and April do best, although planting in 
September is satisfactory. Bushes are set out at the same depth they were 
in the nursery and watered well. All fruit buds should be removed at once and 
the plant pruned to not more than three main stems. If the soil conditions are 
right, vigorous bush growth occurs throughout the first year. 
The more common and well-established varieties are Cabot ‘and June for 
early fruit; Rancocas, early midseason; Stanley and Concord, midseason ; and 
Rubel and Jersey, late. Newer varieties that have larger fruit but have not 
been tested over so long a period are Weymouth for early fruit; Pemberton, 
Atlantic, and Dixi for midseason; and Burlington for later berries. At least 
two varieties should be used to assure cross pollination. All except Cabot grow 
to a height of 6 to 8 feet under good conditions and bear large fruit. Bushes 
in the best of condition may bear over 5 quarts to the bush, but few com- 
mercial fields average that much. 
