table waste. Do not use manure. State agricul- 
tural experiment stations and county agricultural 
agents will make acidity tests. If these show a pH 
reaction higher than 4.5, acidify the soil by adding ~ 
more acid peat or other organic material, or apply- 
ing aluminum sulphate or fine dusting sulphur. 
The amount needed will be indicated by the test. 
Dig the soil at least 12 in. deep. Or, if more 
convenient, trenches that deep and 3 ft. or 4 ft. 
wide can be dug and filled with the recommended - 
soil mixture. 
Planting. A blueberry plant will not pollinate 
itself, so a planting should include specimens 
propagated from at least two different parent 
plants; alternating rows of two or more varieties 
is a still better arrangement. 
Plant blueberries in early spring. or September 
and October.. Spacing as wide as 8 ft. by 8 ft. is 
sometimes advised, but in gardens, plants can 
stand 3 ft., by 4 ft. or 5 ft. apart. Do not let the 
roots dry out and keep as much soil around them 
as possible. Set plants 1% in. or so deeper than they 
stood before, firm soil well but not so as to injure 
the fine roots and, after half filling the hole with 
soil, fill it with water and let this soak in before . 
finishing the job. Then spread around the plants 
a 6 in. mulch of loose, absorbent material: leaves, 
straw, grass clippings, old shavings, excelsior, etc. 
Add to it yearly as the under part rots into 
the soil, and shake it up occasionally to prevent 
its matting down. In dry locations, set plants a 
few inches below soil level and fill the depression 
around them with the mulch. | 
After Care. Commercial plantings are often 
kept cultivated from the time growth starts until 
late summer; as the plants are shallow-rooted the 
soil must not be stirred more than 2 in. deep. In 
gardens, mulching makes cultivation unnecessary 
and keeps the soil moist and cool. 
