Thousands and thousands of bushels of this fruit could be gathered with little labor. It is seen in the dried state at every lodge. All careful Indian housewives dry it . ., . Indians and explorers sometimes included these berries in their preparation of pemmican. Whortleberry from the Anglo-Saxon and Bilberry from the Danish are European names for Blueberries, Fifteen or 20 species of them are found in North America.
Most kinds bear fruit in clusters.
Other people mistakenly believe that blueberries always have blue or bluish fruit, and that all huckleberries are black or purplish black. The Black Huckleberry is the most widespread of the many kinds and the only one found in the Chicago region. It is a low-growing shrub, from one to three feet tall. The small stiff oval leaves are very resinous and feel sticky when pinched. The Highbush, the Lowbush and the Canada Blueberries are also found in a few places near Chicago.