The Portland daily press., 1867-08-17
The Ba, rcns" or Biusberry Plains Of


A correspondent of the New York Times,
writing from Mount Desert, gives a very in
teresting description of the Blueberry Plains
in the County OF Washington that lie be-
tween the Narraguagus and Machias rivers.
The territory embracing them is large, being
about 225 square miles, and embraces tracts
of'lands IN Cheuyheld, Beddington, Colum-
bia, Deblois, Township No. 18 ard part OF
Township No. 10 "Nowhere," says the writ
er, /" in the United States do blueberres grow
SO spontaneous Or so plenty as here" These
plains are called "Barrens," on account of the
poor quality OF the soil. The land is broken
by high hills, running streams, beautiful ponds
and embryo forests, but the general character
of the country for twenty-five miles around is
level. 1t is but sparsely settled and generally
occupied by shtless aimless people.
The town of Cherryfield ON the western
edge, on the banks Of the Narraguagus is
fiourishing place and forms an exception to
the general character of the "blne" region.
The united population of the Barrens is less
than two thousand, and Cherryfeld has a
population OF about eighteen hundred. "Give
me then,n exclainis this correspondent, Hthe
BURBERRY plains Of Maine for location in
which to become isolated; no better spot was
ever invented in which to study the solitude Of
NATURE Twenty years ago nobody thought
of picking blueberiies on this great tract only
for home consumption Now tens of thou
sands OF bushels are collected for export. The
yield, year after year, Is wonderful instead of
decreasing it increases. Men of capital are
engaged in the business. and many snug
fortune has been made from the product of
these plains, 8ls a.il ssfi Zee .s3i
The first appearance of the fruit is the
signal for general "turncut" of "pickers''
from the surrounding towns. The "old hoss"
is harnessed and men, women and children
flock to the grounds. Large parties are FORM
ed and whole families turn out for a share in
the spols. On these occasions business and
pleasure are happily combined. People come
mere than twenty miles,and camp out on the
Barrens. There are many places where the
berries are "scraped in," and. here the pick
ers most do congregate. One might think
there was a campmeeting on the ground, so
many tents are erected. The scene is very
lively. The collection of vehicles of every
description, the curling smoke of the camp
fires and the buzz of voices of both sexes
only interrupted by the ringing laughter and
shouting of children are suggestive of live
ly time and they have it. This correspond
ent says: hsf.d H AD1- ufd
The quantity of fruit gathered per day by
single picker is surprising. An expert can
show from fifty to sixty quarts as the result OF
his or her days work. Forty quarts is an av-
erage days work. A family of four or five
persons have been known to gather eight
bushels in single day, yielding $40 in mon
ey. Many of the fre9uenters OF the "barrens"
pick berries for money, being employed by
store keepers In the avillaee" for that pur-
pose. At the rate OF five or six cents per qt.
good sum Is realized during the season,
whether it be In 'stOre-pay" or otherwise.
Most of the fruit is shipped from Machas'
Jonesport and other places to Bangor, and
thence it is shipped to this city and Boston,
The principal canning factories are at Mill
bridge, Sullivan and Gouldsboro. 1t is esti-
mated that 100000 bushels wele gathered last
i year, and this season they are even more
aDundant- last summer more than $4,000
were realized from these barrens. 10 saw no
thing of other sections OF the State wLers
the fruit is found in great abundance.
d