The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-08-29
HUCKlE6ERRiES.
How the Michigan Crop II Gathered For
the Market

When, in 1890. r S. Porter. superin-
Iendent of census. prepared the SEIZED
nles for the use of his fifty thousand
enumerators, he must have been M
mindful Of the fact that the swamps
and plains of Michigan furnished an
abundance OF that delicious fruit
known as the huckleberry; for he pro-
videc no space for them, except IN that
indefinitely named column, other
berries~ Although the plains OF
northern Michigan produced immense
quantities of low-growing variety,
yet this article Will describe more
particularly the high BUSH" So
called. of the central part OF
the state. Here the oak openings
are interspersed with spruce and
tamarack groves, whose boughs
shade a matted growth of the high
BUSH" mingled with black alders and.
SON sumach. These swamps are small.
an acre or less. seldom exceeding ten,
yet in some townships averaging one
to a square mile. The floor OF tho
swamp is covered with an elastic mat
of delicate moss. from which rise tho
bushes in thick clumps, six TO ten feet
In height, may be less than dozen
feet through, vet 50 dense that a picker
on the other side from you is fully con-
cealed Round these, and branching in
many ways, are paths sunken somewhat
BY the yearly tread of busy pickers,
often wet, but mono win admit that
the dampncss Is injurious Some
favored spots there are, where the
moss and bushes hold undisputed
sway. and one may move with as much
ease and comfort as in a well kept fruit
garden; no snakes. nothing but yellow
jackets and few hornets.
Many of these places have been
drained in the past. being considered
of little value as they were, but at pres
emit with a near market. they are
valuable in n state of nature. yielding
in rents alone more than the same
acreage of upland. This means that
every picker Is expected 20 pay. twenty
cents day, or one-third of the berries
This practice is in defiance of the es-
tablished notion that still prevails TO
some extent, that wild fruit should be
free TO all But better ideas are gain
ing ground here as in other matters
The season proper begins in tho
spring. With the returning life and
warmth of nature begin the inquiries,
the speculatsons, the plans When. in
May, the blossoms appear, transform
ing the dreary swamp into snowy
bower. the interest takes on shape and
resolves itself into al anxiety regard
ing the movements of Jack Frost,
whose touch would be fatal at this sea-
son. This crisis safely passed. anoth-
err question agitates the mind OF the
expectant picker-''Will there be a
drought?" Let US suppose all things
are propitious. no frost, much rain,
Fourth, and from the middle of July
until the same time in Septic EN- Der there
is good picking every day. This Is ow-
ing to the fact that there are several
varieties growing together. differing
In size, tint and shape. Black, dark
and pale blue. early and late, ripening
gradually. prolong the berry harvest
into the autumn.
The pickers are mostly women and
children. not waee-earncrs as a class:
but with the children, nearly every
woman in the vicinity whose health
and duty will permit. goes TO the
swamp TO gather the delicious fruit for
use in the family, 10 fill few-score
cans. and lastly to get enough money
ont Of IL 10 Drncure some article that
she would not otherwise think OF
obtaining. OF course, the gains are
various Under good conditions some
will pick two bushels in long day.
The prices rangea from FIVE TO twelve
cents per quart, fand they are pur-
chased mostly by the merchants IN viii
lagos along the railway line--Detroit