Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1896-08-13
BURBERRY SEASON.
THE BUSY SEASON ON WASH
INGTON COUNTY'S BARRENS.
BURBERRY INDUSTRY GIVES EMPLOY
MENT TO HUNDREDS How THE
BUSINESS Is CONDUCTED.

In many parts OF Washington county
the BURBERRY is indigenous. In the
vicinity OF Cherryfield, Harrington, Col
umbia Falls and in some other localities
as we'll, there are vast tracts OF territory
from which the axe OF the lumberman,
and subsequent forest fires, long ago re-
moved every vestige OF the majestic forest
which once grew there. The country is
neither "a plain nor is lit mountainous.
Long ridges OF granite quarres, or mica
ceous rock, slightly covered with soil,
stretch away from the southwest to the
northeast. Some ridges are low and
rounded like the swell OF subsdiug seas,
while some are high and broken by abrupt
declvities, and everywhere between are
reaches of plain or OF low land.
Here, in summer, the hardy low grow
ing blueherry bush spreads Il green
carpet on the level places, and climbs
the warm lodges, wherever there is an
inch OF soil, or wherever a crevice gives a
foot hold. The lands above described
are not usually divided into small hold
ings as is the case in strictly agri-
cultural sections OF the State, but large
tracts are owned by one person. In
some cases the owner is not n resident
even OF he state, and he custody and care
OF the lands are in the hands OF faith
tul attorney. Il is the general and quite
popular conviction That these lands,
wherever located are wild lands " and
that the right to hunt and fish thereon, is
somehow an Inherent aud common
right.
1t is not strange, therefore, that The
same views have been very stuhbornly
held, regarding the right to gather blue
berries wherever they could be found.
But when they were known TO he in large
demand, and to have considerable impor-
lance in the markets of the world, an
entire lack OF system IN production. har-
vest ug and selling, wHs the logical result
OF this belief that they were common
property. Parties roamed everyw here, at
will. searching for some spot where fruit
was more abundant than in another,
utterly dsdaining any but the best,
picking here and there few and always
leaving behind them thousands OF bushels
of ungat hercd berries. Fires We're started,
sometimes accidentally, and sometimes it
]. believed maIiciou.ly. which often swept
everything before II fer miles. and which
in seasons OF drought burned every YES
tige Of vegetable matter in the -canty
soil
The men who were nj that time engaged
in MI effort to build up the canning in
dustry found it difficult ana sometimes
impossible to obtain regular and ade-
quate supply of berries to do even small
business But sometime early in the
seventies, Hon. William Freeman, OF
Cherrytield, who owned, or controlled,
much OF the land which then produced
berries made the startling and revolu
tionary announcement that hlueberrics
were property, like other products OF the
soil and forbade all trespass!ng on his
lands. Certain Trims persisted IN buying
berries gathered on Mr.. Freeman's land
and it was impoeel hle to detect tres
pas,ers. Bat Mr.. Freeman, With saga
ulous foresight, which all now coucede,
took the ground that the business OF
canning blaoherrie- could never gro" and
flourish until the great principle WAS es-
tahishcd and acknowledged, that they
We're property.
After long and expensive litigat ion, Mr..
Freeman :, claims we're fully sustained by
the courts, and the blueherry business for
the first time had legitimate basis, and
since then has risen in systematic way,
TIL it has become both important and
profitable, especially to the former tres
passers.
on THE BARRENS.
The BURBERRY fields are called bar
reus" Many OF these barrens lie quite
remote from settlements. One may see
only here and there house OF unpreten-
tious and perhaps rather primitive con
struction. The owner Il the barrens
leases certain amount of land, perhaps
one or two hundred acres to some one OF
these scattered settlers. The lease is a
verbal one, and there is no cash consid-
Grafton. The lessee agrees to cultivate
and care for his leasehold, to look after
trespassers, and to see that the berries are
properly gat hered and delivered at the
factory which is sometimes fifteen or
twenty miles distant. The lessor agrees
70 continue the lease long a. compll-
ance is given to the above conditions.
Strange as it may appear there are seldom
disputes between lessor and lessee, The
interests of both are we'll looked after,
ana the arrangement l. mutually proht-
able
TO illustrate the method OF cultivation
we will suppose a lessee has control of 100
acres. The whole art Of cultivation lies
IN burning the surface once IN three years.
TO destroy grass, weeds, and twig7 thus
keeping the barrens clean for the growth
OF the crop. In the fall the sprouts Oh
trees, which here and there have grown
nv, 1rr;r,. ~. emf down,