The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-09-03

The blueberry canning season wound
up Saturday night In Washington county
1t the five factories, two at Cherrydeld,
one at Harrison and two at Columbia
Falls. The Leightons of Columbia Falls
have made the banner pack of 5000 bush
els or 5000 oases of two pound cans. At
the other shops the pack has been some
what lighter than usual.
Hundreds of bushels Of blueberries have
Seen left on the plains this year for they
have bean exceptionally plenty-and cheap
too for that matter But the factories
have limited their output and shut off
when their cans were full.
This year pickers' prices have been
Down tc hard pan. in years past as high
as SIX cents per pound have been paid
pickers. This year the average price was
TWO and quarter cents. Previously three
ind q half to four cents has been the
average prize. OF course many pickers
have considered these reduced prices quite
Il hardship but the banners told them
frankly that they must work for
pay more.
Horace NJ. Leighton, Esq, of Columbia
Falls says that enc reason why prices now
rule low is because Of Province competi-
ton.
81 told my pickers," says be, "that
they'd have to work for Bluenose prices.
The tariff on canned blueberries Is 90
per cent. I'D valorem ana thls Mr.. Leigh
ton says is an arrangement that works
damage to American prices and workmen
because of the opportunity that exists for
naturalization when blueberries are
brought in across our border. The duty
ought to be specific instead of ad valor-
en-, he says, and should be higher. Tie
has already set about agitating this mat
ter ana hopes for additional protection in
the next tariff act.
Yet despite the low prices the blueber-
~ pickers have done well this season.
The Maine blueberry business is man.
aged in this way: The land is leased TO
the Gamers by the proprietor. Then the
tanners sub-let to other parties certain
.raots-say section between specified
brooks or ridges. These parties IN tho
)pring burn over these tracts, and when
HE blueberlres are ripe they hire pickers,
who go on to tho grounds and camp dur
lng the season.
Heretofore, they have usually lived in
'snts but this year on the Washington
plains many cosy little camps have been
built where families have lived comforta-
bly,.
The piokers are paid by the pound or
the bushel by the sub-letGors of the tarcts
They in turn sell the berries to the can
uer who leases the land on which they
operate. The berries are boxed uniform
" and big teams make their rounds reg
ularly and haul the berries in to the can
ming factories.
Hundreds of farmers, their wives and
their children in Washington county de-
pond each year on the extra cash the blue
berry season will bring them. Mr.. Leigh
ton says that he has seen farmer back
his team up to store in September and
haul away ten barrels of flour bought
with cash realized from week or two OF
labor on the burberry fields. Families
In Washington county have toplcarriages,
organs and other Injuries that they
oould never have secured without the
money the burberry picking brought
them.
a Columbia boy who died in Bangor
hospital a short time ago had 5000 laid
away In a bank. The nest-egg was earned
On the blueberry plains. AS an example
Of what industry will accomplish on the
:Ilains even at ''Blue-nose prioes,' here
Is record furnished by Mr.. Leighton.
Two young men picked and boxed
twenty-five bushels of berries in one day,
srocking off work at 2 O'Clock in the
e ernoon. at forty cents bushel that
aT'S work netted them five dollars each.
hat record was of course exceptional