The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-09-03
AA1NHs BIG B1UEBERRnY pArou.
A Tract of $4,000 Acres in One County,
Tho Great Camp of Pickers.

Tract of $4,000 Acres in One County
Tho Great Camp of Pickers.
OHERBYPIELD. Me-. Sept, 1.-Three- fourths
OF all the canned blueberries used in the
United States grow on the plains OF Washing
ton county. upon the white clay soil from
which the pine trees have been cut of and
which Is too poor to grow anything but gray
birches. sedges and berry shrubs. The tract
which is given up to blueberries has an area
ofabout 25.O00 acres. and is owned BY half
dozen friends who control and operate can
neries for putting up blueberrles. The land Is
worthless for all practical purposes. except for
the growing OF blueberries, and Is not taxed
by the county or towns In which 1t is situated.
tnough the owners pay small revenue to the
state. The average gross income to the
owners is from 81 to SO an acre every year
nearly one-half Of which sum is paid to the
pickers who harvest the crop with rakes, after
which the fruit Is winnowed in tanning mill,
picked out by hand to remove green berries
ana stray insects. and is then sent to the cook
ing watts to be made ready for the cans
The picking begins about Aug 20 and lasts
until the berries are all gathered or dried I'D
on the vines. AS there are no houses or other
buildings on the plains the pickers arrive In
wagons. bringing along tents. bedding, cooking
utensils and material for making blueberry
boxes along. While party, made up from
the young people OF a neighborhood, is not an
uncommon sight. most Of the pickers come In
family groups. grand parents. parents and
children abandoning their homes for three or
four weeks In order to earn little spare change.
Az soon as the tents arc set and the horses are
tethered out among the grass. the entire group
begins picking. The men push the blueberry
rakes over thf broad tracts while the women
and children pick among the cradle knolls by
hand.
blueberry rake Is a modified CARPET
sweeper. 1t runs on low wheels similar 70
those on lawn mower. Placed close to the
ground 10 nat tin pan for catching and hold
Ing the berries. few inches above the pan
are TWO dozen stih steel wires that are placed
side by side and reach out four or five inches
beyond the pan. The man who drives the
picker forces the wires among the laden
bushes. vibrates the frame up and down and
sideways until the fruit falls into the pan and
then pushes his machine ahead for more fruit.
An active man with a picker can gather from
two to three bushels of berries in day. Those
who pick by hand seldom get bushel in day,
and consider half pushel a fair stint for ten
hours work.
When the berries are gathered and frssd
from chaff and insects they pass under the
eyes OF the inspector. who pays from a cent
S 6e sn to To cent? quart for all the fruit
boxes holding eight quarts and hauied away
to the factories. Though the Individual pay IL
amount 10 EN- or ess Is ssv Of t9H% often
plain and inexpensive. and as the outdoor ar
and exercise are sure to bring good appetites
the plains to mora expensive outing al the
seSSshore OF mountains. '"'
over the plains, forming small villages around |
n regular streets along the banks OF Streams.
all the towns Of Eastern Maine. Two fam enEy
Bay baYe driven down from Blaine. which nearly
Coles Corner. &nterport arrived Sdsm hsrs SoIe: q
ago on their wedding journey. and have made |
Go1n wages every day,
see Bunker Hill Monument and the Old Sontb
Meeting House" said Mrs. Cole In telling why
but surely trip would have cost him neSpI1
taa hm tor as bIv house
We came down here. we've had ,s Ro snsnd sS
time and have earned almost sis In one WeeE
'"f $6S on ready Ss to home
have blueberres enough to last us ali wint sa
cnmS II Is 'nst the incest wedding trip young
In winter, when ice clngs to the lin bs OF
the trees. the seeds OF the gray birch fall Of
ana the wind takes them and carries them to
among the bipeberry bushes. and i'm IL aG fsR
years Young birch trees are growing every
they were not checked Therefore. the pro.
prietors burn of the land every Ave or six
tG Tne blue sRs
ddp ys SsT ' fRs b EsSs
suit from the fire stim uate the biueberry S PLANTS
larger ESow as sSd them
u berries are canned in Washington county
9sssS Ths season the crop Win probably