Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1905-04-05
BLUEBERRy CULTURE.
How the Maine Gamers Have Built
Up Novel Industry.

| In grazing sections throughout the
West an old and well-known custom is
| that of burning the dry grass to improve
the next years pasture. Formerly the
fires were allowed to spread and burn
themselves out at will, and the practice
resulted in great forest destruction. Hap
PLY for the forests, the burning is now
| more carefully done when it is done at all.
and onE the whole the custom is falling
into disuse. In Maine practice OF burn
| ing exists which is local to that State, is
novel in character, and has nothing to do
with grazing. The burning is TO assist
blueberry culture by causing the bushes
to sprout vigorously and clearing the
ground OF other growth.
About 1870 factory for canning bire-
berries was located in Maine, and as i
prospered it was followed by others. In
1885 and again lin 1899 similar factories
| and canning companies were establish ID,
until to-day BURBERRY raising and can
ming is an important industry in this
State. To supply the increasing demand
BURBERRY bush areas have been col
stantly enlarged, until now "blueberry
barrens" cover some $500 acres in Ham
cock and Washington counties.
A century ago these blueberry barrens
were, for the most part, covered by a
dense forest, chiefly of white pine and
spruce. The forest was thinned by lum-
bering the pine, and the increased amount
of light permitted new kinds of under
growth'to get a foothold. Fire, as almost
invariably happens, followed the lumber
ing, the rest of the original stand was
destroyed, and the underground was still
further altered, great variety of valueie
underbrush and weeds taking possession
OF the ground, together with stand of
birch, poplar, red maple and other hard
wood seedlings.
As the fires continued to occur, this
hardwood growth became scrubby and
was finally entirely eliminated, and the
ground became true barren, covered with
growth of blueberry bushes, sweet fern,
brake, bUnehberry, goldonrod, and sheep
laurel. With the ground in such condi-
ton its best use is for BURBERRY culture.
The blueberry owner divides his iand
into three portions; each year he picks
the berries from one portion, burns an
other portion, and allows the third to
rest The first year after the land is
burned over the BURBERRY bushes sprout
and grow few inches. The second year
they yield fun crop of berries. The
third season the crop is small and OF little
value, and the bushes reach condition in
which they can be burned most effectively.
Under this system of blueberry culture
the land does not run out with constant
use for the same crop. Where the burning
has been properly done, the same tracts
have grown blueberries continuously for
fifty years without showing any decrease
in the yield. But if the land is burned
over at the wrong time of the year, or the
roots of the bushes are badly injured by
Are, many years are required TO restore
the productive capacity OF the tract.
The best time for burning is when the
melting snow leaves the ground wet and
the tops of the bushes dry. After May 10
burning is very injurious, unless tie
spring is exceptionally late.
The canning companies own most of
the burberry lands in Maine, except some
small twenty-five or fifty-acre private
holdings. Piekers from company lands
get three cents a quart, while private
owners receive about six to eight cents
quart for their berries The picking
season lasts six weeks.
A rapid picker makes from 81 to Is a
day; il he has large family to help him
it is not unusual for him to make 300 or
$500 in the six weeks. This makes the
industry very popular among the pickers,
and increases the danger that forest fires
will be set or permitted to burn through
good timber in order to increase the ex-
tent of BURBERRY barrens.
In addition to the 1900 acres of present
barrens, there are in Hancock county over
5000 acres which have been reduced al
most to a barren condition. Here, if
necessary, this industry could be profit
ably extended. But when numbering and
hres have not materially depleted the for
ests, the land should be continued under
forest cover and the stand improved.
The opportunity is ample for proper
extension of blueberry culture without
invading valuable forest lands, which
should be protected from fire. The wis
est policy is to utilize the present blue
berry barren areas to the fullest extent,
and not to encroach further upon the
forests, except as the growth of the indus
lands for this purpose.