Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1916-01-11
Blueberry Barrens In Maine.

Blueberry Barrens In Maiue.
Unique and interesting are the blue
berry barrens of Washington county
Maine, which comprise some 250, ,00(
acres of interested wild land in the east
srn part of the state, extending roughly
from Cherryfield in the west to Machial
in the east. In that section wherever
the forests are removed and more espe-
cially when they are destroyed by fire,
blueberry bushes tend to spring up in
large numbers. The barrens or "plains''
consist of great stretches of mostly level
or slightly rolling land more or less
broken up by lakes and swsmps. Gil
matte conditions such as characterize
the whole coast OF Maine prevail: Short
summers, which on the barrens are very
hot, and very long cold winters during
which, however, the plants are unusual
ly well protected by thick covering of
snow. When tested, the soil (which is
mixture of sand, gravel and loam) is
found to give an acid reaction.
In Maine the blueberry blossoms
about the middle of May, and on the
barrens the berries begin to ripen quite
generally by the end of July. There,
the picking season lasts from August 10
until mid-September. The greater part
of the bsrrens is owned by comparative
IL few individuals, but for a moderate
rental they lease the land to farmers and
others living in the vicinity who take
charge of the burning and picking and
in general care for the property. The
berries are picked with rake somewhat
similar to that used for gathering cram
berries, consisting of fiat tray, one end
of which is prolonged into a row of 25
or 80 small steel teeth, while to the op-
posite end short handle Is attached.
When in use, it Is swung with forward
directed lifting movement. More or less
foreign material such as leaves and stems
is gathered in this way together with the
fruit, but usually the berries are given a
preliminary winnowing in the field, and
this removes the cosrser dirt. With the
rake, one man can pick. on the average
about three bushels day and it is esti-
mated that one acre yields about 60
bushels berries. The land Is valued at
about $50 per acre. After the berries
have been winnowed they are packed in
half. bushel boxes and driven % the can
neries. During the picking season the
pickers move out to the barrens with
their families and live in tents, so that
the plains appear not unlike an army en-
camp pment, for at this time there are
some 1900 or more people finding their
employment there.
Although the blueberry stands trans
rot tu0l w
the fruit is shipped fresh on account of
the high rates charged, and most OF the
berries are sold directly to the canneries
and to the local markets. Washington
county is the home of the blueberry in
dustry in Maine and II canneries are To-
Gated in various towns in the county, as
we'll as in Amherst in Hancock county.
Each cannery has a capacity of several
hundred bushels per day aud employs
from 20 to 80 people. In 1886 when the
first attempt was made to can the ber-
ries, 5000 bushels were put up; whereas
in 1912 somo 10000 bushels were canned
and the industry valued at S2,000,0O0.
Every third year the barrens are burn
ed over, although occasionally the land
is allowed to lie unburned for as many
as five years or even longer. As rule,
each owner divides his land into three
equal lots which are burn
ed in rotation, one each year. No ber-
ries are produced on the "new burn"
10y which is meant the first years
growth of bushes), but the second year
the bushes bear very heavily, and some
what less heavily in succeeding years,
the reason being that the fruit Is pro-
duced on the new wood developed dur
ing the preceding year. All the stems
and leaves are destroyed in the burning
and only the tangled mass of roots re-
main, so that there is very vigorous
growth during the first year, but decid-
edly less the second year, as so much
energy must be expended in developing
the berries.
The fires are set on clear morning in
the spring and sweep across the barrens
all day, but are checked by the heavy
dews in the evening. Not only does the
burning restore the fertility but it tends
to keep In check the trees and bushes
which would otherwise spring up on the
plains. Blueberries are widely distrib-
uted elsewhere throughout the state, but
they grow only in pastures and waste
land, and there is no real blueberry in
dustry outside of Washington county,
save for the one csunery already refer
red to in Hancock county.-Dr. c. d.
Woods