The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1921-12-14
Blueberries as large as Concord
CRANES have been produced. through

-aE /" 0V9. .'. ...n lie mere addition of
""" #"s tural industry to
.",,e rIoAdy existence. Blueber-
'H> 'h.Na f's soils so acid as
." ul l"rN'aa worthless for ordin-
ary agricultural purposes. Blueber-
ry culture, therefore, not only prom
ises to add to the general welfare
through the utilization Of land almost
valueless otherwise, but it offers a
profitable industry to individual land
owners in certain districts in which
general agricultural conditions are es-
pecially hard and unpromising, and it
suggests the possibility of further
utilization of such lands by means of
other crops adapted to acid conditions.
Blueberry Grows Only in Acid Soil
Success in blueberry culture rests
especially. on the recognition of two
peculiarities in the nutrition of these
plants, says Frederick V. Coville in
new, department bulletin No. 974, Di-
rections for Blueberry Culture, 1921,
recently issued by the United States
Department of Agriculture. These
peculiarities are the requirement of
an acid soil and their possession of
root fungus that appears to have the
beneficial function Of supplying them
with nitrogen. Good aeration of the
soil is another essential. Although
the highbush or swamp blueberry oc-
ours frequently in swamps or other
vet places, the plants occupy situa-
tions which are exposed to air during
the root-forming period of summer
and autumn. The swamp blueberry
grows best in soils naturally or arti-
ficially supplied with adequate mois-
ture.
Next in Importance to soil condi-
tons is convenient location with
reference to good market, the bullc-
tin points out. The berries should
reach their destination without delay,
preferably early in the morning fol-
lowing the day Of picking. TO secure
the best price the yshould also reach
the market before the height of the
main wild blueberry season. A situa
ton to the south Of the great areas of
wild blueberries in northern New Eng
land, Canada, and northern Michigan
is therefore desirable. One of the
most promising districts for blueberry
culture is the cranberry region of New
Jersey, for there an ideal soil occurs
IN conjunction with an early matur-
ing season and excellent shipping ia
cilities to the markets of Philadelphia
and New York.
The Importance Of superior variet-
les is particularly stressed in the bull
u,
the features of superiority in a blue
berry are sweetness and excellence of
flavor; large size; light blue color,
due to the presence of dense bloom
over the dark-purplc or almost black
skin; "dryness," or freedom from
superficial moisture, especially the
fermenting juice of broken berries;
and plumpness; that is, freedom from
the withcred or wrinkled appearance
that the berries begin to acquire sew
eral days after picking
Ihe cultivator is urged to begin
with the purchase of few plants of
selected hybrid varieties, or by the he
transplanting of the best wild bushes
selected when in fruit for the size,
color, flavor, and carliness of the
berry and the vigor and productive
ness of the bush. These he should
propagate by layering, by division,
and by cuttings. Through a combina-
tion of these methods, a valuable old
plant can of ten be multiplied by sew
erai hundred at one propagation, the
1Tult OF the progeny retaining all the
characteristics Of the parent. Detail
Cd directions for the various methods
OF or; propagation are given in the bull
Clean Cultivation Is Desirable
In field planting it is recommended
to prepare the land by cultivation
previous to setting, so as to subdue
the wild growth. Plants of the wild
swamp blueberry or it's hybrids should
be placed feet apart each way, as
they will nearly or quite cover the
ground when they reach full size
When first planted, however, bushes
are preferably set 4 feet apart in the
row, with the rows 8 feet apart. This
spacing, permits machine cultivation
in one direction.
The lowbush berry may be spaced
by 8 feet, which will give the plants
adequate room for many years. Till
age should be given to keep down
weeds and grass, and is best done bv
horse cultivation with a spring-tooth
harrow, supplemented by careful
hand hoeing and hand wedding close
around the plants. Tillage should be
shallow, as the roots are very close
to the surface.
The use of manure or fertilizer is
not advised at present in soils which
contain the proper proportion and
quality Of peat and sand. The De
partment of Agriculture is CARRYING
on experiments in the cultivation o.
blueberries at Washington, ID. c., and
at Whltesbog, near Browns Mills, N
>. AT the latter place field Of hy-
brlds of about onc-third of an acre
set at 3 by B feet bore at the rate of
10 bushels an acre when years old
and III bushels the following year
Inc berries sold in New York at a
little over $40 bushe. They bore
n light crop the second wear after