The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-12-15
BLUEBERRY PACK is
VALUED AT 100000
Washington County, Maine, Monopo
Lies Industry With 10000
Bushels.

4 DtoHN'S.
With an estimated value OF more
than $500 900, or 10000 bushels OF
blueberries were packed this year In
what is locally known as the most
bounteous, biggest and bluest blue |
berry belt on earth'.-a i0.mile wide
strip of barren land in Washington
County, Me, between Calais and
Cherryfed. a distance Of about SO
miles.
The industry of bueberry packing,
although in It's infancy. Is attracting
more and more attention every year,
as ii enables the owners OF almost
J worthless land to make a neat profit
without any Investment Maine has
practically monopolized the industry,
nlthough New Jersey and Michigan
Earc increasingly active
The farming of Il Diueberry patch,
although requiring the ideal minimum
of labor, necessitates many radical
methods OF culture. For instance, TO
Obtain the best results, the blueberry
patch must be burned over every two
or three years. Again, the only cul.
tiyatiOn required IL little thinning Of
foreign underbrush with a bush
scythe or even an ak.
II Maine has practically cornered
the packing Of blucberries then
Washington County certainly has
monopolized the industry of the coun-
try for, this year, out OF an estimated
pack Of $500 buehels. Washington
County claims 10000.
The BURBERRY belt there Is famous
II was known and celebrated long be.
fore the Civil War, and when in 1866
or 1857 q portion OF II was surveyed
by the United States coast and geo.
detic survey. its unique distinction
became matter Of Official record
Just about this time, Jefferson Davis
of Civil War fame, who was then
secretary Of war, Mrs. Davis How.
ell Cobb. then secretary OF the treas.
ury, and his wife, visited the bar
rens" and, under the guidance of a
Mr.. Longfellow Of Beddington. tramp
ed to Hnmpback Mountain. the high
est point thereabouts, and camped out
for time. They were very enthusi.
astic over the berries, not only be.
4 cause they were So plentiful. but be.
4 cause OF their large size and luscious.
ness.
The greater part Of the "barrens'
lies on an elevated tableland, which
. is practically treeless except about
D the ponds and brooks, Ii is composed
mostly OF sand and gravel but with
very little soil--ideal bneberry coun.
try.
In the middle of the last century
! the land there was worth about 10
\ cents an acre, but today 1t Is in de.
I mand at $4,000 an acre or even more.
1 This same condition is increasingly
I true of Wild lands old pastures and
4 abandoned farms throughout New
4 England generally In times to come.
blueberry growing may he one of the
most important occupations OF the
I states, as much so as hay or pota.
toesSa are now.
In the 'barrens' the berry bushes
are wholly of the low bush varieties.
as these flourish on this upland, acid
soil The familiar high-bush blue.
berries, as found IN swampy lands,
nave not az yet been made an agri.
cultural possibility because of the pro
/ hibitive labor of picking.
The low bush berries are gathered
with special form of rake and. in
! good place. buJhes can be gathered
as fast as they can be taken away, to
the factories In the "barrens" there
are II factories today and yet. de.
spite their number. the packers were
actually Obliged to refuse berries on
Two occasions this year because they
mad such quantities that they were
J unable TO handle them.
Since bueberry packing has be.
come an accomplished fact. nursery.
men have been breeding them. and
today bushes are on the market that
| VIII produce berries an inch in diane.
! Ter without loss OF the exquisite fla.
Vor--or so they claim.
In Maine the berries are picked by
entire families. who 70 out into the
lands as on picnic. II is very profit.
able too. good picker can average
four or five bushels daily. or. under
favorable conditions, as high as 10 or
more. The usual price Is about 81 n
hushel