Alustavia havaintoja amerikkalaisten pensasmustikkalajikkeiden viljelyominaisuuksista

Authors

• Antero Vaarama Maatalouskoelaitos, puntarhaosasto, Piikkiö

DOI: https://doi.org/10.23986/afsci.71282

Abstract

These observations have been made with a view to examining the horticultural value of ten highbush blueberry varieties of American origin under Finnish conditions. The varieties are as follows; Atlantic, Burlington, Concord, Jersey, June, Pemberton, Rancocas, Rubel, Scammell and Stanley. The material originates from two nurseries in the United States. The bushes have been planted in spring 1947 as one-year-olds. They have yielded during the summers of 1948 and 1949. The observations are thus preliminary in character and are, indeed, insufficient for a final decision on the suitability of the different varieties to Finnish conditions. The results of the observations are presented in Tables 1—7 and in Graph. 1. The results presented in the tables concern the following subjects: the rate of growth, the number of yield-aged bushes, the amount of the yield, the earliness of ripening, the average weight of one berry, the decrease of the size of the berries harvested at the end of the yielding season, and the desert quality of the berries. When possible, comparisons have been made with the results obtained from American experiments. On the basis of the various observations the conclusion has been drawn that Rancocas. Pemberton, Stanley and June seem to be the most promising varieties for continued experiments under Finnish conditions. It has been established that several characters of some of the varieties tested deviate considerably from that observed earlier in the United States. Atlantic has proved to be one of the earliest varieties in Finland. In addition the size of the berries is smaller than in America. Pemberton is here not a late but a midseason variety. The variety Rancocas has produced berries considerably larger than under American conditions.