The Blueberry Patch
New Ipswich Historical Society
The Blueberry Patch - Hilma Stark
The memory that stands out the most in my childhood days is the Blueberry Patch. All summer from the Fourth of July to the beginning of school, we spent almost every day, except rainy ones (which we welcomed) in the blueberry patch about two miles from the farm. Early in the morning, we would all clamber in the old Dodge truck with our blueberry pails and crates wearing our washed-out Jeans (which we should have saved and sold to you kids at $15. a pair). They cost then about a dollar a pair when new, some seasons back, or passed down to the next oldest, if they got too tight to get on. Mother packed a lunch of home-made bread and baloney or corn beef and cartons of milk and cookies. Lunch time was the only bright spot of blueberry picking. The rest of the time was spent dragging yourself up the hill and trying to fill the two buckets before lunch as each child had a quota to make (and you had better produce it) before descending to the bottom of the hill and the tar paper shack to the empty crates and much deserved lunch. After cleaning the berries and counting our contribution, our lunch eaten, we were off again up the hill. The sun was blistering hot and the only thing that kept us going was the vision of the ole swimming hole where we headed as soon as we returned back to the farm. This was our summer vacation, not only for our family but for all the other families around us. The spare time from blueberry picking was used in making hay. Walter and Father pitched in the hay and the girls either stamped it down or dragged the huge bull rake to clean the remains.
Reminisces from Hilma Stark (b. 1917) who grew up in New Ipswich. She was sister to the late Elmer Stark who lived at the family place on Fox Farm Road (uncle of Sharon Anderson Rosenfelder). (probably recorded in the late 1970’s)
James Roger diary entry
15th June 1912
Fair and warm with cool east to southeast wind; new moon this afternoon. David painting at Miss Barr’s until noon; then went to Depot to act as pall bearer at Mrs. Knowlton’s funeral. Afterwards went and finished at Miss Barr’s. I picked 2 fowls, planted or rather sowed a row of Champion peas and a row of beans in garden. Got letter from Alice. I cleaned out the fountains at John Preston’s and cut grass around the house. Got postcard from Hamish.
Even when most families no longer depended on blueberries for income, we were conscripted as kids in the 50s to pick them, mainly for pies and cakes. Every plastic beach bucket was deployed for gathering berries and we were barked at by our mothers if we included leaves or twigs. Wear a huivi, get thirsty and sunburned, clamber up on the side of the mountain. Life was good.
Hilma was of my father's generation. She was a classmate of Walter Kuusisto, close friend of my father.