NATCHEZ &045; Plump blueberries dusted with dew hang in clusters on row after row of bushes in Reginald Simmons’ yard.

On Friday morning, they were tempting to O.K. Carr, who spent about an hour pulling the sweet fruits into a bucket hung around his neck with an old belt. That system gives him a two-handed technique for picking the berries.

Simmons invites anyone to come pick them at $3 a gallon. &uot;Ninety-nine percent is on the honor system,&uot; he said.

The blueberry patch has been Simmons’ claim to fame for a while; in fact, he mostly relies on word of mouth to sell the berries, although an ad in the newspaper often generates even more sales.

Simmons has been raising blueberries for about 18 years, since he retired from his job at Armstrong Tire after three decades of work.

The blueberry patch was never really meant to turn much profit for Simmons.

&uot;I really started doing this as a hobby,&uot; he said. &uot;I thought this would take up some of my time.&uot;

Raised in Kentwood, La., Simmons moved to Natchez when his father took a job at a dairy.

&uot;We are from an old farming family,&uot; he said. &uot;We were reared up as tenant farmers. Š Ever since I was 5 years old I’ve been in the field.&uot;

Simmons moved to his rural Adams County property in 1960, and he’s been living that quiet, country life ever since.

&uot;All of these people in this part of the country know who I am,&uot; Simmons said.

Blueberries are a fairly easy crop, Simmons said. &uot;They’re basically labor-free,&uot; he said.

After planting, all Simmons really has to do is keep the area mowed. And some of the bushes hang so low and grow so think he can’t get in between the rows.

But that doesn’t keep people from picking.

&uot;People from Lake St. John have come to pick blueberries,&uot; he said.

Once his ad runs in the newspaper, Simmons often sells 20 to 25 gallons per day of the sweet fruit.

Simmons grows three different varieties of blueberries, although it’s hard to tell the difference among them, he said. But their growing patterns are staggered just enough to allow the blueberry season in Simmons’ yard to last about 30 days.

That leaves another 10 to 15 days of blueberries ripe for the picking.

Simmons chose blueberries for a simple reason: He likes them. He had his wife have a few favorite recipes, although his favorite way to eat them is by themselves.

&uot;I just love to have mine sitting in a bowl on the counter and just grab a few,&uot; Simmons said. &uot;They claim they’re good for your heart and your cholesterol.&uot;

Currently, his favorite recipe is something called &uot;Blueberry Yum-Yum.&uot;

&uot;It is some kind of delicious,&uot; Simmons said.