THE YEAR-BOOK OF AGRICULTURE. 



pose- I dor is 'iark-red purple when ripe, and is of a very high flavor. It bears most 

 abundantly after the young wood, on which it produces its best fruit; attains a height of four 

 or five feel : usually begins to ripen early in August, and even sooner. The fruit is produced 

 on branches continually pushing out from all parts, successively appearing in various stages 

 of growth, from the blossom to perfect maturity; and often there may be counted more than 

 fifty berries on a branch. As the fruit of each branch successively ripens, the later i 

 gradually diminish in size: bat there is do suspension of blooming 01 fruiting before the plant 

 is checked by frost If protected in-doors, it undoubtedly would produce during the win! 

 months. One great advantage of this over other varieties of the raspberry is, that if the 

 stocks should be accidentally broken or cut off, or should be killed by winter frost, it is 

 the better fbi the crop. Another advantage is, that from the small space of a fen yards well 

 cultivated, a daily dessert for a small family would be at hand for from three to four ruoml.- 

 of the year. — Horticulturist. 



The Ground Cherry. 



Under this name, Mr. P. S. Beers, of Southville. Connecticut, describes in the Horti- 

 culturist a fruit of a species of Solanum. It is about the size and shape of a cherry, of a 

 cream color, and enveloped in a dry, paper-like calyx. It is much more agreeable to the 

 taste, when eaten raw, than any tomato. The stalk of a full-grown specimen is nearly an 

 inch in diameter* al the ground, and about three feet high; its habits of growth are similar to 

 the tomato. It bears transplanting well, and comes to maturity early in the season. If sown 

 from the seed, care must be taken that the young plants are not mi-taken for weeds, and 

 rooted up. Mr. Beers states that this fruit is excellent for pies and preserves, and also for 

 eating in a raw state. 



On the Cultivation and Propagation of the Cranberry. 



Mil BuxLIYAB Bates, of Bellingham, Massachusetts, who has given much time and atten- 

 tion to the cultivation of the cranberry, furnishes the following information respecting the 

 culture of this valuable and profitable fruit. In regard to the selection of soils and vai i< 

 of the plant, Mr. Bates says — 



Seleei :i situation for your cranberry-field on a clay soil, on such as is not liable to bake, 

 or on a dark loam soil, or on all moist soils where there is a mixture of sand; reclaimed 

 land-, such as oaD be made moderately dry. are well adapted to grow the cranberry, r 

 sons eonunencing the cultivation would do well to distribute their plants in different locations, 



i doing the bast soil- maybe oed. As far as ascertained, there are ti, 



varietie- of the cranberry susceptible of cultivation in the United Btatei — the barberry, the 

 cherry, and the belL The last-mentioned seems to be the only variety that oan be made to 



fiourish in B dry so£L In its wild and cultivated Btate, it is much larger than either of the 



other-', and i- frequently found on the borders of be ding toward- the uplands, ti 



iging in the cultivation of the cranberry should select the bell variety: and bj eommenc- 

 with those that have been cultivated and naturalised to s dry soil, they will much soon r 



accomplish their object, and with much last trouble a. i . as the plants multiply and 



increase abundantly. Persons commencing with one ox two thousand, will be aide to obtain 

 plants of their own raising sufficient to transplant sores in two or three years. In extensive 

 field-culture do great degree of moisture is accessary, but ■ uniformity \< to be desired. 



ipted for the strawberry ere raited to the cranberry, but no animal or vegetable manure 



old be applied. The vines propagate by runners like the strawberry. Where the land in 



rieh. end liable to grass and weeds, we prepare the ground by removing the top soil at a 



sufficient depth to prevent their growth. This may l aaHy done by plowing the sod, as 1 



removing the top soil in i otherwise. The object in doing this, is to make the soil so 



I r tfa .» nothing will prow t,. ob tract the growth of the oranbei i 



If the land i- i r, so th • and weeds will not vi 'hen it may I 1 ami 



harrowed without other \ n —the gr e at es t object in cultivation being to have the plants 



