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CULTIVATION OFTHE CRANBERRY 



BY SULLIVAN BATES j OF BELLINGHAM, NORFOLK COUNTY, MASS. 



The cranberry has been found growing wild in this section of 

 country, for more than a century. Its first discovery created little or 

 no attention. Within the last ten or fifteen years, it has been es- 

 teemed a very delicious fruit, and has received much care from very 

 many of our farmers. Formerly, it was deemed not only useless, 

 but great efforts were made to destroy it entirely. Of late years, 

 however, the fruit has found its way to our markets, and the con- 

 stantly increasing demands for it, has induced our farmers to use eve- 

 ry available means for its increase. At this time, our once worth-^ 

 less soils are paying a twofold profit above any other crop. Much 

 of the land yields from twenty-five to one hundred and fifty bushels 

 of the cranberry, in their wild and uncultivated state. 



Since they have been cultivated on our uplands, we obtain usually 

 more than twice that product. The fruit is also nearly double the 

 size, and the flavor is very much improved. The price now, in mar- 

 ket, varies from two dollars twenty-five cents, to two dollars seventy- 

 five cents per bushel. This, it will be seen, pays a very great profit. 

 Lands which might have been purchased, fifteen years ago, for six 

 and eight dollars per acre, now are very much increased in value, for 

 the purpose of being cultivated with the cranberry, 



I consider this subject worthy the attention of our farmers gene- 

 rally. There are but few farms in the middle or southern States, 

 but would, on some portion of them, grow the cranberry. The roots 

 may be obtained here, and forwarded to any part of the country, in 

 quantities that may be desired. The soil best adapted to their growth 

 might soon be ascertained, and as their roots multiply and increase 

 very rapidly, they can easily be transplanted, when it is necessary to 

 do so. 



The qaantity raised, has never, as yet, supplied the demand. In 

 consequence of the rapid communication with England and the Con- 

 tinent, vast quantities are annually called for to supply the foreign 

 demand. I believe that if ten- fold more fruit was raised than at 

 present, the demand would fully equal it, and the price still be such 

 as to give a handsome return to the farmer. I trust these few sug- 

 gestions upon the cultivation of this fruit, will not be deemed out of 

 place, in the collection which your valuable Society are preparing 

 for the farmers of New-York. 



