CRANBERRY CULTURE. ^^43 



cranberry culture, it will be one of the most important services it 

 has rendered to our people. I believe that uo acre of our grass 

 fields can be made to produce as much value, in grain crop, or hay 

 crop, or any other crop, as can be produced without any manure 

 from an acre of these otherwise worthless lands in cranberries. 

 Now, the Board may get together and talk about apple culture, 

 and no new ideas be presented, no new suggestions be made. I 

 know it is well that these suggestions be repeated, but here the 

 attention of the people is called to new resources, and that is 

 vastly more important. One of our assessors tells me that there 

 are four or five thousand acres of waste land in this town ; and 

 here another man is telling us that these are the very lands for 

 cranberries ; and right here by Lovewell's Pond, where the battle 

 was fought, we find the cranberry vine coming up. Our situation 

 is a favorable one for cranberry culture. We are nearer Europe 

 than any other State. The export of cranberries to Europe is just 

 beginning ; the people there are just learning that there is such a 

 fruit, and they consider it a luxury. Now, why should we not 

 cultivate them ? 



I have no practical knowledge of cranberry culture, but I am 

 satisfied that two things have been brought out here to-day — that 

 water is the best friend, and the worst enemy of the cranberry. 

 You should have a place that you can flood in the spring, to pre- 

 vent the spring frosts from killing the blossom, for you want to 

 guard against spring frosts as well as against the insect and the 

 fall frosts. In New Jersey, they have had trouble with what is 

 called the scald, and the health of their vines was a matter of so 

 much interest to them that they sent to Washington to the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, and the microscopist connected with the De- 

 partment was sent to examine the deceased vines and report the 

 result of his investigations ; and his report was, that the trouble 

 was caused by lack of drainage. So you see, that while you need 

 water to secure a crop, you don't want it when it will do damage. 

 But if you can let on the water when you need it and let it off at 

 your pleasure, you can grow the berries without trouble, and by 

 adopting the plan that has been referred to, all you have to do to 

 gather the fruit is to rake the ground and pick up your berries. 

 Now we get this point from the paper that was read : That, while 

 you need water, you may get the same advantage by planting on 

 the borders of a lake, where you can have the benefit of evapora- 

 tion, that in other situations 3'ou get by flowage and drainage. 



