THE AMERICAN BOTANIST. 107 



parison. When these bite, blood flows from the wound. 

 Horses are rendered fairly frantic by their attacks. At sun- 

 down these insects retire from the field, leaving the mosquitos 

 much reinforced, in full possession. 



The cranberry bogs are usually thickly fringed with huckle- 

 berry bushes. Upon these two crops nearly all who inhabit 

 the barrens depend for an existence. During the few weeks 

 that the berries are ripe everybody is employed and even at 

 the small price obtained for the berries it is not uncommon 

 for a good picker to make ten dollars in a day. While some 

 of the berries are picked by hand and some by means of an 

 instrument not unlike a coarse comb, the greater part are 

 "scooped." The "scoop" is a basket-like affair with the top 

 covered over as far as the handle on one side. The open side 

 is swung against the tops of the bushes by the operator with 

 such skill that few except ripe berries fall into the scoop. The 

 berries are then winnowed by being slowly poured from one 

 basket held a few feet above another while the wind blows 

 through them, carrying away any leaves which have fallen 

 with the berries. Host of the huckleberry pickers live in or 

 near the barrens and daily journey to the best grounds in all 

 sorts of picturesque conveyances. The outsider who visits 

 the region for the huckleberry season may usually be found 

 camping out in the most primitive style near some town along 

 the railroad where he may readily turn his berries over to the 

 agent of the commission man. 



Later in the year, the cranberries afford employment, but 

 since they are for the most part cultivated and only a small 

 price is paid for picking, the pickers earn much less. There 

 are, however, many places where the cranberries grow wild 

 and may be had for the picking. The huckleberries are con- 

 sidered free everywhere. 



The bogs again afford many plants to interest the botan- 

 ist. The bog asphodel, an orchid-like plant with a spike of 



