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discover a remedy for the rot of the cranberry, and that among its mem- 
bers there is some difference of opinion as to its cause and cure; but it 
has been publicly acknowledged by the association that peaty fermen- 
tation of cranberry-bogs had never been considered a cause of cranberry- 
rot until it was demonstrated by the investigations of the microscopist 
of this Department ; and the leading cultivators of the cranberry in New 
Jersey have acknowledged, by letter, from time to time, to the Commis- 
sioner of Agriculture, the great benefit of his labors to the State of New 
Jersey ; and, furthermore, at a late annual meeting of the association 
the president stated that the investigations made by him (the micro- 
scopist) would save hundreds of thousands of dollars to the cranberry- 
growers of the State. All this is wholly overlooked by the writer. 
But “liming,” he says, ‘‘ has not appeared to be in any degree effect- 
ive.” The fact is that liming has never been thoroughly tested. This 
statement may be rather startling to some cranberry-growers, as it is 
well-known that Dr. Merreman has used 40 bushels of lime to the acre, 
and others have probably done asmuch. This leads to the question, for 
what purpose was the application of the lime recommended? Lime may 
be employed to prevent the decay of wood and other organic substances, 
or it may be employed for their decomposition. We have examples of 
the first in ships and other wooden structures used in the transporta- 
tion of burnt lime. In these cases the lime is in excess of the organic 
matter, and the moisture of the wood is absorbed by the lime, and all 
the proximate principles of the wood are preserved; but if the condi- 
tions are reversed, and water and organic fiber are in excess of the newly- 
burnt lime, the woody fibers will decay. Lime may be employed to 
reduce vegetable substances, to correct acid in the soil, for the solution 
of silica, or for the decomposition of salts of iron. The sulphate of iron 
is often found in peaty soils, in which case the lime would combine with 
the acid, forming sulphate of lime, and oxide of iron would be precipi- 
tated. But the main use of lime, as recommended to the cranberry- 
growers, is to correct the acid condition of the peaty matter. Had they, 
therefore, after a trial of one or two years, reported that the acidity of 
the soil had been corrected, yet without practical results, such a report 
would supply a good basis for criticism ; but the cranberry-growers have 
made no practical examination of the soil since the lime was applied, 
and they are not, therefore, prepared to make an intelligent report on 
the subject. All that is asserted is that the berries on the newly laid 
out bogs rot as much as ever, while those on the superior old bogs do 
not. 
The value of lime to wet cranberry-land can never be known without 
repeated experiments and carefel observation of results. 
The bad condition of the bog-lands was discovered by digging up the 
subsoil, by its taste and smell, by chemical analysis, and by its com- 
parison with soils known to produce uniformly healthy fruit. Some 
soils have been found so bad as to be practically irreclaimable. As has 
been stated heretofore, the composition of cranberry-land varies very 
much in New Jersey, not only as to its composition, but as to the quan- 
tity and quality of its peaty matter. It varies in thickness from 3 inches 
to 6 feet. It is obvious, therefore, that if 40 bushels of lime are neces- 
sary to bring into proper cultivation 3 inches of bad soil, it would take 
160 bushels for a bad soil 12 inches thick. But it has been found that 
an uncultivated bog near the plantation of N. H. Bishop, Manahawkin, 
N. J., which was 6 feet thick, was nearly devoid of sulphureted-hy- 
drogen odor and acid condition, and, with the bountiful supply of water 
at command, irrigation and sanding would supply all the elements neces- 
sary to successful cultivation. 
