60 ANNUAL REPORT. 
_ The parties operating on the marshes I visited,.which I have here- 
tofore alluded to, already have some thirty or forty miles of ditch 
made, averaging five feet at the top, three feet at the bottom, with 
an average depth of four feet, at a cost of about 75 cents per rod. 
These ditches are to drain the water from the marshes when desired. 
They have dams across these ditches, to flood the marshes when de- 
sired. The flooding of the marshes aids in subduing the wild grasses 
and other encumbrances, also is essential to the growth of the ber- 
ries. On these marshes wherever the flowage is killing the grass, the 
vine is rapidly spreading, without transplanting. Undoubtedly they 
would yield a quicker return by transplanting. ; 
Large tracts, of these lands, which, at this time, have no vines, 
are bought by companies, mostly from the cranberry lands in East- 
ern Wisconsin, who are experienced in this business, and know what 
they are doing. They openly declare that vines can be grown on 
these marshes, where sufficient water can be obtained, and controlled 
to flow the lands. Mr. Irvine informed me that this flooding pro- 
cess, and the manner in which it was controlled, was the key of suc- 
cess. 
I examined the effect, which one year alone had accomplished, as 
these companies commenced operation in 1872. It surprised me, 
when I saw the mode, and heard it explained, that so little was gen- 
erally known of this business. After the marshes are subdued, dams 
and ditches built, there is comparatively small cost in raising the 
fruit, until the harvest, when men, women and children flock in from 
the farming countries, to pick, to pack, to store, to dry, to box, and 
convey to market. An expert will pick from five to ten bushels per 
day by hand, no rakes being allowed. 
In 1873, these marshes had an abundant yield. These companies 
paid to qutsiders $1.50 per bushel. In 1874, the crop was light. 
The failure of the crop on these marshes, was caused by the drains 
not being properly constructed, they not being acquainted with the 
peat formation, (which absorbs more water than the marshes they 
were accustomed to.) The drains in many instances, were dug too 
deep, which drained the marshes too dry, it being a dry spring, and 
left the vine without sufficient moisture to form the blossom and pro- 
pagate the fruit. They have learned by this season’s failure, the 
proper depths necessary to control the different localities in the 
marshes. It will be an easy matter to control the flowage by their 
dams in all seasons hereafter, In instances where the tougher class 
of grasses will not yield to flowage, a course has been adopted in 
New Jersey, which is effectual, by spreading white sand to the depth 
of half an inch to one inch. Another benefit derived from practical 
flowage, is the controlling of the ripening of the fruit, by delaying 
the growth and formation of the blossom, in the spring which is cal- 
culated to place it beyond late frosts. Also, it affects the early 
ripening of the fruit by adapting the water to the natural wants of 
the vine. Whereas on marshes not controlled by dams, and water, 
they are subject to extreme drouths and excessive rains, often de- 
laying the berry until it is killed by early frosts. The failure of a 
crop is not so great a loss as the failure in other agricultural crops, 
$48 ie 
