STRAWBERRY CULTURE. 139 



Rev. Mr. Eastwood, in his manual for the cultivation of the cranbeny, says 

 he has seen a pint of cranberries, marked "Cape Cod Bell Cranberries," sold 

 for four shillings sterling in the "Strand," London. 



Boston is the great market for cranberries, being nearest to those regions in 

 which the vine is cultivated. The New York and Philadelphia maikets within 

 the last few years have become extensive purchasers, and Boston dealers ship 

 large quantities to these ports. Of such profit is the cranberry that growers 

 are visited by city dealers a month or two before the berry has been ready to 

 pick, and they frequently purchase them thus eai'ly at prices varying from S9 

 to J; 10 per barrel. 



The accompanying engravings show berries of their natural size, and are of 

 the " Bell " and " Cherry " species. The "Bull Cranberry " is so called because 

 of some fancied resemblance to a bell in its shape. Of this species there is but 

 one variety. It is of good size, and almost as dark colored as blood coral when 

 well grown and fully ripe. It grows in some sections to great perfection. 



The "Cherry Cranberry," so called from its similarity in shape, size, and 

 color to that well-knoAvn fruit, is of two varieties, large and small. It is hard; 

 its color is very dark or a blackish crimson, when properly cultivated. Occa- 

 sionally these species are known to bear seven berries on a single branch of the 

 runner, but five, as here represented, are the more common product. 



There are several other species and sub-varieties of the cranberry, both wild 

 and cultivated, but they are not so generally known in this section of New 

 England as those described, nor are they so valuable for market or domestic use. 



CULTURE OF THE STRAWBERRY. 



BY GEORGE H. HITE, MORRISAMA, NEW YORK. 



In writing upon the culture of the strawberry, we will speak — first, of ths 

 preparation of soils ; second, of garden and field culture ; thirdly, of propaga- 

 tion, hybridization, forcing, &c. 



I. PREPARATION OF SOILS. 



The ground should always be healthy, and of a friable nature, made deep 

 and permeable ; clay loam should be trenched at least twenty inches, and the 

 subsoil brought to the top. Well-rotted manure should be equally introduced 

 to within six or eight inches of the top, or, if the trenching is done in the fall, ' 

 fresh stable manure may with safct}^ be used, provided the planting is done in 

 the spring. In the above kind of land, manure can be used with impunity, 

 provided it is kept six or eight inches below the surface, i. e., where the' roots 

 of the newly set plants will not reach until they have gained some cou>^iderable 

 degree of strength, which, by that time, will find the manure sufliciently decom- 

 posed to receive them. 



A sandy loam should be deeply dug, and well-rotted manure interspersed 

 equally throughout. All land that is not underdrained requires to be deeply 

 dug or trenched, and a proper equilibrium of the soil obtained by being well 

 broken to pieces. Still rains that fall will pass immediately downward, which 

 secures a permaneuce of moisture that may be relied on in the season of 

 drought. 



