FRUIT CULTURE. 839 



should be such as to give the plants plenty of air, as mildew often results from overcrowding. 

 The plants will not bear well for more than five or six years; the setting out of new plants 

 every year or two is therefore to be recommended, in order to have a constant supply of young 

 and vigorous plants for bearing. The north side of a building or fence will often prove a 

 good location for growing this fruit, thus affording a partial shade, and resulting in the 

 growth of larger berries. 



Diseases and Enemies. The mildew is the most common disease to be met in the 



cultivation of the gooseberry, while the currant worm is the principal enemy. (See DIS 

 EASES AND ENEMIES OF FRUIT.) 



Cranberries. The cranberry is a semi-aquatic plant found growing wild in swampy, 

 sandy meadows in the northern portion of both the Eastern and Western hemispheres. 

 The American species is much larger and finer than the European, which is greatly inferior 

 to the former, both in size and quality. The cranberry is highly valued for its fruit, which is 

 quite acid, and is useful in making tarts, preserves, and for other culinary purposes. In 

 many portions of New England, New Jersey, on Long Island, and other sections of the 

 country, low, marshy meadows of but little value have been drained and made to bring very 

 profitable returns by utilizing them for the cultivation of this fruit. From the Northwest, 

 especially in Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Northern Indiana, there are vast tracts 

 covered with cranberry vines growing wild. By cultivation, this fruit has become greatly 

 improved in size, quality, and productiveness, and in many portions of the country has become 

 an important and profitable industry. Although the cranberry thrives best on land that is 

 covered by water a portion of the year, yet there are some varieties that do fairly well on 

 uplands where the soil is moderately dry. 



Varieties. There are but few varieties of the cranberry in cultivation. Among the 

 best may be mentioned the MANSFIELD CREEPER, a variety suited to upland culture, and is 

 quite productive, with berries of good size. For lowland culture the BLACK BELL, a large 

 variety, well shaped, of very dark, bright-red color; the LARGE CHERRY, a good sized, oval 

 variety. Besides these, there are other kinds of the common &quot; Cherry &quot; and &quot; Bell &quot; varie 

 ties that are cultivated to a considerable extent. No especial pains have yet been taken to 

 improve varieties of this fruit on scientific principles, but no doubt great improvement could 

 be accomplished in this direction. 



Culture. There are probably few, if any, fruits cultivated that will grow on so great 

 a variety of soils as the cranberry. A New England writer well skilled in the culture of 

 this fruit, says respecting it: &quot;While it seems to be natural for the cranberry to grow on 

 land that is very wet during the largest portion of the year, it will grow better on high land 

 than it will where the land is wet all of the year. From the time of blossoming until the 

 fruit is ripe it flourishes best where the ground is hot and dry. The most profitable and the 

 best location seems to be a meadow that has a peat bottom that can be flowed with at least 

 two feet of water during the winter and spring, and can be thoroughly drained in the sum 

 mer. In such location the cranberry can be grown with as much profit as any other fruit ; 

 but if one has no meadow, and desires to have a few cranberries for his own use, it is very 

 easy to grow them on high, dry ground; in fact, we have seen them grown at a profit on 

 good corn land by the side of strawberries; the products of three-quarters of an acre being 

 sold the third year after setting for $300. 



The greatest trouble in growing them on high land is in keeping the ground free from 

 weeds and grass. The vines have to be reset much oftener on high than they do on low land, 

 but the fruit is much more valuable, being hard and thick flesh, with very small hollow 

 cavities for the seed, and the keeping qualities are much better, oftentimes keeping more than 



