GATHERING AND SHIPPING THE CROP. 29 



without fruit on it, letting on the water would destroy 

 the girdlers, and no damage would be done to the vines. 

 One species of the girdlers is an inch long, and as big 

 around as the common gray worm, which eats cucumbers, 

 squashes, etc., in our gardens. They are rarely found 

 where the bog is wet ; but on high ground they some- 

 times do a great deal of damage. We see more of this 

 insect while the plants are young and tender, than when 

 they become old and woody. 



Whenever there is fruit on the bog, it is dangerous to 

 flow it in hot weather. Within my knowledge, several 

 parties have lost their entire crop inconsequence of flow- 

 ing at this time. The berries were "scalded," that is to 

 say, were softened and deprived of color, just as if they 

 had been immersed in boiling hot water. In one in- 

 stance within my knowledge, about three thousand bar- 

 rels of fruit were lost by flowing in the summer time, to 

 prevent the ravages of the Fruit-worm at a time when the 

 berries were were nearly full-grown. This was on the 

 Quoshnet Bog in Mashpee. 



CHAPTER IX. 

 GATHERING AND SHIPPING THE CROP. 



When the season for cranberry picking arrives, it is no 

 unusual sight to see nearly the entire population of the 

 village, from old to young, starting out in the morning 

 on their way to the bogs. These people are packed into 

 their farm wagons, which, holding anywhere from six to 

 a dozen, and are drawn soberly along by the family horse, 

 who apparently does not appreciate the situation as well 

 as the good-humored crowd he is carrying. It is a sight 

 which must be seen to be appreciated, as each individual 



