273 



from the last season's shoots. Grafting should be done in the spring 

 when the sap is beginning to move and budding after mid-summer, as 

 soon as the wood has matured sufficiently for the bark to rise freely. 



CRANBERRY. 



HISTORY AND USKS. 



Cranberries are Alpine fruits indigenous to the northern regions of 

 Europe, Asia, and America, where they are found growing in peat bogs or 

 other situations where there is permanent moisture. There are several 

 kinds, which are obtained from various species of Vaccinium, a family 

 that is the type of the natural order Vaccinacea?. The botanic name 

 comes from the Latin language, but to what, plant it was originally 

 applied is doubtful. Formerly the family was known under the name of 

 Oxycoccus, which is at the present more generally used than Vacdnium. 

 This word comes from ' Oxt/s " (sharp) and "kokkos" (a berry), in 

 allusion to the sharp acid flavour of the fruit, and is a very suitable name. 

 The English name is supposed to have originated from the appearance 

 of the flower bud just before it expands, which has a fancied resemblance 

 to the head of a crane, hence the term u Craneberry "or '* Cranberry." 

 The British Cranberry is obtained from Vaccinium Qxycoccm* (Oxycoccus 

 palustns), a trailing, evergreen shrub, growing naturally in many parts of 

 Europe, Middle and Northern Asia, and also found in North America. 

 It bears in abundance scarlet berries like Currants, which are used to 

 some extent in tarts, or preserved, and are considered to be wholesome 

 and cooling to the blood. The American Cranberry is the product of 

 Vaccinium macrocarpon (Oxt/coccus macrocarpus), a trailing, evergreen 

 bush growing about three feet high, and bearing in large quantities 

 bright scarlet berries. The fruit is much larger than the British 

 Cranberry, and more valuable for cultivation. Enormous quantities are 

 obtained from natural and artificial plantations in the eastern United 

 States and Canada where the fruit is highly prized and generally used. 

 Besides the demand for home consumption there is also an extensive 

 trade in Cranberries between America and Europe. Varcinium Vitis 

 Idoea (a dwarf, evergreen, shrubby species) also yields a Cranberry, 

 bearing purplish-red fruit, which is utilized to a large extent. This 

 species is widely distributed, being found in Kurope, Northern and 

 Middle Asia and North America. Possibly other species of Vaccinium 

 might be worth cultivating as Cranberries, and investigations in this 

 direction are desirable. Some Species yield useful fruits known by other 

 names such as the Bilberry, or Whortleberry of the United Kingdom, 

 and the Blueberry, or Huckleberry, of America. 



Cranberries are utilized in a variety of waj s. In the first place they 

 are largely used in a fresh state for tarts and puddings, and are considered 

 to be very wholesome when eaten in this way. They are also largely 

 used to accompany pork and other luscious meats, as their acidity 

 counteracts the richness of these materials. Cranberries make a palatable 



