164 FRUIT GARDEN. 



which period care must be taken and much labor expended 

 to keep the ground clear of weeds and grass. 



The usual cost per acre of preparing and keeping ar. 

 acre of ground of Cranberries in good condition during the 

 three years while the bud is maturing, is from $100, $20C 

 to $300 per acre, on low wet lands, but nearly twice as 

 much on uplands. 



When the ground is fully covered with vines, the'usual 

 crop will average about 150 bushels per acre — but some 

 places have been so well prepared and so favorable for it 

 that at the rate of 450 bushels per acre have been known 

 to be gathered from a half acre. 



Loudon remarks, " that Sir Joseph Banks, after having 

 imported the American Cranberry into England, raised in 

 1831 three and a half bushels on a piece of land eighteen 

 feet square. This is at the rate of about four hundred and 

 sixty bushels to the acre." 



The price of the Cranberry varies in market, ranging 

 from two to four dollars per bushel, so that it may be seen 

 they are a very profitable crop ; and often times low swamp 

 land fit for but little else can thus be used to good purpose. 



They are easily gathered with Cranberry rakes, with 

 which 20 to 30 bushels per day, or even 40 bushels can be 

 taken from the vines by a man and boy. 



Sometimes the Cranberry is raised from the seed, but 

 an inferior variety is as likely to result as otherwise. They 

 will also grow from cuttings. The fall or spring are favor- 

 able seasons for transplanting, but the former is consider- 

 ed best. From September until the ground freezes, or 

 from March till the middle of May will do. 



Professor Horsford has recently given the following 

 valuable analysis of the Cranberry fruit : 



