85 



undation which the plants require, will furnish an abundant 

 supply of nutriment for both foliage and fruit. 



There are thousands of acres in sections of the country 

 adapted to this fruit, lying worse than idle, that could be easily 

 transformed into cranberry meadows, and made to yield a 

 greater profit than the best upland in other farm crops. A 

 swamp covered with alders, dogwood, laurel, water-bushes, and 

 brambles, or almost any wet meadow, will answer for cranberries, 

 except those where clay and drift abound. On such soil, fail- 

 ure is almost certain to follow the best efforts for success. 



In selecting a plot for a cranberry meadow, the facilities for 

 flowing must be carefully observed. Water is one of the first 

 requisites. The owner of a bog having complete control of 

 water, may feel reasonably sure of a paying crop, while his 

 neighbor, having all the other requisites, may fail three times in 

 four for the want of it. If the cranberry could be grown in 

 localities exempt from frost, and where the cranberry worm is 

 unknown, flooding the bed might be dispensed with ; but peat- 

 bogs are always found in low, frosty localities, and the vine 

 worm is as sure to find a cranberry meadow as is a Colorado 

 beetle the potato field. If the bog is so situated that a reservoir 

 can be constructed above, from which water can be let down 

 suddenly, it will be of great advantage in case of early frosts in 

 autumn. 



Much has been said and written in years past about growing 

 cranberries on high land ; but all of the so-called successful 

 experiments have turned out failures. It would be difficult to 

 find an instance where any one has been able to produce profit- 

 able crops on upland for a series of years. The crops have 

 been destroyed by insects and frost. Those who wish to en- 

 gage in cranberry culture, will find a tract of low, level ground, 

 and an abundant supply of water, indispensable. 



If the meadow or swamp is filled with water, the first work 

 after clearing the surface will be to cut ditches through the 

 middle and around the margin, with cross ditches at suitable 

 intervals, so that the surplus water can be drawn eighteen 

 inches below the surface at pleasure. 



A dam will be required at the lowest point of the meadow, 

 with flood-gates high enough to raise the water eighteen inches 



