30 ESSEX SOCIETY. 



Not more than one-fifth of all the newly imported varieties 

 of pears are worthy of cultivation ; many of the new sorts sent 

 here from Europe, as fruit of the first order, when brought into 

 hearing here, have proved worthless, although many of them 

 were beautiful in appearance. 



JOHN M. IVES, Chairmati. 



On the Culture of the Cranberry. 



No entry has been made for the society's premium for the 

 cultivation of cranberries. But the chairman of the committee 

 submits the following communication, in the hope that it may 

 not be without interest, and may excite to further experiments. 



The cranberry, or Oxycocus, is so called from the Gr. oxus, 

 sour, and Kokkus, berry, on account of its acidity. It is found 

 from the Middle States to Hudson's Bay, and perhaps farther 

 north. The European cranberry has been found in Lynn 

 woods, and is distinguished by its short pointed leaves. It is 

 very common in Russia, and other countries in the north of 

 Europe ; it bears a close resemblance to the common American 

 cranberry, but is rare in Massachusetts. The earliest descrip- 

 tion of our cranberry that I have been able to discover, is to be 

 found in an old, quaint, and very scarce book, describing the 

 natural history of our country at the period of its first settle- 

 ment. It was published in London in 1672, and was written 

 by " John Josselyn, gentleman," and was entitled " New Eng- 

 land's Rarities, discovered in Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Serpents 

 and Plants of that country." Josselyn, who visited New Eng- 

 land in 1638, and gathered his materials for his New England 

 Rarities, probably saw the cranberry in common use both by 

 the Indians and English, at that early period of our history. 

 Here follows Josselyn's description of this plant : " Cran Berry 

 or Bear Berry, because Bears use much to feed upon them, is a 

 small trayling Plant, that grows in Marshes, that are over- 

 grown with moss ; the tender Branches [which are reddish] run 

 out in great length, lying flat on the ground, when at distances 

 they take root, overspreading half a score of acres, sometime 



