114 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



of the river at the southern boundary of the farm we may 

 look across a fine sheet of water, where the three rivers 

 join, to the village at Wareham station. Beneath these 

 waters, oysters, clams and quahaugs grow naturally. The 

 river at times swarms Avith edible migrator}^ fish. Shrimp, 

 crabs and other aquatic and marine forms of life abound. 



Such a variety of food animals is sure to attract water 

 birds. Down the river, toward the bay, gulls or terns, or 

 both together, may be found according to the season. Sea 

 ducks are not wanting. Loons and grebes come and go. 

 The upper river, flowing through salt marshes backed by 

 pine woods, off'ers secluded retreats for eagles, fish haAvks, 

 herons, bitterns and various water fowl and shore birds. 

 One large, solitary pine tree standing oil our shore has been 

 used for at least two years, in the fishing season, by an 

 immense bald eagle as a perch, from which he watches the 

 evolutions of the fish hawks. 



If we follow the river above the head of tide water toward 

 the Plymouth w^oods, we shall see another feature of this 

 region which renders it attractive to birds. Here lies an 

 uninhabited country. There are no dwellings and no fences. 

 The only buildings to be seen are the " bog houses," Avhere 

 cranberries are housed, screened and packed for shipment 

 each fall. The land is undulating, consisting of a series of 

 low hills, with occasionall}^ a well- watered valley. IVIany 

 of these valleys have been made into cranberry bogs. 

 There are man}^ natural ponds lying in sheltered basins, 

 and other artificial ponds which are used for flowing the 

 bogs. 



This country no doubt was once well wooded. Then the 

 white pine woods extended well down on the Cape, and oak 

 timber grew there ; but for years past parts of this region 

 have been visited by forest fires, until much of the wild 

 land down through Sandwich, Barnstable and Falmouth 

 has been burned over. Large tracts are now denuded of 

 trees. On these tracts scrub oaks, pitch pines and berry 

 bushes spring up. When these are burned, the ashes from 

 the fire supplies the earth with sufficient potash to produce 

 a great crop of berries about the second season following. 



