368 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



clay or loam, and should be coarse enough to let the water 

 throuiih it freely. Very fine sand is not as good as fine 

 travel. Never use sand so fine that the water will stand on 

 it in pools after every shower. To get good drainage, cover 

 three or four inches in depth. 



In regard to the selection of varieties of cranberries, al- 

 w^ays give preference to those with thick flesh, small cavities, 

 dark color and good size. It is very difiicult to find all 

 these qualities combined in one variety, but if not to be 

 found, come as near to it as possible. Never buy plants 

 that grow in sections where destructive insects are at work 

 on the vines, and, if possible, get them from a higher 

 northern latitude than where they are to be set. 



Before setting the plants, mark the ground off" in rows ten 

 inches apart, and set the vines ten inches apart in the rows. 

 Plants having roots are much lietter than those without ; but 

 tops can l)e made to do very well if set while perfectly fresh, 

 although they will not grow the first year more than half as 

 much as those with roots. In setting vineS, a stick with a 

 notch in it should l^e used to push them into and through the 

 sand. The plants do best set in April or May, but will live 

 set at anytime during the summer or autumn. When plants 

 are set in summer, the water should be kept within six inches 

 of the surface; and if set during the hottest portion of the 

 season, it should be kept high enough to keep the sand on 

 the surface from becoming so warm as to be unpleasant to 

 those who are setting the plants. 



During the first year care should be taken to keep the l)og 

 perfectly clean of all perennial weeds. The annual weeds 

 need not be pulled out, as to do so will only disturb the 

 cranberry plants. 



When cold weather begins, the bog should 1)e flooded 

 deep enough to keep the ice above the plants. The follow- 

 ing spring gradually draw ofl' the water, having it all ofl" by 

 the first of May. During the summer keep the w^ater at 

 least twelve inches below the surface, and keep the lowland 

 grasses out. When cold weather comes, flow as before ; but 

 in the spring draw the w^ater gradually, and by the middle 

 of May have it low enough to fill the ditches an inch below 

 the surface of the bog, keeping it there until the first Aveek 



