CRANBERRIES. 253 



made to eradicate. Against these grasses, however, in a soil 

 that it loves, the cranberry, fairly introduced, would probably 

 be able to hold on, and even succeed in maintaining with them, 

 at least, a divided empire. But there appeared to be, in this 

 case, another enemy to contend with, in the shape of vulgar, 

 unsightly bushes, which, having gained a foothold at different 

 points, seemed to bid fair to make the contest one of fearful 

 odds against the former, and ultimately to win the field. Mr. 

 Hathaway, it must be admitted, has succeeded in raising this 

 fruit, but his experiment at present seems not to be one of a 

 very promising character. This is not strange, for it is hardly 

 to be expected that one whose life is deeply " in the yellow 

 leaf," would be able to attain success in a laborious enterprise, 

 which the strength and energy of his greenest and freshest 

 manhood could not have been more than adequate to secure. 



The foregoing experiments having been conducted upon the 

 same scale of dimensions, one acre of land, the statements and 

 observations already made with regard to the method pursued, 

 and tlie results attained by the several competitors, may be 

 sufficient to indicate the relative degree of their respective 

 merits. There remains, however, one other point to be settled. 



The premiums claimed are proposed for the greatest quanti- 

 ty, on not less than an acre of land, of the most flourishing 

 " cultivated cranberry vines." What, then, are " cultivated 

 cranberry vines," within the meaning of the trustees, as here 

 expressed? In what would seem to be the more appropriate 

 and restricted signification of the terms, they are such as are 

 in the course of being nurtured and cherished by some annual 

 process or processes of manipulation; by hand labor, that is, 

 in some form, being bestowed upon them, as in stirring the soil, 

 shortening in the runners, &c., and by the occasional adminis- 

 tration of some description of fertilizer. Applied to the cran- 

 berry in this sense, the term "cultivated" is what it is generally 

 understood to be when applied to the strawberry, and nothing 

 more or less. Holding such to be the meaning designed to be 

 conveyed by the language used, no competitor would be entitled 

 to any award, as no competitor has shown any cranberry vines, 

 or made any statement with respect to any of a description 

 fairly and properly comprehended within such meaning. 



