CRANBERRIES. 257 



left to conflict for tlie mastery. During the drouglit of 1852, 

 the cranberry vines on the upper or clrycst part of the land, 

 began to fail, evidently suffering from the severity of the 

 drought. On the middle portion, the soil being deep and mel- 

 low, they grev?" finely, overpowering the vreeds and grass, and in 

 places, bearing at the rate of half a bushel to the square rod, 

 and apparently not at all affected by the dry weather. In the 

 lowest part, which was the moistest, the grass appeared to gain 

 the ascendancy, and although the vines spread as well as the 

 grass, the yield of cranberries was not more than one-third as 

 great as on the middle portion, owing, doubtless, to the natu- 

 ral tendency of the soil to grass. 



This year, (1852,) the vines in the central part overrun the 

 ground, to the exclusion of every thing else, and the yield ap- 

 pears, (October 13,) greater than that of any preceding year, 

 and the fruit far superior in size and color to that raised on 

 swamps. "Whether the grass in the lower part will eventually 

 yield to the cranberry, is a matter which time will prove, but 

 which I think is likely. 



Salt, at the rate of four bushels to the acre, I would recom- 

 mend as a preventive for worms, which are so troublesome on 

 light soils. One-tenth of my upland berries were destroyed 

 by the worms or the plum curculio last year, but their ravages, 

 I believe, have ceased, as I have not observed a berry stung 

 this year. 



Salt, I believe to be a benefit to the upland cranberry, inas- 

 much as it attracts the moisture, keeps down the weeds, in a 

 measure, and aids the growth of the vines, to say nothing about 

 the vermin. On a small scale, I have applied, at the rate of 

 fifteen bushels of salt per acre, over the vines in the spring, 

 with impunity. The conclusions to which- 1 arrive, after experi- 

 menting with the cranberry five years, are as follows : — 



1st. That the cranberry will flourish and yield best on moist 

 sand ] that they will grow and produce well on loamy soils, 

 but moderately dry, is an established fact in my own mind, 

 though, as a matter of choice, poor, moist sand would be pref- 

 erable. 



2d. That porous, sandy loams for the cultivation of the cran- 

 berry, are unsuitable, and contrary to the nature and require- 

 33* 



