CRANBERRY. 



287 



plants in the spring will serve to retard the blossoming until 

 danger of frost is past, and will protect the fruit from early 

 frosts in autumn. (3) Beds that are kept under water until 

 late in the spring are seldom seriously injured by insects. (4) 

 Beds do best when protected by a water covering in winter. If 

 not thus protected they may be seriously injured. 



When there is considerable fall in the bed it is customary 

 to finish it at several grades and to put in 

 as many dams, but where there is not more 

 than two or three feet of fall one dam is 

 quite sufficient. Dams should be made 

 strong and have sluiceways large enough to 

 let off all the water liable to drain through 

 them. 



About flowing. All that is required in 

 flowing a bog is sufficient water to cover 

 the vines. They should be covered about 

 the first of November, and as deep as they 

 are to remain covered during the winter. 

 The freezing of the vines in the ice does 

 not hurt them, but raising the level of the 

 water in the bed after they are frozen, and 

 thus raising the ice and tearing the vines 

 out of the ground, is where the great dan- 

 ger lies. To avoid this, the sluice- 

 ways should be kept sufficiently open 

 to allow any surplus water to pass 

 off. 



The first two seasons the water should be kept on the vines 

 until the last of April, but after that, or when the bog is in con- 

 dition to bear, the water should be kept on until the last of 

 May or first of June. . The object of keeping it on so late is 

 to prevent injury from late frosts, and to destroy the fruit 

 worm and fire worm which are the worst foes of the cranberry. 

 If the fruit is covered with water in warm weather, it is very 

 liable to be ruined, but the vines are uninjured by such flowage. 

 Throughout the growing season the water should be about 

 twelve inches below the surface of the bed. 



Fig. 131. Cranber- 

 ry plants, one, 

 two and three 

 years after set- 

 ting. 



