1889.] PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 4. 131 



over. A gentleman said to me, " I have paid a dollar a rod 

 this year to keep one bog clear of weeds." You can make a 

 bog for a little more than that. It will cost in our cedar 

 and maple swamps about two hundred dollars an acre to pre- 

 pare a bog if you have your sand handy. I think we can 

 put sand or gravel on the bogs cheaper with barrows when 

 we do not have over one hundred and fifty paces to wheel it 

 than we can with a horse. Men will go very quickly with 

 barrows, running them on planks just where the sand is 

 wanted. It spreads very easily and much more evenly than 

 if it is put on with a cart. I am making five acres now, and 

 they will cost me just about two hundred dollars an acre. 

 The plan described by the essayist may be best for the in- 

 terior, but we find that our plan is best for us. 



Mr. Cedikshanks. How long will these bogs remain in 

 bearing condition without bogging over? 



Mr. Edson. There is the advantage of putting on a little 

 more sand. If you put on four inches of sand, it does not 

 require rebogging or resetting as soon. If you put on but 

 two inches of sand, it runs out sooner ; but then they have 

 a plan of putting sand on the vine, about an inch of sand 

 right over the vine in winter. 



Question. Do you recommend that? 



Mr. Edson. I think it is a good plan. The third year 

 you ought to get the best crop, and it ought to pay for your 

 bog, and leave you a pretty good income besides ; but after 

 that, the fourth or fifth year, it would be better to put on 

 another inch of sand, and then your bog will go on better 

 than with fertilizers. 



Question. Go on forever without re-sanding? 



Mr. Edson. No. After a while the vines may get rather 

 weedy and iTin to a very heavy growth of vines. We have 

 had a good deal of trouble there this year with frost, and 

 the cranberry association are talking very strongly of can- 

 ning those berries or making them into jelly, putting them 

 up in glass jars. Many housekeepers say they had rather 

 have the frosted berries to make a jelly of than the other. 

 Mr. Small of Harwich told me he had a thousand barrels 

 on his bog he would give to any one that would pick them. 

 There would be a thousand barrels to put into cans. I 



