ON THE CULTL'llE OF THE CRANBERRY. 70 



ten by '•John Josselyn, gentleman," and was entitled "New 

 England's Rarities, discovered in Birds, Beasts, Fishes, Ser- 

 pents and Plants of that country." Josselyn, who visited 

 New England in 1638, and gathered his materials for his New 

 England Rarities, probably saw the cranberry in common use 

 both by the Indians and English, at that early period of our 

 history. Here follows Josselyn's description of this plant : 

 " Cran Berry or Bear Berry, because Bears use much to feed 

 upon them, is a small trayling Plant, that grows in Marshes, 

 that are overgrown with moss ; the tender Branches [which 

 are reddish] run out in great length, lying flat on the ground, 

 when at distances they take Root, overspreading half a score 

 acres, sometime in small patches of about a Rod or the like ; 

 the Leaves are like Box, but greener, thick and glistening; the 

 Blossoms are very like our English Night shade Flowers, after 

 which, succeed the Berries, hanging by long small foot stalks, 

 no bigger than a hair ; at first they are of a pale yellow Colour, 

 afterwards red, and as big as Cherry's, some perfectly round, 

 others oval, all of them hollow, of a sour astringent taste ; they 

 are ripe in August and September. They are excellent for the 

 Scurvey. They are also good to allay the furvour of hot Dis- 

 eases. The English and Indians use them, by much boyling 

 them with Sugar for sauce, to eat with their meat, and it is 

 delicate sauce, especially for roasted mutton. Some make tarts 

 with them, as with Goose Berries." 



Snch is the history and use of the cranberry in the days of 

 the Pilgrims, written in their peculiar style, probably not twen- 

 ty-five years from their landing at Plymouth. The plant, call- 

 ed in some parts of Maine, the " Mountain Cranberry," is us- 

 ed there for culinary purposes, like our common cranberry. It 

 is a very rare plant, being as yet discovered but in one spot in 

 Massachusetts, and that occurs in a pasture in North Danvers. 

 It is the vaccinum vitis Idsea. L. [Cow Berry.] It can be used as 

 the common cranberry, but is inferior to it. We have not had 

 it a sufficient length of time under cultivation, to form 5,n opinion 

 of its value. The High Cranberry, or viburnum opulus, is a 

 handsome shrub rising from six to ten feet high, and bearing 

 an acid fruit somewhat resembling cranberries. It has been 



