HENDERSON'S HANDBOOK OF PLANTS. 



155 



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rels of vines. If placed two feet apart each way, 

 10, 000 will plant an acre; they can be cultivated 

 with a cultivator or horse hoe, to keep down the 

 grass and weeds ; and after one or two years of 

 cultivation they will take care of themselves, or 

 it will only be necessary to pull out what little 

 grass may grow. If wanted in small patches or 

 in gardens, they can be planted a foot apart, 

 and will cover the ground much sooner. Vines 

 usually sold by the barrel have clinging to the 

 roots earth that is full of the seeds of weeds, 

 which are introduced into the soil, demanding 

 much labor to keep the plants clean; it is there- 

 fore better to purchase clean vines. The Cran- 

 berry can be planted out at almost any season of 

 the year when the ground is not frozen; in the 

 fall, from September until the ground freezes; 

 in spring, until July ; in the South or West, from 

 October to March. If the vines are received too 

 late for planting, or if frozen, they can be cov- 

 ered with earth or damp moss in a box, and 

 placed in a cellar until they can be planted out, 

 after being placed in water for a few hours. 

 Overflowing or flooding is desirable, if not in- 

 dispensable to complete success. The water may 

 remain en tie vines till the 10th of May in the 

 latitude of N. Y., or until there is no danger from 

 frost. It may cover the vines from one to two 

 feet or more, and if it can be let on or off at will 

 for a few hours during the season, it will pre- 

 vent drought, and also destroy the worm, which 

 is sometimes very destructive. The water should 

 not stand on them when in flower, as it would 

 injure the pollen and prevent fruiting, or when 

 the fruit is quite green. The best known and 

 most extensively cultivated is the Sell, of which 

 there are two or three varieties. The Cape Coil 

 Sell is the best known, and has been more ex- 

 tensively cultivated than any other variety. The 

 color is a dark red, but it often varies in color and 

 shape on different soils, but its bearing and 

 ripening qualities are the same, being of good 

 size and medium early. The Su/le is an old va- 

 riety, rather early, of medium size to large, a 

 good keeper, color dark scarlet, and a medium 

 bearer. The Cherry generally grows on wet soil 

 or moist upland. Of this there are a number of 

 varieties ; but the one most commonly planted 

 is of medium size, round shape, bright red color, 

 a good bearer, but rather later than other varie- 

 ties; it is a leading market sort. Another, call- 

 ed Mottkd BeU, pink on white ground, is a very 

 handsome fruit, but late and little grown. Two 

 new varieties have lately been introduced, which, 

 by a number of years' cultivation, we think su- 

 perior to the above in several particulars, being 

 early and constant bearers when others fail, ana 

 in the future they are likely to become Isading 

 sorts. In some sections there would have been 

 a short crop but for these kinds. The Elton's 

 Early Slack Sell stands first. It ripens very 

 early, is fully colored by the 5th of September 

 in New England, is uniform in color and shape, 

 of a very handsome dark red color, almost black, 

 of medium and uniform size, a great and con- 

 stant bearer, a good keeper, and the vines hardy; 

 and being early, it brings the highest price in 

 market. The Mansfield Creeper was first discov- 

 ered in a corn-field, and transplanted to a Cran- 

 berry bed. In its new position it was found to 

 be entirely different in its growth and habit 

 from all other varieties. It seemed to creep on 

 the ground and take root at every joint, pro- 

 ducing bearing shoots every two or three inches 

 on the vine, and throwing out fruit buds for a 



OXY 



fresh start another year. It is a few days later 

 than the Eaton Bell. Both are adapted to up- 

 land culture. It is of large size and a great 

 bearer; the flesh is more tender, and not so acid; 

 color dark scarlet on one side, the other side 

 nearly white, and slightly mottled; shaporound- 

 ish oval. It is a fine keeper. A writer in the 

 New Hampshire Journal of Agriculture describes 

 a plot of nearly three-fourths of an acre, com- 

 pletely covered with beds of Cranberries, the 

 vines ''thickly matted and in a flourishing 

 condition." The grounds, which were naturally 

 slightly moist, were prepared as for Strawber- 

 ries, and then planted with Cranberry vines. 

 They were placed in rows or beds, in the same 

 manner as Strawberry plants, and then served 

 with a top dressing of meadow mud, which had 

 been taken from its natural bed and exposed to 

 the frosts of one winter, by which it was ren- 

 dered very loose and friable. They were after- 

 ward cultivated with the hoe until they had 

 completely covered the ground, simply passing 

 between the beds, pulling out such weeds and 

 grass as might occasionally be seen growing 

 among them, and killing the worms, if any were 

 found on the plants. The proprietor succeeded 

 in obtaining a good crop, or an averageof 160 bush- 

 els to the acre. The fruit was of excellent quali- 

 ty, and cold readily for one-third more than the 

 common uncultivated Cranberry of the swamps 

 in that vicinity. The above writer considers 

 any soil that will produce a crop of Indian corn 

 suitable for a Cranberry plot. In regard to the 

 success of Mr. Bates in his m:thod of culture, 

 Mr. B. G. Boswell, of Philadelphia, gives the 

 following testimony, viz. : "As the plant natu- 

 rally grows in a very wet soil, it is generally 

 supposed that it will not thrive in a dry soil; 

 but this idea is erroneous. Mr. S. Bates, of 

 Massachusetts, has grown the Cranberry on a dry 

 soil for several years, with the utmost success. 

 His method is to plow the land, spread on a 

 quantity of swamp muck, and after harrowing 

 the soil thoroughly, set out the plants in drills 

 twenty inches apart, hoeing them the first sea- 

 son. After this no cultivation is needed. By 

 ' the above method the plants will cover the 

 ground in l hree years." It is hoped that the 

 above details T ill prove of service to those about 

 to embark iu he cul ire of this useful fruit. 

 The Cr"iberry . also adapted to garden cul- 

 ture. Every family can have a garden patch. 

 A moist but not clayey soil should be selected, 

 and the gr x und prepared by plowing or spad- 

 ing, as for . '* vwberries. The entire surface 

 should be covered one or two inches with fine 

 muck, or one or two inches of sand can be sub- 

 stituted. They can be planted one foot to eight- 

 een inches apart, and four to six inches in depth. 

 They are also highly ornamental in pots, the 

 fruit hanging on the vines until the flowers 

 appear for the next crop. Experiments in New 

 England indicate that the Cranberry can bo cul- 

 tivated on upland, though generally with mod- 

 erate success. On Long Island, however, there 

 are Cranberry patches of five or six acres, on 

 upland soil, that produce from 5 ) to 10(J bushels 

 per acre, which is considered a satisfactory re- 

 sult, as manure is unnecessary, and the trouble 

 of cultivating, gathering, and marketing the 

 Cranberry is less than that required by the 

 Strawberry or any of the small fruits. 

 Oxylobium. From oxys, sharp, and Inbos, a pod; 

 the seed-pods ending in a point. Linn. Decan- 

 dria-Monof/ynia. Nat. Ord. Ibbacece. 



