No. 6. 



Planting the Cranberry. 



193 



In corroboration of tlie opinion as to the 

 profitableness of the Durham cattle, I may 

 mention, that at the late Cattle iShow in 

 Chester county, Mr. Worth exliibited tiirec 

 steers of Dm-ham blooJ, rising four years 

 old, which had not yet been put up, and 

 which then were laid at 1500 lbs., average. 

 Wiiile viewing those line steers, I re- 

 marked to an intelligent farmer near to me, 

 that it would require but a little feed to 

 make them bring one hundred dollars each. 

 He replied, he thought they would bring 

 that now. Their owner raises grain, 

 corn, &c., but I am very sure he has raised 

 nothing within the last three or four years, 

 that will pay as well as his steers. 



I sold last March a young Durham heifer 

 for slaughter, at one hundred dollars, and 

 am very certain, that from the time I took 

 her up to feed, she did not consume fifteen 

 dollars worth over and above the hay, and 

 up to that time, less of pasture and hay, by 

 a great deal, than a good animal ol'the com- 

 mon breed would have consumed; and which 

 under any force of feeding, tor the same pe- 

 riod, would not have brought forty dollars 

 at the same age, at the same market. Mr. 

 Colman, in his account of the cattle at 

 Smithfield, England, remarks of this breed, 

 that "the dressed weight is stated at G50 lbs. 

 to 800 lbs., at two to three years." 



Recommending to H. S. a reperusal of my 

 communication to General Richardson, and 

 to farmers to vvhom it applied, a fair trial of 

 the practice set forth, — 



I remain, very respectfully. 



Your obedient servant, 



James Go wen. 



Mount Airy, January 5tf), 184G. 



Planting the Cranberry. 



In its wild or natural state, the cranberry 

 is found in wet situations; in boggy grounds, 

 in damp sandy lands, and on the low margins 

 of ponds and streams. It will live and grow 

 in comparatively dry soils; but it will not 

 bear fruit without its roots are immersed in 

 water at all seasons of the year. 



Soil and silnalion. — The first object of 

 the cultivator should be to select the ground 

 for his cranberry yard. Every wet situation 

 is not suitable. The soil must cither be 

 sand, mud, peat, or a mi.xture of these. 

 There must be an abundant supply of water 

 at all sea.^ons of the year. If the groimd is 

 so situated that it can be flooded during the 

 wiiitcr and spring, it is better; but it is not 

 indispensable to success. The ground must 

 be saturated with w; ter, either from springs, 

 running streams, or ihe drainings from higher 

 land. Oa the low sandy margins of ponds 



the water is not much afTccted by the sea- 

 son, a sufficient supply of moisture will as- 

 cend, because the little spaces between the 

 grains of sand act as so n)any capillary tubes 

 tor the ascent of the water; but when the 

 margin is compact earth or unmixed peat, 

 the dampness will not on that principle rise 

 to the surface. In a selection of a situation 

 for his cranberry yard, the cultivator must 

 observe, first, whether the soil is of a loose, 

 porous character, easily permeable to water; 

 and second, whether there will be an abun- 

 dant supply of water in the dryest seasons. 

 If either of these two requisites is wanting, 

 it will be useless for him to attempt the cul- 

 tivation of the cranberry. 



Planting and cull are. — In boggy grounds' 

 it is advisable to retain the top sod, and cover 

 the surface with beach sand if it can be easily 

 procured; if not, with any sand that does not 

 contain loam or surface soil. Till recently 

 the common method of setting out the vines 

 was, after the bog was covered with sand, it 

 was marked off in parallel rows, like a field 

 of corn, and sods of vines set from three to 

 four feet apart each way. The usual method 

 now is,'to set in drills about two feet apart. 

 The vines are separated, and only two or 

 three upright stalks are set together, and are 

 placed from six to twelve inches apart length- 

 wise of the drill. On wet and barren sandy 

 land the expense of setting out the vines is 

 much less than on bogs. 



Cuttings from any part of the stem will 

 strike root, and may be used where it is diffi- 

 cult or expensive to procure a sufficient 

 quantity with roots. Where vines cannot 

 be procured cranberries may be sown. It is 

 not certain but that sowing will ultimately 

 prove to be the cheapest and m.ost expedi- 

 tious method. We know of but one in- 

 stance where cranberries were sown. That 

 experiment was successful, and the ground 

 is now thickly set with vines. 



The best time for setting the vines, we 

 are unable to state. The common practice 

 has been to set them at any time when the 

 weather would admit, from November to 

 March. The spring we should think was 

 preferable for sowing. 



During the first season aflcr they are set, 

 vines frequently put forth numerous runners 

 four or five feet long. The next year the 

 runners put forth upright bearing stems, 

 which produce cranberries on the third year. 

 The vines do not usually become so thick set 

 as to cover the ground bcfijre the fitth year. 



Manure is worse than useless, and any 

 vegetable or animal matter that will cause 

 fermentation is injurious. As a general 

 rule, the more hurrcn the surface soil, tlie 

 better is it adapted to the growth of the 



