30 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



Jan. 



coarse as the Leicester ; but what the Leices- 

 ter lost in length of staple, the Merino made 

 up in fulness of fibre, so that there was no 

 loss in weight of fleece. At that time Mr. 

 King got more for his wool than he could ob- 

 tain either for the Leicester or Merino. Such 

 wool to-day is worth fifty-six cents per 

 pound. His lambs sold as readily to the 

 butcher, and for as good prices as formerly ; 

 his wethers weighed when slaughtered, at two 

 years old, from one hundred to one hundred 

 and fifty pounds. Others have crossed the 

 Cotswold with as good results; and much of 

 the wool raised in the State of Maine is from 

 crosses of the Merino with coarse wools. This 

 wool during the present season has been in 

 good demand, and has brought good prices. 



The Southdown and Merino produce a most 

 excellent cross, and so far as size and extremes 

 are concerned are not so objectionable as the 

 cross with the large, long wooled sheep ; and 

 so far as wool is concerned, the Southdown 

 and Merino produce an excellent delaine quali- 

 ty. The ewes also are excellent nurses, while 

 the mutton is nearly equal to the pure South- 

 down. Prof. Miles of the Agricultural Col- 

 lege, Michigan, has experimented to a consid- 

 erable extent, and the result of bis efforts is 

 that he produces a wool more valuable than 

 either the pure breeds ; more hardy lambs and 

 mutton little inferior to the pure Southdown. 

 The wool is not so fine as the Merino, but it is 

 longer ; neither is it so coarse and fuzzy as 

 the Southdown. We would have it under- 

 stood, however, that these cross-bred wools are 

 not so valuable as the pure bred Leicester and 

 Cotswold at the present time ; but we think 

 the time is not far distant when they will be as 

 valuable as either. Mentor. 



Boston, Nov. 11, 1868. 



For the New England Farmer, 

 CULTIVATION" OF CKANBEKHIES. 



The several inquiries in regard to the cul- 

 tivation of the cranberry v/hich have recently 

 appeared in the Farmer, have induced me to 

 believe that twenty-five years of experience 

 in the cultivation of this fruit, may furnish 

 material for an article which possibly you 

 might think worthy a place in the columns of 

 your valuable paper. 



To the individual who desires to engage in 

 the cultivation of this fruit, the first and most 

 important question to settle is the character of 

 the soil and the nature of the surroundings 

 necessary to secure a good crop. To those 

 who have given the subject but little attention, 

 a tract of land which is filled with water 

 throughout the season is considered one of 

 the most favorable locations. But this I be- 

 lieve to be a mistake. From observation, I 

 am convinced that the soil during the months 

 June, July, August and September, should 

 be thoroughly drained from twelve to eighteen 



inches below the surface, except at such times 

 ^s it may be necessary to flow it for a few 

 hours to kill the worms or protect the vines 

 and fruit from frost. 



The most favorable location I believe to be 

 where the soil is peat from one to several feet 

 in depth and where the surroundings are such 

 that during the summer months the water can 

 be thoroughly drained oflf at least one foot 

 below the surface, and at the same time such 

 that the water can be let on in a few hours in 

 a sufficient quantity at any season of the year 

 to cover the surface from four to six inches in 

 depth ; and also in the vicinity of a good sand 

 hill. He who has a location like this, if it be 

 but a few acres, possesses a very valuable 

 piece of property, and any individual with or- 

 dinary capacity for business may in a few 

 years obtain from it an income sufficient to 

 place him in comfortable circumstances. 



In preparing the soil the surface should be 

 removed down to the peat ; it should then be 

 covered with at least three inches of sand, or 

 when this cannot be readily obtained I have 

 found fine gravel to answer a very good pur- 

 pose. 



Branch and Fruit of the Crajiberry, 



In selecting plants care should be taken to 

 use only such as are known to produce gcod 

 crops. I have found that while some varieties 

 produce four bushels to a rod, others on the 

 same soil and with the same care, produce 

 only one bushel. The month of May is un- 

 doubtedly the best time to transplant the 

 vines. The water at the time should be nearly 

 even with the surface and kept so for a week 

 or ten days, and then gradually drawn off. 

 The vines should be set singly, about six 

 inches each way. The first season great care 

 should be taken to keep out all grass and 

 weeds, — after that if the location be a good one 

 and the- plants properly set, but little labor 

 will be required to keep down the grass ; if 

 possible they should, during the winter, be 



