No. 8. Cranberries. — Jgricultural Discussion, Albany, JV. Y. 251 



Cranberries. 



This communication is sent for the pur- 

 pose of calling more efScient attention to the 

 cultivation of cranberries. While there is 

 so much inquiry as to the best method of re- 

 claiming peat meadows, it seems strange 

 there should be so little in regard to making 

 them productive, with the least possible al- 

 teration from their present condition. It is 

 curious to see how far nature may be led by 

 ingenuity from the original form of her ser- 

 vitude; but like other good servants, she 

 will be more useful, when she has partly her 

 own way, and her character studied while 

 imposing duties. — 



The cranberry is a prominent natural pro- 

 duct of these meadows; of its superior value 

 as compared with any of the other fruits 

 used for pastries and sauces, there is no ques 

 tion, while its beauty of color and fine flavor 

 obtain this preference. Its keeping qualities 

 allow of its being shipped to any part of 

 the world. In England, millions of bushels 

 of goosberries are grown at greater cost 

 for the same purposes, and are of less 

 value in all the respects above mentioned, 

 especially in the all-important one of keep- 

 ing. 



The market for the cranberry may be 

 stated as co-extensive with conmiercial in- 

 tercourse; and to preclude diminution of 

 price from over supply, even if every acre 

 of peat land in New England should be de- 

 voted to its production. 



The indigenous crop of this fruit affords 

 much encouragement, and many instances 

 show it to be the best use of these meadows. 

 The greatest value of natural production has 

 always been in the indications afforded by it 

 to the cultivator. The writer has seen 

 rod square of cranberry vines, in a peat mea- 

 dow belonging to Frederic Tuder, Esq., in 

 West Cambridge, from which were picked 

 upwards of three and a half bushels of the 

 fruit, and it is supposed if every cranberry had 

 been gathered, there would have been four 

 bushels, or 640 bushels to the acre. What 

 is produced by accident may with more cer- 

 tainty be produced by design. With this 

 view, the gentleman above named, has 

 planted upwards of five acres; and from his 

 perseverance and sagacity in all his under- 

 takings, there is no doubt that this enterprise 

 will produce valuable results. 



Some gentlemen have placed in the hands 

 of the Society of Middlesex Husbandmen 

 and Manufacturers, forty dollars, to be added 

 to their premium of ten dollars " for the best 

 product of cranberries in 1847, obtained 

 through artificial cultivation from four rods 

 square of peat meadow, to be accompanied 



by a full and clear statement of the methods 

 adopted." — Boston Cultivator. 



Agricultural Discussion, Albany, N. Y. 



Mr. Johnson, Secretary of the State Ag- 

 ricultural Society, said he would at this time 

 Jmake some remarks on the Agriculture of 

 England. It was a subject, to an American, 

 replete with the greatest interest, especially 

 if he views it for the first time — it being so 

 entirely different from what he sees in his 

 own country. It is essentially an old coun- 

 try ; and you look in vain for the trees and 

 stones and stumps so common on our farms, 

 and in our country generally. Every thing 

 in England is under the best cultivation; and 

 the land is in the best condition for the 

 farmer. The stones are all removed from the 

 land, if we can suppose they ever were there. 

 There is nothing to interfere with the prose- 

 cution of his plans. The manner in which 

 the work is done differs essentially from the 

 way of this country. The utmost care and 

 precision, and neatness in every respect, are 

 in their judgment the very best way to pro- 

 duce a great crop; a kind Providence has 

 given them the land, and the very utmost 

 preparation for the furtherance of the crop, 

 which they derive from it, is alike their duty 

 and their interest. English farming seems to 

 have attained perfection, and yet they say it 

 is but just begun — and they calculate on 

 large advances; but how they are to make 

 it, is not easy to perceive. 



In the spring of the year, there will be 

 seen on the farm a large collection of 

 females, some of mature age, and some of 

 tender years — frequently twenty, or thirty, 

 or forty, in a field — following some old men 

 with scuffle hoes, cleaning out the rows of 

 wheat. Every where is witnessed the nicest 

 care in cultivation, such as would be given 

 here to the finest garden bed ; and this is 

 general— both where the drill is used, and 

 where the seed is sown broadcast — the same 

 attention fo extract every thing calculated 

 in any degree to impede the beautiful culture 

 of the grain. He had found this very gene- 

 ral, and in many fields which he saw, there 

 was not to be seen a single weed. And 

 when they are asked the reason of this ex- 

 treme care and nicety, the answer is very 

 readily given. 



They pay so much for their lands, their 

 manure costs so much, that it will be readily 

 seen that there is a necessity for the culti- 

 vation of every part of their land. None of 

 it is to be lost, if they would have any remu- 

 neration whatever for their labor ; and we 

 may well take into consideration, if the same 

 perfect and systematic method is not the 

 very best way for a good farmer in all 



