398 



NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



sonietimes be an accumulation of water upon this 

 land; but its natural product is English grass. I 

 am the more particular in describing the position, 

 that those who have not the privilege of viewing, 

 may understand it. On this ground there has 

 grown the present season many bushels of cran- 

 berries of the largest size and finest quality I have 

 ever seen; (and I profess to be a judge of the quali- 

 ty, being an extravagant admirer of it, when pre- 

 pared for the table; thinking it more palatable 

 than any other sauce within my knowledge.) In 

 fact, I have always viewed it as an indispensable 

 accompaniment of a good Thanksgiving dinner. 

 One of those New England customs, peculiarly 

 proper to be consecrated by the use of New Eng- 

 and fruits and fowls. 



I have spoken of the feasibility of growing this 

 fruit on the upland, as being beyond doubt; but 

 of the expediency of it, as a matter of profitable 

 culture, I am not fully advised. I have endeav- 

 ored, by repeated inquiries, to ascertain this from 

 Mr. N. himself; but the probability is, he has 

 pursued the culture, con amore, with such a deter- 

 mination to test its feasibility, that he is not able 

 to speak with confidence as to the labor consumed 

 by it. Everything necessary to be done to keep 

 the patch in best condition, has been done by him. 

 It has always appeared entirely free of grass and 

 weeds. The only dressing that I have witnessed 

 being applied was pulverized meadow mud, strewed 

 between the rows of plants, and gathered by the 

 hand about the roots. In September, the runners 

 fully covered the ground; and the berries, for a 

 space from six to twelve inches in width along the 

 rows, were as thick as they could lie — in many in- 

 stances, as they expanded, crowding each other 

 from their places. A si)ecimen of these cranber- 

 ries, thas growing, was exhibited at the late 

 Show in Salem (Sept. 25th) and viewed with ad- 

 miration by all those who had any just apprecia- 

 tion of the philosophy of culture. I have seen 

 accounts of cranberries being successfully grown 

 on banks of sand; and that sand is a good appli- 

 cation to encourage their growth. How this may 

 be, I cannot say from my own observation. I think 

 I have seen something of the kind, in the publica- 

 tions of the Plymouth Society. "The natural 

 cranberry is such a capricious character, that all 

 efforts to improve the crop are in vain," — says your 

 correspondent, S. B., of Wilmington, who lives in 

 the region of cranberries — but such is not the tes- 

 timony of the Messrs. Needham and Fowler, of 

 Danvers; gentlemen of as much discrimination in 

 their observations of culture as any within my 

 knowledge. 



I understand Mr. N. to say, that he considers 

 meadow mud, in some form, essential to the healthy 

 growth of the cranberry. This shows that Na 

 ture made no mistake in her selection of positions 

 for the growth of this plant. Perhaps you may 

 think that I have spun my yarn to an unreasona- 

 ble extent, on so small a topic as the cranberry. 

 Nevertheless, if I can induce any one to pursue 

 the culture of this plant, until he can explain what 

 elements in the soil are best adapted to promote 

 the growth of this excellent fruit, I shall feel that 

 I have done a good service. p. 



Nov. 15, 1851. 



cussion of it a profitable one. The market, at pre- 

 sent, is not supplied with this favorite berry. It 

 is selling to-day for eight and nine dollars a bar- 

 rel. A friend informed us the other morning that 

 he had just taken $80 for his load of cranberries, 

 and that he had sold within a few weeks $800 

 worth, at about $3 per bushel. 



Last spring we set some five hundred plants on 

 upland. They have done well, many of them 

 bearing very large and handsome berries. We 

 shall continue to cultivate them with care, and 

 think we shall be able to speak favorably of them 

 in upland culture hereafter. 



For the New England Farmer. 

 BLOODY MILK. 



BY JOSEPH C. BRADLEY. 



Gents: — I noticed in your paper of the 1st inst. 

 an inquiry for a remedy for "bloody milk." It is 

 not an uncommon disease, and is not diiTicult to 

 remedy. My plan is as follows: — Take three or 

 four pieces of the dried root of "garget," as it is 

 commonly called; pulverize it and mi.x wiih a 

 quart or two of bran or Indian meal, and give it to 

 the cow. If she has been used to messing, she 

 will eat it readily. Administer the like mess to 

 her once every fourth or fifth day, till the symp- 

 toms disappear, which will be the case in two 

 weeks, or less. If you cannot readily procure 

 the root in a dry state, dig up the green root and 

 cut it into pieces about four or five inches in 

 length, and with a piece of thread confine it to the 

 root. Cram it into the cow's mouth and hold her 

 with her nose elevated till she chews and swallows 

 it. In its green state it requires about double 

 what would be required when dry. It is an infal- 

 lible cure for almost every disease of the glands 

 of either horned cattle or horses. 



The same remedy, if seasonably applied to 

 horses which have been afflicted with what is com- 

 monly called the horse-ail, having the glands about 

 the throat tumefied in consequence of a want of 

 suppuration, would save hundreds of horses year- 

 ly from that fatal disease called the glanders. I 

 have watched the favorable effects of that valuable 

 root upon the diseased glands of cows, oxen and 

 horses, with the highest gratification, for more 

 than half a century. Mr. Upham, your corres- 

 pondent, is invited to try it and give the results of 

 the remedy in your valuable paper. j. c. b. 



Bristol, Addison Co., Vt., Nov. 3, 1851, 



Remarks. — For some extended remarks upon 

 the above communication, the reader is referred 

 to another column. 



Remarks. — Our correspondent's remarks are clear 

 and opportune — the subject interesting and the dis- 



Protecting Half-Hardy Shrubs. — The fol- 

 lowing method is recommended by the Horticultur- 

 ist: — Raise a small hillock of tan or charcoal, or 

 sand, round the trunk of the shrub, and turn a bar- 

 rel over it. In order to admit a little light and air, 

 raise the north side of the barrel a couple of inches, 

 and put a stone under it. It is not the cold, but 

 the sunshine after the cold, which destroys half- 

 hardy plants. 



