CRANBERRY 



for planting, but now cuttings are employed. These cut- 

 tings are 6- or 8-inch pieces of rigorous runners, with 

 the leaves on. They are thrust obliquely through the 

 sand, only an inch or two of the top remaining un- 

 covered. They are set about 14 inches apart each way. 

 In three or four years a full crop is obtained. The bogs 

 are kept clean by means of hand weeding. At Cape Cod, 

 it is estimated that the sum of $300 to $500 per acre is 

 required to fit and plant a bog. A good yield from a 

 bog in full bearing is 50 barrels to the acre ; but 200 

 barrels hare been grown. 



In New Jersey, the general tendency is to omit the 

 sanding. The bogs are not cleared so carefully. The 

 plants are often set directly in 

 the earth bottom, after the heavy 

 turf is removed. The bogs — or 

 meadows, as they are usually 

 called — are not kept so scrupu 

 loush clean It is thought 

 that a rea*^onable quan 

 titv of grass prevpi 1 

 scalding of 

 the berries 

 If the vines 



CRANBERRY 



391 



by the form of the berry,-the bell-shaped (Fig. 570), 

 the bugle-shaped (Fig. 571), and the cherry-shaped 

 (Fig. 572). There are many named varieties in each of 

 these classes, ilifffrinir in >i/,f. color, firmness, keeping 

 qualities, proilnrtiv, n, v~. These varieties have been 

 selected from pl:iiit^ whirh liave appeared naturally in 

 the bogs. .SfiiM- .if til. Ill liavi- been discovered in wild 

 bogs. The demauds of thu market, as respects varie- 

 ties, are constantly changing. In Massachusetts, the fol- 

 lowing varieties are now popular: Early Black, Howe, 

 Matthews, McFarlin. 



The Cranberry is now a staple article of 

 food in North America. " Turkey and Cran- 

 berry sauce" may be said to be the national 



dish. The berries 

 riety of dishes. J 

 open an Europe: 

 was sent abroad i 

 the American Ci 

 The export trade 

 importance, and i 

 Cranberrv c 



are shown below, in bushels: 



used m great va- 

 1 made to 

 nil agent 

 irpose by 



i.ii some 



approxi- 



[•ries of years 



Cranberry, 

 Natural size. 

 Type of the Bugle Cranberries 



deep, they are mown or burned in order 

 secure afresh growth from the roots. 



The gathering of the crop is done preferably by 

 hand-picking, particularly in plantations which are 

 well cared for. In some cases the berries are raked 

 off with a steel garden rake, but many of them are 

 lost and bruised, and the vines mav be injured. It 

 is said by some that the tearing out of the old and 

 large vines in the raking tends to renew the plants, 

 and this is undoubtedly true; but there are better 

 ways of keeping the vines young and short, as by 

 sanding or mowing. In the East, raking is now 

 r.'ir.'Iy i-mployed, unless the crop is very poor or 

 pri.-.-; V. TV l.iw: or unless hard frost is expected, 

 in whi.ii .^iM' the berries may be raked, the bog 

 tl in!, iiii.i til.- br-rries caiisht at the flume. Some- 



50 cts. abusliel, Thi-fi- ti. f.iiiv Im-lirlv i. .■..iiM.i.'i-.'.l to 

 be an average day's pickint;, Tii.t-r :ii-.' viiiii.us .i. vices 

 to facilitate the picking. On ('nji.- ('...i ;i ]i<.|nil:ir im- 

 plement is the Lumbert picker ( I'ii;. r.i;',i), 'I'li.- nnnbine 

 is thrust into the vines, and tlie oiierater closes the lid 

 by bearing down with his thumb; drawing it backward 

 pulls off the berries. Usually the pickers are"lined-off " 

 (Fig. 568) by cords stretched across the bog. thus limiting 

 each one to a particular area, whii-h hf is required to 

 pick clean. The berries are .i.-nii..! liy ninning them 

 through a separator, by pa-~iii_' tli.ni ..vi-r a screen, 

 by floating off the litter by .I.iwhii- tii. m in water, and 

 by other means. Dowsing usnaiiy n-ilii.-.'s the market 

 value. They are then marketed in barrels or crates. 

 Of varieties there are three general types, determined 



