CRANBERRY MEADOWS. 155 



Loring, of Duxbury ; I. H. Sherman, of Scituate. Thus far they 

 have made a fair progress in the preparation of their meadows, 

 and it is desirable that they follow up their industrial pursuit in 

 such a manner as to reap a rich reward for their labor. They 

 have all chosen good locations, viz., peat-bottomed land, which 

 is very desirable, most of them well sheltered by woods and 

 trees or bushes, which in a great measure protect them from the 

 cold northerly and westerly winds. Such locations ought to be 

 highly appreciated by the cranberry-growers. By taking a sur- 

 vey through the towns of Massachusetts, you will sometimes 

 come in contact with swamps surrounded by sand-hills. Such 

 locations as these are also very desirable, as sand is very useful 

 and important for a top-dressing for cranberry land. Our opin- 

 ion is, that the cranberry vines should be flooded as soon as the 

 first of November, to such a depth as to prevent the water freez- 

 ing among the vines, and pulling them out of the surface, and 

 also that the vines may retain the sap, which the frost would 

 otherwise take out by freezing. Flowing is also desirable, to 

 prevent the ravages of the cranberry-worm ; for the meadows 

 which are flowed through the winter are not half so likely to be 

 attacked by them. This worm is of small size, smaller than the 

 apple-worm, although similar in appearance. It makes its ap- 

 pearance about the time the berry begins to ripen, by eating a 

 hole through the outside and coming out. The berries are then 

 rendered worthless. It is our opinion that the worm originates 

 in the blossom by a white miller, which lays an egg there ; then, 

 when the cranberry is about to grow, the worm is also grown, 

 and it eats out of the berry, and, we suppose, remains in some 

 form about the meadow, and in the spring turns into a miller, 

 and the berries are again destroyed in the same way ; and it is 

 on this account that flowing through the winter is beneficial, as 

 it is very likely to kill most of the worms. The water should 

 be kept on until about the first of June, for keeping it on until 

 that time prevents the vines from vegetating, as the early frosts 

 would be likely to destroy the new shoot, which is very sensitive. 

 The cranberry never grows directly on the old vine, but always 

 on the new shoot, which starts from the old vine. If the shoots 

 are struck with frost in the spring, we are sure to have no ber- 

 ries that season. After letting the water off, care should be 

 taken not to have any stagnant water in or about the cranberry 



