PLANTING THE VINES. 51 



Fall planting is recommended by some, but this season 

 of the year is no better than early spring. Those, how- 

 ever, having more ground prepared than they can put out 

 properly in the spring, will do well to plant the higher 

 portions of the meadow in autumn, being careful to avoid 

 any low places containing clear muck, the freezing and 

 thawing of which would heave out the young vines. 



The best mode of planting cranberry vines is a point 

 upon which " doctors disagree ;" therefore, to enable each 

 one to select for himself, we will describe the various 

 methods in use, and call attention to those which, have 

 answered us best. 



1st. SOD PLANTING consisted in taking, from their na- 

 tive marshes, sods containing cranberry vines, moss, turf, 

 etc., and depositing them at regular or irregular distances 

 upon the prepared or unprepared meadow, as the case 

 might be. If the meadow was prepared, holes were made 

 to receive the sods ; if not, they were simply thrown upon 

 the surface, among the grass, etc., and left to take their 

 chances. This was o*ne of the earliest plans, originating, 

 perhaps, from a desire not to disturb the roots of the 

 plant ; but there being many and serious objections to 

 this method, it has long since been discarded. 



2d. HILL PLANTING was an improvement upon the sod 

 system in one respect ; viz., bunches of clean vines were 

 used, free from the roots of other plants. The ground 

 was marked out in drills about two feet apart each way, 

 and a handful of vines planted at each intersection; but 

 large bunches of vines have a tendency to dry up and 

 become woody, thus seriously injuring the plantation. 

 This difficulty induced some cultivators to adopt the ex- 

 pedient of planting in funnel-shaped holes, made by rota- 

 ting a sharp stick or dibble ; the vines are placed in these 

 holes, and scattered around so that, when the center is 

 filled with sand, they will be spread out, pointing in all 



