CRANBERRY 



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

 tings are G- or 8-inch pieces of vigorous 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 .liaii bv iii. mis of hand weeding. At Cape Cod, 

 it is estii.Kit. .1 tli:ii tin- sum of $300 to $500 per acre is 

 requin-a i.. lit ami j.laiit a bog. A good yield from a 

 bog in lull iMsiiiii- i- M barrels to the acre ; but 200 

 barrels ha\ e bet^n tiruwu. 



In New Jersey, the general tendency is to omitjthe 

 sanding. The bogs are not cleared 

 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- 

 lously clean. It is thought 

 that a reasonable q- 

 tity of grass prev 



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 VM.i.ti.s in .M.h of 

 these classes, differing in size, color, lii iimm'^n. Im . [.iiig 

 qualities, productiveness. These v;ui,ii.^ Ii:i\i In in 

 selected from plants which have apjM-an <l ii;iiui;illy in 

 the bogs. Some of them have been discovered in wild 

 bogs. The demands of the 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 N<irth America. "Turkey and Cran- 

 berry satice" may be said to be the national 

 dish. The berries are used in great va- 

 riety of dishes. All rit.iit lias iH-cn made to 

 open an Euro|iiaii niarkii. ami an agent 

 was sent abroail m Is'i:; Im- ihai jiurpose by 

 nilMrry Trailt- Company, 

 e export trade has now assumed some 

 portance, and is growing. The appro.Ki- 

 Cranberry. '"'**'' Cranberry crops for a series of years 



lost 1 1 I inp 



IS said 1 \ s ni tl it tli ti uiii.,' lit t the old ind 

 large vines m the riking tends to rtnewthe plants, 

 and this is undoubtedh tiue, but there are bettei 

 ways of keeping the Mnes young and short, as by 



" 3g or mowin^r In the East, raking 

 rarely employed unless the crop is very poor oi 

 prices vet^ low ei unless hard frost is expected 

 in which case the beiries may be raked, the bog 

 flooded, and the berries caught at the flume Some 

 times tht bog is flooded when haid frost is tin iti m d 

 and the water is iUowed to liiiiain ill \Miit i m 1 

 the berries aie haivested m the spnng I ut sm h 

 early floodin.,' may miure the ^ ines The pi ii i i iid 

 for the picking ot Cianberiies is usually about 40 to 

 50 cts. a bushel Three to four bushels is considered to 

 be an average diy s picking There are vaiious devices 

 to facilitate the picking. On Cape Cod a popular im- 

 plement is the Lumbert picker (Fig. 569). The machine 

 is thrust into the vines, and the operater 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, which he is required to 

 pick clean. The berries are cleaned by running them 

 through a separator, by passing them over a screen, 

 by floating off the litter by dowsing them in water, and 

 by other means. Dowsing usually reduces the market 

 value. They are then marketed in barrels or crates. 



1 there are three general types, determined 



572 Makepeace Cranberry 

 Natural size Type of the Cherrj Ci^uuerries 



CRANBERRY CHOrS, IN BUSHELS 



1877 1878 1879 1880 



NewEngland 250,600 



NewJersey 128.700 



TheWest 113,430 



Totals 400,828 295,760 233,000 492,630 



1882 1883 1884 1885 



New England.... 193,664 141.964 130.583 280,879 



New .Jersey 78,507 118,524 124,648 198.125 



TheWest 50,000 135,507 24,783 264,432 



Totals 322,171 395,995 280.014 743,436 



143,186 

 461,025 



274,799 

 234,254 

 31,396 



