103 



Instances of such evil are not unkno-wn to medical men, and the 

 fact is worthy of consideration, in connection with the increased 

 cultivation of cranberry meadoAvs. 



For these and other reasons, we are disposed to recommend 

 more attention to the upland culture of the cranberry. We be- 

 believe it to be attended with less risk, and productive of a fruit 

 equal, if not always superior, to that grown in meadows, Avhether 

 naturally or by cultivation. An instance of most successful culti- 

 vation of this sort, in Essex county, has been brought to our no- 

 tice by a friend, whose account of it we here introduce. 



" Mr. Needham's cranberry patch is situated on the lower side 



of his garden, in front of his house The land is high, 



though the position of the bed is in a valley of somewhat moist 

 land, but good for the products of a garden, or for Indian corn. 

 It cannot be called meadow, in any sense of that term. It has 

 been used for field garden and culture, for many years, by the 



present proprietor and his ancestors The probability 



is, that, being in a hollow, it has been fertilized by the wash from 

 the adjacent hills, as well as by apphcations made to it of ma- 

 nure. 



" Mr. N. obtained the plants from the neighboring meadows, 

 and has watched them with unremitted attention, — never suffering 

 the growth of cJiiekweed, grass, or an^ weed whatever, among the 

 vines, and always doing his work so early that the removal of 

 weeds does not disturb the delicate fibres of the growing cranber- 

 ries. In fact, his son told me this was the grand secret of his 

 father's success in growing the cranberry ; and that the end could 

 not be accomplished without patience and persevering industry, 



such as his father had applied His products have always 



given him a fair compensation for all his labor. He has realized 

 from the sale of his berries, the present season, nearly /o?<r hun- 

 dred dollars, and could have readily sold as many more at his 

 price, — -four dollars per bushel. Whoever has used them would 

 prefer these canberries to any others grown on wet meadows, at 

 half price He gathers his fruit by hand, carefully avoid- 

 ing any disturbance of the roots of the plants. He apphes no 

 fertilizer whatever, except mud from the meadow, after it has 

 been pulverized by frost, and this for the double purpose of check- * 

 ing the growth of grass and weeds, and of retaining a moisture 



