36 PREPARING SOILS 



be amiss for the inexperienced cultivator to remember 

 it. If he bears it in mind, he will avoid many diffi- 

 culties which have discouraged others. It is this: 

 Dead sand, water and air, are the elements upon which 

 the cranberry feeds the best, and attains its highest de- 

 gree of perfection; therefore, that soil and location 

 which has these advantages is best adapted for the 

 growth of the berry. 



Beach sand stands the first. All other kinds must 

 be rejected if this can be got. Experience teaches us 

 this. Those yards which are wholly bottomed by beach 

 sane? nourish and yield abundantly, far better than those 

 that have a different soil. During the past fifteen years 

 every variety of soil and situation have been experi- 

 mented with, and the results are entirely in favor of 

 the beach sand. On Cape Cod, the greatest cranberry 

 field in America, situations are sought for where the 

 cultivator can be near to the shore, that he may be 

 able to put on this sand, if it is not on his chosen 

 location. 



We will, in this connection, call attention to a small 

 yard with which we are acquainted, which is situated 

 near to the sea-shore. It was originally a pond; 

 water stood in the basin, but it was not deep. On the 

 banks and edges of this pond was sand in abundance, 

 which the owner spaded down to the water, and con- 

 tinued to fill in. He planted; some said it would 



