52 STATE rOMOLOdlCAT. SOCIETY. 



oue-eighth of the weight of the berries. We eat fruits for the beuetioial 

 effects of the organic compounds which are laxative, aud anti-scorbutic. 

 Tlie organic part must he quite difterent at tlie various stages of growth 

 and ripening. The starch of tlie young berries changes to sugar and the 

 fruits are more acid when mature. 



Fertilization : The anal.ysis of cranberries shows, that phosplioric acid 

 and potash salts would be demanded, and experience carries out this fact 

 as guano and wood ashes have been applied with marked increase of 

 yield. Ashes are cheap aud are largely used on the Cape by successful 

 growers to supply potash. 



iS£r. Hersey in a recent paper, read at the Plowman's Farmers" meet- 

 ing in Boston, states that he does not use any fertilizers on his bogs, but 

 would apply phosphoric acid if anything. In bogs rich in decaying 

 organic matter or in bogs watered by streams charged with plant food in 

 solution, fertilizers would not be needed. The natural resources of the 

 bog should tlien decide the needs. 



Vnrieties of Cranherry Soils. 1st. Savanna, which consists simply of 

 sand and a small proportion of peaty matter. 2d. Black sand, which 

 consists of pure sand combined with a large proportion of peaty matter. 

 3d. Turf or moss and sand combined. 4th. Solid peat free from sand. 

 5th. Pure white sand watered by solutions of peat from adjacent bogs. 



A sandy matrix for the plants seems essential for success. 



CULTURE OF CRANBERRIES. 



The first attempts to cultivate cranberries in this country were made 

 on Cape Cod in 1812 by Mr. Henry Hall of Dennis, Mass. For thirty 

 years the subject claimed but limited attention. At present the cran- 

 berry is cultivated in Maine, Connecticut, Minnesota, New Jersey and 

 Massachusetts. Xew Jersey and Massachusetts giving the most atten- 

 tion to it. 



We have no data of the acreage in the various states but it must 

 amount to several thousand acres. 



COWBERRY, Ul'LAND CRANBERRY, MOUNTAIN CRANBERRY, FOXBERRY. 



Vacriniuiii Vitis-Ida'Ci, L. 



Description — Low (6-10 inches higli) ; branches erect from tufted creep- 

 ing stems; leaves obovate with revolute margins, dark green, smootli 

 and shining above, dotted with blackish bristly points beneatli. Corolla 

 bell-shaped, -l-clef t. Blossoms in June. 



Fruit— Duvk red, acid aud rather bitter but losing the bitterness when 

 cooked. 



Distribution — Coast and mountains of New England to north sliore of 

 Lake Superior and far northward. In Maine it is very abundant on the 

 islands along the coast and on the rocky hills and mountains of the 

 interior. We regard this as of next importance to the large fruited cran- 

 berry in Maine. 



