STATE POMOLOGICAL SOCIETr. 55 



THE HIGH-BUSH CRANBERRY. 



Viburnum Opidus, L. 



Description — Xeavly smooth, upright 4-10^ high; leaves three to five 

 ribbed, strougly three-lobed, broadly truncate or wedge-shaped at the 

 base, the spreading lobes pointed and toothed at the sides. Petiole with 

 two glands at the apex. 



Fridt — Acid, a one-celled, one-seeded stone fruit, (drupe) pulp soft, 

 stone thin crustaceous. 



Distribution — Low ground along streams. From Xew Brunswick far 

 westward and south to Pennsylvania. It is rather common in swamps 

 and along the river bottoms in Maine. But little need be said about it. 

 No one would be likely to use the fruit for sauce when the bog cranberry 

 or Mountain berry could be obtained. The flavor is regarded as inferior 

 and the stones in the fruit would require the sauce to be strained. In 

 Aroostook countj^ the fruit is quite largely used for making jell}-. Samples 

 on exhibition had a verj- pleasant flavor. It is used to flavor the jelly of 

 other fruits with good results. I saw the bushes quite abundant on Sandy 

 Bay stream near Jackman last summer, and I understand the plaut is 

 common in Aroostook count}'. 



PRACTICAL BEARING OF THIS SUBJECT TO THE STATE OF MAINE. 



We annually import for home consumption large quantities of cran- 

 berries from Massachusetts and New Jersey which retail in our markets 

 from eight to fifteen dollars per barrel according to season and quality. 



If we could in any waj- increase the yield of our natural bogs sufficient 

 to supply home trade it would be a great saving to the State. Our 

 natural berries are light colored and are not so marketable as the 

 imported red ones, though the light colored fruit is of superior flavor 

 and none goes to waste. Our berries are light colored because they have 

 to be picked before they mature to escape frosts. They would be greatly 

 improved bj^ ditches and flood gates to protect the berries until they 

 mature. Lessons could be learned from growers who know how to 

 manipulate light colored berries so as to highteu the color. 



Fertilizers might be added to our natural bogs so as to increase the 

 size and jdeld of the fruit and the quality of the pulp. Size, color and 

 quality of pulp determine the grade of the fruit. The success that has 

 already attended the efforts to improve natural bogs in the State, show that 

 there are greatc" possibilities. The experience of growers in Massachusetts 

 for the past sixty j-ears proves that this crop brings much larger returns 

 for the labor and capital invented than ordinary farming. Mr. Hersey 

 says the price is never so low but what there is a profit, and that cran- 

 berrj'^ growers make a good living and are anxious to increase the acreage 

 of their bogs. AVe know cranberries are a luxury and the market can 

 not be cornered for fabulous prices, but the market is not liable to be 

 glutted as the demand at reasonable prices far exceeds the j-ield. The 



