Magenta to Pink 



in. high or less. Leaves : Small, alternate, oblong, evergreen, 

 pale beneath, the edges rolled backward. Fruit: An oblong 

 or ovoid, many seeded, juicy red berry {Oxycocciis = sour 

 berry). 



Preferred Habitat — Bogs ; sandy, swampy meadows. 



Flotvering Season — ^J une — August. 



Distribution — North Carolina, Michigan, and Minnesota north- 

 ward and westward. 



A hundred thousand people are interested in the berry of 

 this pretty vine to one who has ever seen its flowers. Yet if the 

 blossom were less attractive, to insects at least, and took less 

 pains to shake out its pollen upon them as they cling to the cone 

 to sip its nectar, few berries would accompany the festive Thanks- 

 giving turkey. Cuhivators of the cranberry know how impor- 

 tant it is to have the flooded bogs well drained before the flowering 

 season. Water (or ice) may cover the plants to the depth of a 

 foot or more all winter and until the loth of May ; and during 

 the late summer it is often advisable to overflow the bogs to 

 prevent injury of the fine, delicate roots from drought, and to 

 destroy the worm that is the plant's worst enemy ; but until the 

 flowers have wooed the bees, flies, and other winged bene- 

 factors, and fruit is well formed, every cultivator knows enough 

 not to submerge his bog. With flowers under water there are 

 no insect visitors, consequently no berries. Dense mats of the 

 wiry vines should yield about one hundred and fifty bushels of 

 berries to the acre, under skilful cultivation — a most profitable 

 industry, since the cranberry costs less to cultivate, gather, and 

 market than the strawberry or any of the small perishable fruits. 

 Planted in muck and sand in the garden, the vines yield surpris- 

 ingly good results. The Cape Cod Bell is the best known market 

 berry. One of the interesting sights to the city loiterer about the 

 New England coast in early autumn is the berry-picking that is 

 conducted on an immense scale. Men, women, and children 

 drop all other work ; whole villages are nearly depopulated while 

 daylight lasts ; temporary buildings set up on the edges of the 

 bogs contain throngs of busy people sorting, measuring, and 

 packing fruit ; and lonely railroad stations, piled high with crates, 

 give the branch line its heaviest freight business of the year. 



Shooting Star; American Cowslip; Pride of 



Ohio 



{Dodecaihcon Meadid) Primrose family 



Flo7vers — Purplish pink or yellowish white, the cone tipped with 

 yellow ; few or numerous, hanging on slender, recurved pedi- 

 els in an umbel at top of a simple scape 6 in. to 2 ft. high, 



130 



