Proceedings of the Farmers' CluIb. 561 



by hand power, making it necessary to use horse power and expensive 

 machinery. It may he news to some to know they can purchase 

 machines in ahnost any agricultural im])lement store in New York, 

 taking the choice of several kinds by difterent makers, from ten to 

 fifteen dollars each, that will easily cut a bushel a minute by hand 

 power, and some of the more modern ones will cut stalks as fast and 

 easy as hay or straw. 



Cui-TURE OF Cranberries. 



Mr. S. S. Kidgeway, of New Jersey. — " The value and productive- 

 ness of a cranberry bog cannot be known until the vines are Irom eight 

 to ten years old. Jerseymen's opinions are generally absolutely 

 worthless, the majority of them never having seen a bog of their own 

 make yield two crops. The great requisites are, first, muck of the right 

 quality and quantity ; in Ocean and Burlington counties only cedar 

 muck. In regard to muck, I make the following assertions : There 

 is a great difference in muck as in soils. No other than cedar muck 

 has ever succeeded in New Jersey. Some kinds of muck will yiel(i 

 as well as loam, and no better. It must not be less than one foot 

 deep after the turf is removed. He who cannot select good muck 

 cannot select a good cranberry site. Second, pure sand. Yellow 

 sand is very often only colored by a protoxyd of iron, which bleaches, 

 and is as good as the white. It must be at least five inches deep ; it 

 must be put on before draining. Third, thorough, complete drainage. 

 Well, you must find new avenues to men's brains before you can 

 reason with them on the absolute necessity of thorough drainaga 

 everywhere and for anything, rourth, entire command of water, so as 

 to flood during winter. Fifth, the right kind of vines. There are 

 also minor considerations which affect the yield of a bog, such as , 

 exposure, the quality of water, irrigation, &c. In Ocean and Bur- 

 lington counties three-fourths of the bogs will be total failures. Ii;b 

 1867, many bogs had just come into bearing, the season was unusually 

 favorable, and they did very well. But it was their first and last 

 harvest. Prosperity w\as too much for them. They will never yield 

 again enough to pay for their care. Last year their owners com- 

 plained of grasshoppers, worms, hot suns, &c., as an excuse for their 

 failure. The good bogs did not fail. Good bogs never do fail, 

 though the crops may vary. A good bog will average 150 to 200 

 bushels per acre yearly. They will net three dollars per bushel. 

 Nothing in agriculture will excel for fruit or for the pleasure of 



[Inst.] . 36 



