AMERICAN INSTITUTE. 



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have to depend for aqueous nourishment upon the rains of heaven and the 

 dews of Long Island, as I use no artificial means of irrigation. 



One object which I had in view in coming upon the island was to culti- 

 vate the cranberry, my attention having been called to the subject in 1851 ; 

 before my removal to the island, I had corresponded with Mr Bates, of 

 Bellingham, Mass., upon the subject of the cranberry culture, giving Mr. 

 Bates a description of the land, etc., and learning from him that the soil 

 and its position were well adapted to the profitable growth of the berry. 



Mr. Bates is a successful cultivator of the upland variety, known as 

 "Bell Cranberry." Other engagements have interfered with, and pre- 

 vented an extended cultivation of the fruit. 



My son preceded me on the island, having commenced operations in the 

 fall of 1853 ; in the spring of 1854 my son set out about fifteen feet square 

 of the cranberry vine, upon land broken up the previous fall, he being the 

 first, as far as I know, who commenced the cultivation of the cranberry on 

 Long Island. The few vines then set out by my son, selected from the 

 swamps, went into fruit the same season, and produced as deep colored and 

 as sound berries as any which will be found in the samples left by me for 

 exhibition ; these vines are about four miles south of my house, on the 

 same kind of land as those in my garden, with no better wateV advantages, 

 and have each year borne fruit, and are now in a healthy and growing con- 

 dition, although they have had no attention since the spring of 1855. 



In the spring of 1855, Mr. E. F. Du Bois set out about an eighth of an 

 acre, from the swamps, yielding, in 1856, half a bushel ; in 1857, three 

 bushels ; in 1858, six bushels ; and this year sixteen bushels. From other 

 vines Mr. Du Bois gathered this year about four bushels. He has now, 

 including the old and recent plantings, about two acres set out, all of which 

 appear to be in good condition. 



Mr. John H. Wiles, of Buffalo, having lands here, also, in 1855, com- 

 menced the cranberry cultivation, enlarging his plot in 1856. Mr. Wiles 

 sent to market last year about four bushels ; this year his crop falls but 

 little short of eight barrels. Mr. W.'s vines are of the variety known as 

 Upland, and were procured of Mr. Trowbridge, of New Haven, Conn. 



In 1855 I broke up a piece of ground, and as soon as in condition for the 

 reception of the vines, I had planted out about one-fourth of an acre, and shall 

 gather from this piece between twenty and thirty bushels this season. Thia 

 gathering is independent of my garden gathering of twenty-three bushels, 

 the vines upon which, as before stated, were set out in 1856. 



I have had many visitors to examine my cranberry crop, while growing, 

 which has resulted in six of them having this fall commenced putting down 

 vines, ranging in quantity of land employed, and to be employed, from a 

 fourth of an acre by some of them, to twenty acres by others. 



The cranberry is found growing wild in abundance in the meadows, on 

 the south side of the island, and also, in most, if not all, of the swamps 

 found in the center of the island, and can be obtained at a very moderate 

 cost, should the owners charge anything for the privilege of gathering the 



