10 CAPE COD CEAKBEREIES. 



riched by the decayed leaves, etc., of years, and no nutri- 

 ment has ever been taken from it by other vegetation. 



No trees should be allowed to grow near enough to the 

 bog to shade it. Wherever they do, there will be a rank 

 growth of cranberry vines, and very little fruit. Indeed, 

 it often happens that vines will not produce at all under 

 such conditions ; and yet will present the handsomest 

 appearance of any part of the bog. Pickers object to 

 picking where there is too much growth of vines, as these 

 tear their hands, the work of picking is harder, and the 

 result of the day's work is less profitable. 



Notwithstanding the fact that the most successful bogs, 

 as a rule, are those located where they can be readily 

 flowed, and thus protected from the ravages of insects 

 and injury by frost, yet there are some notable exceptions 

 to the rule. There are dry bogs under cultivation on 

 Cape Cod, comprising hundreds of acres, that have pro- 

 duced well for years, escaping both frost and Fire-worm. 



CHAPTER II. 



CLEARING AND TURFING. 



In clearing a bog, we first mow off all the bushes and 

 low undergrowth. Next, we cut the principal roots of 

 the large trees, and the wind will generally blow them 

 over. The ground being soft, they will pull up a great 

 mass of roots in their fall. This is the cheapest and best 

 way of getting rid of the trees. If the trunks were cut 

 off above ground, it would take many days' labor to dig 

 out and chop off the roots, so as to allow the stumps to 

 be removed. In the simple way here suggested, we get rid 

 of stump and all by one operation. In case the wind 



