24 



CRAXBERRY CULTURE. 



decay, as well as in the remedy • such were the difficul- 

 ties which continually harrassed the first cultivators. 

 They had no experience to guide their steps ; no certain 

 rules of procedure ; consequently the slow progress, and 

 frequent faikires. 



It was not until near the year 1860 that the cranberry 

 business was commenced in earnest in Xev/ Jersey. Since 

 that time it has rapidly developed, until now the value 

 of cultivated cranberry property in this State, alone, may 

 be estimated at several millions of dollars. In fact. Pro- 

 fessor Cook, State Geologist for Xew Jersey, alluding to 

 this production in his report of 1869, said : ''Already 

 our fields supply more than half of all raised in the 

 United States." Our crop of that year being estimated 

 at more than one hundred thousand bushels. 



And yet, with these enormous results, their cultivation 

 is principally confined to three counties, viz.. Ocean, Bur- 

 lington, and Atlantic, and perhaps not one two-hundredth 

 part of the area of these is fitted for their culture. 



The three counties, before named, include most of what 

 is known as '' The. Pines," — an uncultivated region, con- 

 taining about twelve hundred thousand acres. 



From the position it occupies,b'jtween the two great cities 

 of the nation, it may be a marvel to some that this region 

 should have remained so long imcultivated ; but it is ex- 

 plained in few words. The soil is light and sandy, not suit- 

 ed to growing grass or the cereals, but yielding good crops 

 when planted in small fruits. These, with the exception of 

 cranberries, require easy and rapid facilities for marketing ; 

 such as are only obtained in the interior by the use of rail- 

 roads, and those, imtil lecently have been withheld. 

 Hence, the swamps were left to make cedar, and the 

 uplands to produce pine timber. But now, railroad 

 facilities are being afforded, and large portions of " The 

 Pines " are destined to become as a fruitful garden under 

 the skillful management of the fruit grower. 



