22 



CRAXBEEET CULTURE. 



men had heard something of the success of cranberry 

 culture in Xe^ England, but they knew little or nothing 

 of the methods of cukivation by which this success was 

 achieved. Having nothing to guide them in their early 

 attempts at cranberry culture, it is not surprising that 

 the Xew Jersey growers found it unprofitable. Indeed, 

 it is estimated that until towards the year 1S60. nine- 

 tenths of tliose who undertook it failed. 



John Webb, of Ocean County, was perhaps one of the 

 earliest successful experimenters in this State. He com- 

 menced by removing some sods of vines from a neighbor- 

 ing swamp, and placing tliem in a damp spot, that proved 

 to be adapred to their growth : in this they flourished, 

 and. in c^'urse of time, the ground was covered with 

 vines yielding paying crops. 



Ba";cLiy Whi^e. one ot the first cultivators in Burling- 

 ton County, writing, in 1S55, to the Secretarv of the Mas- 

 s ic'iusrtt^ Board of Agrienlture. said : In the sprinof of 

 1S5L I commenced operations by plowmg up (the turf 

 was turned under), and planting about three-fourths of 

 an acre on a ICack. peaty soil, ot twelve or fifteen inches 

 in depth, with a white sand and gravel subsoih On either 

 side, a few hundred yards distant, on ground in which a 

 horse would mire, the wild vines were sfrowing luxuri- 

 antly. I struck out the rows four feet apart each wa}', 

 and planted a sod of vines, some four inches square, at 

 each intersection. Tiiey were cultivated some that sea-on. 

 That fail we picke i three pecks of fruit, large and fine ; 

 about an equal quantity had been destroyed by a worm, 

 simiLar in appearance to the apple-worm. In 1S5*2. I 

 planted about one and a quarter acres in a similar manner, 

 excepting that the hills were placed four feet by two feet 

 apart. The product that fall was alx">ut six bushels of 

 large fruit, picked about the la-t of Au:::ust, but they did 

 not keep well The vines had become so matted as to ad- 



