76 On cultivating the American Cranberry. 



before to issue through a fountain, is suffered to flow in the 

 form of a spring, which rising into a large shell of the Chama 

 Gigas, perforated for the purpose, imitates very well a natu- 

 ral spring, and gives in hot weather an appearance of fresh- 

 ness and coolness, very pleasant to those who walk in the 

 garden. 



The oak box, which constitutes this artificial island, is cir- 

 cular, twenty two feet in diameter, and thirteen inches deep ; 

 the bottom is five inches under the surface of the water, and 

 bored through with many holes ; on this a layer of stones and 

 rubbish was first placed, and upon that a covering of bog 

 earth, brought from Hounslow Heath, which together are 

 five inches below and seven inches above the surface of the 

 water of the basin ; in this bed of black mould, a variety of 

 curious bog plants were placed about seven years ago, which 

 flourished in an unusual degree, among these was the Vacci- 

 nium, which flowered and ripened its fruit the first year. 



In the autumn of the second year it again produced a plen- 

 tiful crop, and soon after began to send out runners some- 

 what resembling those of a Strawberry, but longer and rather 

 less inclined to take root while young ; they did however 

 take root in the winter, and early in the spring threw out 

 upright branches ten inches and a foot long, on which the 

 flowers and fruits were chiefly placed; the produce was this 

 year gathered, and found to be high flavoured berries, very su- 

 perior to those imported, which have in general been gathered 

 unripe, and have become vapid, and almost tasteless by long 

 soaking in the water in which they are packed for carriage. 



It was now determined to consider the American Cranberry 

 as an article of kitchen garden culture, and to give up the 



