54 
THE CRANBERRY. 
tude of agricultural colleges, and when they have 
had time fully to mature their fruits, a certain and 
overwhelming abundance will crown the efforts 
of every enlightened agriculturist. But we must 
have them, unassociated with other departments 
of human investigation and acquirement, where 
they would be exposed to a foster-mother’s kind¬ 
ness. They must be planted, in all the vigor of 
manhood, on an immoveable basis, where agricul¬ 
ture, and nothing but agriculture, shall be the 
theme and sole object of pursuit, to both professor 
and student. And well might they content them¬ 
selves with the study of this single science, that 
embraces within its comprehensive grasp, (however 
disdainfully it may heretofore have been consider¬ 
ed, by flippant scholars and shallow philosophers,) 
almost the entire range of the natural sciences, 
embodying as they do, the most abstruse, as well 
as the most beautiful investigations of the human 
intellect. 
R. L. Allen. 
New York, Jan. 6, 1844. 
THE CRANBERRY. 
This delicious fruit is coming into such general 
use, and is becoming so important an article of ex¬ 
port, and so much interest is now taken in its cul¬ 
tivation, that I propose giving a concise account 
of the same, and its general history. 
The common American cranberry (oxycoccus 
macrocarpus) is found growing in a wild slate in 
swampy soils, in the eastern, middle, and western 
states. The first account we have of the cultiva¬ 
tion of this fruit, is by the late Sir Joseph Banks, 
who in 1813, produced from a bed 18 feet square. 
Winchester bushels; being at the rate of 460 
bushels to the acre. Capt. Henry Hall of Barn¬ 
stable, Mass., has cultivated this fruit for the last 
twenty years. His method is to spread on his 
swampy ground a quantity of sand—this is to kill 
the grass; but where sand is not at hand, gravel 
will answer the same purpose. He then digs 
holes four feet apart each way, and puts in the 
holes sods of cranberry-plants about one foot 
square. 
As this plant naturally grows in a very wet soil, 
it is generally supposed it will not thrive in a dry 
soil; but this idea is erroneous. Mr. Sullivan 
Bates of Billington, Mass., has cultivated the cran¬ 
berry on a dry soil for several years with the ut¬ 
most success—having produced'300 bushels to the 
acre on several acres, and his fruit double the 
usual size. His method is to plow the land- 
spread on a quantity of swamp-muck, and after 
harrowing the soil thoroughly, set out tbe plants 
in drills twenty inches apart,—hoeing them the 
first season. After this no cultivation is needed. 
By both the above methods the plants will cover 
the ground in three years. 
From my own knowledge of the cranberry for 
the last thirty years, should I design commencing 
the cultivation of this fruit on an extensive scale, 
I would try it on both swampy and dry soils. I 
would drain the swampy soil, plow it as early 
as possible in the spring, and set out the plants 
on the plan of Mr. Bates. 
To show the rapidity with which cranberry- 
plants increase, I will add this statement from an 
English work on fruits An English gentleman 
had only a few plants, these he cut in small pieces 
or cuttings, and set them out in a green-house. 
In the spring he prepared some swampy ground 
by spading it 12 inches deep. In a bed 150 feet 
long, and 4 feet wide, he set out seventy-five cut¬ 
tings in one drill through the length of the bed, 
putting the cuttings two feet apart in the drill, 
and yet in three years the plants completely cov¬ 
ered the ground. 
In Massachusetts the cranberry-crop is once in a 
few years cut off by the late spring frosts. This 
may be prevented where a meadow is so situated 
as to be flowed. The water should not be over 
one or two inches deep on the cranberries, nor be 
left on later than the last of May in this climate. 
If kept on till it becomes warm, it will kill the 
vines. Perhaps the best management would be 
something as they flood rice-fields at the south, or 
water meadows in England—let the water on 
while the weather is coldest, and then take it off 
as it moderates. Sometimes, in the eastern states, 
the cranberries are destroyed by a frost in Septem¬ 
ber; where water is convenient and plenty, the 
meadow could be flowed on cold nights at this 
season, as well as in the spring. 
Previous to shipping cranberries, they should be 
run over a platform slightly inclined. The rotten 
and bruised fruit will not run off, but stick going 
down the platform, and are scraped off and thrown 
away. The perfect fruit is then put into tight 
barrels, and when headed up filled with water, 
and in this manner they arrive in Europe, in per¬ 
fect order, and have frequently sold in foreign 
ports at $20 per barrel. 
Rakes are now made for the express purpose of 
gathering cranberries, and although these rakes 
tear the vines somewhat, yet the crop is not di¬ 
minished by raking; on the contrary, it has been 
increased. Some years ago, a gentleman in Mas¬ 
sachusetts commenced raking his little patch of 
one fourth of an acre. The first year it produced 
12 bushels, the next 18, the third 25, and so on 
till his last harvest, when the crop amounted to 
65 bushels. This increase is easily accounted for 
by the method of gathering with rakes—the pul¬ 
ling up a few of the vines loosens the ground, and 
although not intended, yet in fact the raking acts 
as a partial cultivation. 
To promote the cultivation of this fruit, the 
American Institute is making arrangements to sup¬ 
ply horticulturists with plants early in the spring, 
in either large or small quantities; and I would 
recommend those wishing to purchase, in this vi¬ 
cinity, or New York, to get their supplies in this 
way. (a) 
B. G. Boswell. 
Philadelphia, Jan., 1844. 
(«) The editor or this paper will take pleasure 
in executing any orders which may be forwarded 
him for this purpose, as the American Institute 
will allow him the privilege of selections. Any 
other fruits required he will also procure of the 
best kinds, and at the lowest rates. 
