10 
AM BUI CAN AGRICULTURIST. 
the tops just out of the ground. I then keep them 
clear of grass and weeds with the hoe, until the 
runners get in the way, which should not be dis¬ 
turbed, but left to root and cover the ground as 
soon as possible, for they will not bear a full crop 
until they cover the ground with a thick coat of 
vines—from three to five years after setting. I 
keep them clean by pulling up the grass, &c., by 
hand, until they become matted, after which there 
is but little to do but gather the fruit. 
I flow my meadow about the 1st of December 
two feet deep, keeping the water on until about 
the 10th or 15th of May, when I draw it down, 
leaving a little water under the vines as long as 
there is any danger of late frosts, then draw it 
just below the surface, keeping it there until it 
dries up. There being no stream on my meadow 
it is flowed by rains. My meadow is ditched, and 
I find it necessary to keep those ditches open to 
draw off the water in case of heavy rains in the 
summer, as water is sure to spoil the blossoms or 
the truit if it stands on them when green. 
I commence picking my crop when my earliest 
varieties get ripe, about the 20th of September, 
and gather them all by hand, as I find the rake in¬ 
jures both the fruit and vines. The fruit will not 
keep as well, and the vines will not bear as well, 
if raked. 
My first crop of any amount was in 1854, about 
40 bushels ; in 1855, about 220 bushels ; and this 
year about 350 bushels, which would probably 
have been 600 or 700 bushels, but for some unfa¬ 
vorable circumstances of the season. 
Your correspondent from Otego, inquires if they 
can be raised from the seed, and how much long¬ 
er it takes to get a crop. In the fall of 1849 I 
sowed about 30 square rods of myihvamp, (which 
had been cleared as for setting,) with refuse cran¬ 
berries, and gave little or no attention to it after¬ 
wards. Grass, briars and brush, overrun it, but 
the cranberries came up and grew. This fall I 
found the grass nearly all dead, and took a hand 
with me and picked what berries there were, and 
cleared it of brush, &c., and next year I shall 
probably get a good crop from it, as the vines look 
well. With care I think a crop may be got soon¬ 
er from the seed than I have obtained them in 
this instance ; but the set vines will be three or 
four years in advance of the sowed, for they will 
bear some every year after setting. 
The plants which I have set having been col¬ 
lected from the wild bogs in this vicinity, where 
ever I could get them, consist of many varieties, 
mostly mixed together, but in some two or three 
instances I have found whole beds of one variety. 
One of these is the Bird Cranberry, a very small, 
rich berry, and the best keeping that I am ac¬ 
quainted with. This berry can now (December) 
be seen at Messrs. Drerv & French’s, 85 Barclay 
street, New York, where it is lor sale. 
Another variety, which I call the Prolific, was 
obtained or taken from a place where it was in 
the water most of the y 7 ear, and had to grow tall 
to get out of the -water. This peculiarity it still 
retains in my meadow, growing tall but not 
spreading as fast as other plants. These two va¬ 
rieties are great bearers. Two other kinds I have 
obtained by much trouble, bnt in so small quanti¬ 
ties that I have not yet got as many plants as I 
want to set. These are, first the large black, and 
the most splendid cranberry that I have ever seen, 
and the Black Bell, also a very handsome fruit. 
These I consider the most valuable for market, 
and they will probably bring the highest price of 
any ever offered. Of the former, I have never 
had enough to send to market, and of the latter 
only two half barrels. The reason why I have 
not offered plants for sale is. because I have not 
had any of these two most valuable varieties to 
spare.* 
Cranberries may be set at all times when the 
ground is not frozen; but I consider June and 
July the best time, if it is not too dry. The vines 
or plants may be set and do well without any 
roots, if set deep in moist soil. I consider pure 
peat the best soil for cranberries. It is light and 
porous, and needs no other preparation but clear¬ 
ing up ; though it is better to expose the surface 
to the action of the sun, rains and frosts, one 
year—this will prevent its baking. But avoid 
burning it over in a dry time, as that will almost 
destroy its productive qualities for all plants. 
Next to peat is pure white sand, on a wet bottom, 
say six inches thick. 
Your correspondent, L. H., wishes to know 
about the Upland Cranberry. He probably refers 
to those which grow on the barren hill tops, and 
sterile lands around the upper lakes and Canada. 
The plants I have never seen, but they may be ob¬ 
tained of F. Trowbridge, New Haven, Conn., at 
what price I do not know. [See advertisement. 
—Ed.] I have experimented with the common 
cranberry on upland, but as this article is getting 
too long for the patience of you or your readers, I 
will refer you for further particulars of my expe¬ 
rience in the culture of the cranberry, to my com¬ 
munication to the American Institute, probably 
published in their report for 1855, (which, by the 
by, they promised to send me, but have not done 
so,) or to another communication in Rev. B. East¬ 
wood’s Manual for the cultivation of the Cran¬ 
berry. 
If any further information that I can give, is 
desired, I will cheerfully answer such calls at all 
times. E. Baqi.ey. 
Usquepaug, R. I. Dec. 15, 1856. 
*In answer to our direct questions, Mr. Bagley states that he 
can furnish the common cultivated varieties (good bearers) for 
$3 per 1,000; the Bird for §4 : the Prolific for $5; and the large 
Black and Black Bell, whenne has them, for $7 per 1,000.—[Ed. 
THE JAPAN PEA. 
This we have not yet tried, as our first 
impressions were not greatly in its favor. 
We first saw them cooked, upon the table of 
a friend, and were not specially pleased with 
the flavor As we have seen them growing, 
the large spreading branches, the hard 
woody character of the stalks, which unfit 
them for feeding, and the small number of 
peas in the pods, seem to be against their 
adaptedness to general cultivation. Others 
are better pleased with them. Mr. Thos. R. 
Joynes, Jr., of Accomac, Va., writes as fol¬ 
lows ; 
On the 9th of April I planted a row of about 20 
yards in length, the seed about three inches apart 
in the row. They came up very regularly, and 
for several weeks grew very slowly. ^ut about 
the last of May, upon the approach ' of warm 
weather, they grew very rapidly, and after attain¬ 
ing the hight of about 2J- feet, began to throw out a 
large number of short downy pods, containing 
some two and some three peas each—none more 
than three. 
They were gathered about Oct. 1st, and yield¬ 
ed about six quarts of beautiful plump, rich, yel¬ 
low or cream-colored peas. I think they would 
have yielded more had they not been sown so 
thickly. The stalk is hard and woody, and grows 
perfectly upright, without vine, and but a few 
short branches. I have not tried the stems as 
provender, but I doubt if they will prove good, 
owing to their hard woody nature. The leaves 
resemble, in general appearance, the ordinary 
dwarf garden bean, but are more downy and 
rough. 
As to their eatinf qualities, I can only say, that 
I have just risen from the table at which I made 
my first trial of them, and I want nothing better 
They make a rich and most excellent dish—mfe 
rior to no bean or pea I have ever seen. 
We think, on further trial, Mr. Joynes will 
be less pleased with their eating qualities— 
at least such has been the experience of 
most of those who have attempted to use 
them for eulinary purposes.— [Ed. 
EXPERIMENT S WITH P0UDRETTE, 
To the Editor of the American Agriculturist. 
In response to thy request for reports of care¬ 
ful, accurate experiments, I forward the following: 
Last winter, I was led by a finely got up circular, 
well backed by certificates over signatures of re¬ 
sponsible men, to send to New-York city for a 
barrel of “ New and Improved Poudrette.” I 
was not pleased with its first appearance, as there 
were many lumps, which on breaking with a 
hammer, proved to be “ stone coaland also 
considerable material of a lighter color, resem¬ 
bling fine river mud. There was also a very- 
small amount of coal cinders. I, however, deter¬ 
mined to give it a fair trial, and applied it as fol¬ 
lows : 
Upon a lot of early cabbages, just commences 
growing after being transplanted, I applied a 
handful to each plant, by removing the earth, and 
placing it on each side, near the roots, covering 
it with soil. I selected one plant—about an ave¬ 
rage—to which I applied none, and placed a 
stake by it. I soon discovered a little difference 
in favor of the plant by the stake, which differ 
ence continued throughout the season. This was 
not a fair trial—I should have left more than one 
plant. 
I put in one end of a drill of peas with the 
seeds—about a handful to eighteen inches. This 
made no show whatever. 
I applied it in the same manner with the seed 
of early horn carrots. It prevented the seed 
from coming up quite as well, but I could see no 
difference in the growth of the roots. 
I applied it the same way with the seeds 01 
nasturtium. It burned so as to nearly cause a 
failure. The part of the row 7 to which I applied, 
nothing did well. Why should a little night-soil, 
mixed with coal dust and river mud, burn tender 
plants, unless the mud w r as obtained from the 
margin of salt water I 
For Lima beans, I removed the earth one inch 
deep, and scattered a handful in each hill, and 
planted the beans on it. To a part of them, I ap 
plied nothing. They all came up well, and made 
a good crop. But I could discover no differenet 
in them at any stage of their growth. These ex 
periments were made on a tolerably 7 good garder, 
soil, with a dressing of stable manure spaded ir. 
Now for the field : 
Potatoes .—Planted large tubers cut in halt, 
dropped one piece in a place, about eighteen 
inches apart, in drills, and put half a handful ol 
poudrette to each piece, in a few 7 rows, and with 
the balance nothing. By weighing the product ol 
a corresponding number of rows, there was a 
difference in favor of the poudrette of about one 
hundred and thirty pounds to the acre. I applied 
it to a few 7 rows of corn, by putting a handful in 
each hill, scattered a little, before the corn was 
dropped. On either side applied nothing. I could 
never see any difference in the growth of the 
stalks or ears, or the time of ripening. Did not 
measure the product. The ground for both the 
corn and potatoes was manured with cow stable 
manure plowed in. It was planted with com the 
preceding year, manured as above. 
