302 
AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST. 
[August, 
Cranberry Culture. 
“Cranberry Culture, by Joseph J. White, a 
Practical Grower,” is the modest title of a work 
recently published by Orange Judd & Company. 
Cranberry culture has developed wonderfully 
since the time Mr. Eastwood wrote the only 
considerable treatise we had upon the subject. 
Fig. 1. —BILL HOOK. 
The present work not only gives instructions 
drawn from the author’s own experience, but 
presents the practice of the most advanced prac¬ 
tical growers. Some who have wrjtten upon 
the subject have left it to be inferred that cran¬ 
berries would grow almost anywhere. The 
author states distinctly, and various other grow¬ 
ers sustain him—that successful culture can only 
be carried on where certain conditions are pres¬ 
ent. Where these are wanting, vines may grow, 
but their culture will not be profitable. The 
TUIiFING A SWAMP. 
requisites are muck, sand, and ability to drain 
the meadow for a foot below the surface, and to 
flow it at will. Natural bogs-are sometimes 
found which may be improved at a moderate 
outlay, but the great majority of plantations are 
made by clearing the swamps and setting out 
the plants. In many swampy places there are 
5 or G indies of muck, underlaid by sand, which 
may be prepared for cranberries by simply plow¬ 
ing under the muck and turning up a layer of 
sand. In swamps where the muck is deep, sand 
preparing a swamp, we give an outline of Mr. 
White’s directions. The first step is to open a 
ditch to the depth of 2 feet below the surface 
of the muck. The bushes are cut down by 
means of a bill-hook like that shown in figure 
1, collected in heaps, and when the leaves have 
dried, burned. Turfing, or “scalping,” is next 
in order; the whole grassy and weedy surface 
is to be removed. The turf is cut, into 
strips a foot wide, by the use of a cleav¬ 
er made for the purpose, and then re¬ 
moved in pieces by means of a turfing- 
hoe, as shown in figure 2. The pieces 
of turf are used to make a fence or wall 
around the plantation. The cost of turfing is 
$40 per acre, and the hauling off and building 
the fence costs about as much more. Any stumps 
which remain are removed. A sufficient num¬ 
ber of ditches, to drain all parts of the meadow 
a foot or 13 inches, are cut, and the meadow is 
ready for sanding. Sand without any admix¬ 
ture of clay or loam, is spread regularly over 
the surface of the meadow to the depth of 2 
to G inches, according to the depth and char¬ 
acter of the muck. The sand may be carried 
on in wheelbarrows running 
upon plank, or a portable 
railroad may be used, like 
that shown in figure 3. Plant¬ 
ing is done in the spring, and 
the different methods of set¬ 
ting the plants are fully dis¬ 
cussed and illustrated, as are 
the after treatment- of the 
meadows, gathering the crop, 
overcoming insects—in short, 
all that one needs to know 
about cranberry culture seems 
to be contained in this work. 
As we are frequently asked 
about flooding, we may state 
that it is done after vegetation 
has ceased in autumn, for the 
protection of the plants dur¬ 
ing winter, the water being 
kept on until spring has fairly opened. The 
meadows are again flooded just before the 
blossoms open, to destroy the vine-worm. At 
this time the water is kept on only 24 hours. 
Camellias in Window Culture. 
Fig. 3. — SANDING A MEADOW. 
must be at hand to spread upon the surface. 
Mr. White gives full directions for preparing 
the different localities that are naturally availa¬ 
ble. As summer is the most favorable time for 
Of all the-green-house plants grown in win¬ 
dow culture, there is none with which the ama¬ 
teur is so generally unsuccessful as the Camel¬ 
lia. All goes well until the buds are beginning 
to swell, and then they begin 
to blast and drop, carrying 
with them the anticipations 
of the grower. The trouble is 
a too hot and dry atmosphere. 
A correspondent, whose abun- 
dant bloom last winter we had 
' the pleasure of seeing, writes: 
“ I have had capital success 
with Camellias this winter. 
These are generally failures 
$ in the dwelling-house, as the 
■2: ■ buds drop just about the time 
; - they should open. The win¬ 
dow of an upper hall was de¬ 
voted to camellias and a few 
other plants; twice during the 
winter the earth in the puts 
froze, and twice they were re¬ 
moved to a warm room to prevent freezing. In 
February the buds began to show signs of open¬ 
ing, and sucli plants as were ready to flower 
were taken to the dining-room, where they rap¬ 
idly came into full bloom. One later than the 
rest has over a dozen flowers on it now (in 
April). Those who have no green houses can 
have Camellias if they will only take a little 
trouble; and so magnificent a flower is worth a 
great deal of trouble. Nice, moderate-sized 
plants can be bought at from $1 to $3, and up¬ 
wards. Keep the plants out of doors in a shad¬ 
ed place all summer, taking care that they do 
not get too dry and that no insects eat the 
leaves. I don’t know what one it was, but some 
“bug” disfigured the leaves of one of my plants. 
When frosty nights come, remove the plants to 
the house, to a room without any fire, and keep 
the window open whenever it is not too cold. 
Water as needed, and during the winter, wash 
the leaves with a sponge or soft cloth every 
week or two. A moderate freezing will not 
hurt the plants, unless the buds are too far ad¬ 
vanced ; but it is easy to prevent it altogether 
by removal to a slightly warmer place during 
very cold nights. As soon as the buds swell 
enough to show the color of the petals, the plants 
may be removed to a sitting-room where their 
flowers can be enjoyed. Soon after the flowers 
have fallen, the camellia makes its wood growth. 
At this time it may be repotted, giving it fresh 
soil, in the same pot, if a cramped condition of 
the roots does not show that a larger one is 
needed. Fresh soil, such as decomposed sods, 
is as good as any of the mixtures of peat, sand, 
and other things recommended by the books. 
Prune into shape, if necessary, and the plant 
will push its new shoots and grow rapidly. 
During the time it is growing, give it plenty 
of water and all the light possible. Set the 
plants in the open air as soon as frosty nights 
are over. The treatment is simple enough, and 
the success most gratifying.” 
The Twelve-Spotted Squash-Beetle. 
Squashes, melons, cucumbers, and in fact, the 
whole Gourd Family, have a hard time of it in 
the way of insect attacks. The little “flea” 
attacks them while in the seed-leaf, then comes 
the striped-bug, and after these, the disgusting 
squash-bug; all of these feed upon the leaves, 
unless the borer comes along, and by going to 
the root of the matter, destroys the vine out¬ 
right. To this list we have to add the Twelve- 
spotted Beetle —Didbrotica Yl-punctata. "We 
first became acquainted with this pest some ten 
years ago, in a garden in Michigan. We had, 
at that time, never heard of it at the East, nor 
is it mentioned in Harris’ Insects. Now it is 
disastrously abundant in the vicinity of New 
York, and we have heard more of 
it this year than in previous ones. 
The beetle presents a general ap¬ 
pearance to the “ Lady-birds,” or 
Coccinellas, but it is of a dark yel¬ 
low color,with twelve roundish black 
spots upon its wing cases. The engraving shows 
the insect of about twice its real size. It is 
closely related to the striped-bug, and a great 
many times more mischievous ; while the plants 
will soon get strong enough to not mind the 
striped-hug, this one will attack them when in 
full vigor, and wherever it goes it makes as 
clean work as if fire had been among the leaves. 
This insect is said to be very destructive to the 
flowers of Dahlias and Asters. We find but 
little account of its habits in the Entomological 
works, but know that, excepting the borer, it is 
the worst enemy that the grower of melons, etc., 
has to contend with. We know of no remedy 
save hand-picking. By going over the vines 
