396 Wisconsin state agricultural society. 
* 
plants detrimental to the growth of the cranberry vine. Tamerack 
swamp is quite difficult to convert into a good cranberry marsh, 
but the open swamp can be cleared and converted with great profit, 
if it is the right kind of bog. Sage brush is the most formidable 
plant enemy the cranberry vine has to contend with. Its condition 
is as much benefited by the improvement of the marsh as the 
cranberry vine itself, and willfully occupy the ground, in defiance 
of the vine, if let alone, hence this plant is to be constantly 
guarded against. 
If the marsh is to be planted with vines or sown with seed, the 
sage brush should be exterminated from the marsh, so far as is 
practicable, since it propogates itself by sucker and seed. 
A plant known as featherfew grows to some extent on the mar¬ 
gins of marshes, and should be eradicated, since it will spread as 
the marsh becomes dry. A dwarf willow is found on nearly all 
the marshes, growing about one foot in height, and, by some, is 
regarded as a benefit rather than an injury, as it is a slight shade 
to the cranberry blossom, which appears the last of June or first 
of July, preventing blight from excessive sun heat. I know of 
places where it occupies the ground to a considerable extent, and 
do not regard it much of an enemy to the cranberry plant. I 
also believe that if the marsh is kept wet enough when the vines 
are in bloom, there will be no danger of blight, since the vapor 
arising will tone down the heat enough to prevent it. On the 
highest and driest portions of nearly all cranberry marshes, we 
find the different varieties of willow, alder, grass, brakes and 
other rubbish growing. There, the vine cannot flourish. The 
best way to improve such places is to scalp the entire surface and 
burn off, or save to compost. I have invented a machine for this 
purpose, which is capable of scalping five acres per day. In ISTew 
Jersey, they scalp by first cutting in squares, with a knife drawn 
by a horse, and then shave off with a knife by hand, at a cost of 
sixty dollars per acre. Four men and four horses will scalp and 
turn over five acres per day with my machine, and do the work 
as well, if not better, than by hand. 
Cranberry vines are readily grown from cuttings, or from seed. 
Hence when the marsh is clean and ready to be stocked with 
vines, it is easily done by planting in any way, and at any dis- 
