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Wisconsin State Agricultural Society. 
The question of how the grower can secure an abundance of 
water, then, is a very important one, since with it, he can protect 
his vines in the winter (snow is nearly as good if we have it, but 
is not as reliable), and is also a protection against the ravages of 
the insect, and a preventive of blight of the bloom or sunscald, 
which is occasioned by excessive evaporation from the plants dur¬ 
ing the hottest hours ot the day. Hence, when the water is drawn 
off the last of May, it should not all be drawn from the surface,but a 
little should be left to supply the plants with moisture and to tone 
down the air at the surface ot the marsh by evaporation, until after 
the fruit is set, then it may gradually be drawn to the bottom ot 
the ditches by picking-time. 
Ditching has two objects in view; to drain the marsh when too 
wet, and to supply it with water. The drainage ditches should run 
at right angles with the descent in the marsh, except the main 
ones. The excavations of the former should be thrown into slight 
dams to hold water on the higher portions of the marsh in the 
earlier part of the season; then by damming the main ditches at 
proper points, we can hold the water, if we have a supply, at any 
desired heighth. The overseer of bearing marshes should have ac¬ 
curate knowledge of the stage of water after it is drawn nearly to 
the surface of the marsh until after the crop of fruit is set, since 
very heavy and severe losses have occurred, and will occur, if this is 
neglected; also after this time, in case of freshets, care should be 
taken to prevent an overflow. 
Harvesting. —Harvesting in this locality commences about the 
twentieth of September. The best method I know of is the one 
used by V. C. Mason, of Berlin, manager of Mason & Co’s, marsh. 
He has all of his pickers engaged and booked before he begins pick¬ 
ing. He employs a superintendent, who is over all, and is held re¬ 
sponsible for the conduct of the employees. He also employs a boss 
for each thirty pickers, whose business is to take charge of his par¬ 
ticular squad, and take them to such locality as the superintendent 
may direct and set them at work; see that they pick clean, and 
keep orderly and quiet; also to keep an accurate account of their 
daily, individual harvest. Each picker is furnished with a bushel 
box to pick in. This box is made as follows: The two ends are 
inch boards one foot wide; on the sides and one end of these are 
nailed, two to three inch by half inch slats, nearly three-eighths of 
