Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1841-12-25
Vol. lg--N0. XIII.
CrHnberrieS.

The cultivation Of the cranberry
(oHycoccus macrocarpus) has not, we
believe, received much attention in this
region.
Most Of these usually exhibited in
our markets, are gathered by the coun-
try people from the bogs anu swamps
where they grow wild, and without any
assistance whatever from the hand Of
man.
Like all our native fruits, however,
the cranberry is susceptible of being
greatly exalted by cultivation. In
Massachusetts many farmers cultivate
from one to dozen acres, and as the
fruit brings readily dollar per bushel
in the Boston market, they find them
the most lucrative crop they can raise
1t is stated in the New England Far
mer, Vol. TX. No. Is, that Mr.. F. A.
Hayden. of Lincoln, in that state, rai>
scd, in 1890, four hundred bushels, for
which he received four hundred dollars
in cash. This is profitable farming.
Kcnrick, asserts Sir Joseph Banks,
who had taken pains 10 obtain the oxy-
CoCCUs MACRocARPus from America, har-
vested in 1881, from square Of ei IL
teen feet each way, three and half
Winchester bushels, being at the rate
Of four hundred and sixty bushels TO the
acre.
The soil most suitable to the culture
of this plant, is low, moist and swami
py muck, but large crops have been ta-
ken from lands in every respect pre-
cisely the reverse of that in which they
flourish in their natural state. Even
light sandy loan, and in which there is
predominancc of vitrious or silicious
matter, if manured with compost COM
posed of clay, muck and swamp mud,
and kept uniforml Y and moderated y hu-
mid, will produce excellent cranber>
ries. 1t is even asserted by those who
have had ample experience in the bu-
siness Of cranberry culture, that the
vines, under this treatment, will not on
ly be much more thrifty and prolific,
but that the fruit will also be much lar
ger, fairer, and of better flavor than
that gathered from vines in their natu-
raj state. On most farms, however,
there are numerous low places which
might be advantageous y devoted TO
this plant, and wherever such places are
to be found on a farm, they should un>
questionably be selected in preference
to artificial or compounded soils. The
method of planting. in such locations,
is to dig holes in the turf. from one to
two, or two and half feet deep, and
two feet over. Into these holes are pla.
ced the sods or compact turfs contains
ing the roots, which are then carefully
covered with the soil and sprinkling
of beach sand thrown over the hill. The
hills should be four feet apart each way,
which gives ample scope for the vines
to trail or branch out. Plants cultiva-
ted in this manner, come rapidly into
bearing. after which nothing more..is
requisite for several years, than merely
No give them a slight dressing, occason
ally, and to supply new plants where
the old ones have decayed, or died ou,
A plantation, managed in this way, i:
a most valuable appendage 10 any farm
and in this section of the country, where
the fruit brings one dollar and fifty
cents, and often two dollars per bushel
it would be peculiarly so. The labor
of harvesting the cranberry is very sim,
pie, and very expedi,iousiy performed
bv means of a rake, constructed exclu'
sively for the purpose, and with which
in favorable seasons, a skiliul hand will
gather, with ease from fifty to a hun
dred bushels a day. Maine tullva
tor.