The Richmond Indiana palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1854-1855, 1855-05-31

Deligered in the Hall of tie House Of Repre-
sentotices. before the .State Board Of 4gyi-
culture, January 4. 1855. Conaaded.I
There has been some difference of opinion
as to the use of peat sand after the incpl-
ent erubbing and pairing has been done; but
the weight OF opinion seems to be in favor Of
the sand. not because the cranberry will not
grow equally well in peat but because the
grasses growing abundanty in peat ir-
crease tie labor of cultivation. A somewhat
simpler mode Of procedure is sometimes adop
ted in the case Ct ordinary low meadows or
swaups. 1t the meadow is covered with
bushes or tussocks, remove the former with
tie giubber, cut the tussocks of evel with
tie surface, when the vines. being taken from
anotLcr part Of the meadow elsew here,
are set by first striking the hoe into the sol
and raising it slightly. when the roots are In
serted and pressed down with the foot.
Tie mode of Mr.. Leland, Of Middlesex
Mass. 10 cut out squares Of turf CORES
Londiug TO the squares OF cranberry vines
which he placed in their stead, and keep the
vines under water from spring until July 10
destroy the worms.
Mr.. Thomas III. Samson. Of Plymouth
Mass, removed the wbortle bushes and al
ders, tussocks and tops Of The soil. and early
in the spring set aboul one fourth with Gran
berry vines. without any dressing. He con
tinued annually for three years 10 set the same
quantity. part of which he covered with
dressing of gravel and soil about an inch in
thickness. and part with sand and gravel,
and sowed over the lot bushel Of cranber-
ries, first crushing them and mixing with
sand He finds no beneficial effect from the
sand-fnds his cranberres do best where
the peat or mud is deepest. He flowed his
cranberries from October to April. His pro-
duct was at the rate Of $50 bushels per
Has no faith in raising cranberries on dry soil.
Other experiments. however, show the
practicability of raising cranberries up
land. Mr.. Roberts experiment embraced
tract near the foot Of slope descending in
westerly direction. The ground was plowed
eight inches deep and narrowed; light fur
rows, three and half feet apart were run
lengthwise, and the sods were cut from the
swamp. car,ed on tie upland. and placed
three feet apart in the rows Though two
would have been better, then carefully hoed
and kept free from weeds for two years. No
water was supplied except that received from
occasional rains.
In the cultivation OF cranberries, whether
on upland lowland. it is very important
that the ground should be entirely covered by
the vines as soon after planting as possible.
not only on account Of The great saving of
labor. by thus preventing the growth Of
fruit is commonly produced until the vines
have thus spread over the surface Al the
end of three years the whole ground should
be covered; but in the instances Of upland
culture referred to ii was not so, though the
plantation had been set at least three or four
years. Probably if the roots had been pu
but twelve ely hteen inches apart the result
of the experiment would be more satisfactory
in this respect AS it was. however. the
WELD in l852 was one bu>hel to tie square
rod, or 100 bushels to the acre. when Gran
berries were selling readily AT "A per bushel
TIME OF PLANTING.
Ii the cranberry is 10 be raised from the
seed, ii may be sown in the fall SPRING
The mouth of May is usually selected Ii
the plants are 10 be propagated by cuttings,
the spring also IS preferable; but for the usual
mode OF tiansplanting the vines the fall is
generally preferred. though there is diff
Gully in making them live when trans planted
at any season o. the year. If planned in
autumn. they will take root and grow more
vigorously in the spring, and will also bear
h,le the next summer. and the crop increase
gradually until the fourth fifth year. when
il ADAMS its highest yield.
TIE yield viii vary according to circum-
stances. but about one hundred and fifty
bushel, will be a fair Average. In a large num-
Der OF cases bushel To the square rod has been
gathered without much trouble of cultivation.
In one lot visited by me, more than three
bushels to the rod. or $50 bushels to the acre
were obtained from very thrifty vines. on "a
peat bottom, with thin covering of sand
Loudon remarks, that Sir Joseph Banks,
after having imported the American cranberry
into England. raised. in 1881. at the rate of
400 bushels per acre.
Il. ~.
vary in different seasons. In 1852, "a per
bushel was readily obtained The demand is
rapidly increasing. there can be little
doubt that it will continue TO increase as the
superior quality of the cranberry in sec
tons of the State becomes better known
And II owing 10 any circumstances, such
competition abroad. the value should fall TO
81 per bushel, it would still be profitable
and desirable product. especially when it is
left TO occupy its favorite, barren and other
wise unproductive swamps and dead sands.
VARIETIES.
The varieties Of the cranberry have not
been very distinctly named. most varieties
of tie apple have and must be described. and
can only be distinguished by difference in
shape and color. The large round and black
cranberry of Cape Cod and Cape Ann sells
for nearly third more than the oblong and
softer variety more common in other part of
the State. 1t might properly be called the
black cranberry, so nearly does It's beautifully
shaded deep red approach to black. 1t is
very hard. nearly IS hard as Baldwin apple,
and will bear transportation to any distance
II keeps wen through the winter. and even in
some cases into the succeeding summer. In
deed, with little care. good cranberries may
be kept much longer time, either in dry bet
ties corked so as TO exclude the air or in bot
ties filed with pure spring water.
There is oblong cranberry, more com
mon in the low wet boys Of the country. sof
ter than that which has been described. OF
loose and rather watery texture and shrinking