Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1861-06-21

Cranberries---Their Cultivation.

chose Tor the eIperiment maple swamp
on high land, containing peat (9j-iOO veg.
etable niatier) from one to ten tot deep.
We eommencci draining Il IN June, lsi!.
and having set a is~ vines Tor trial, We pro-
eceded to cultivate corn and potatoes. bu,
finding. after two or hires years, that we
were obliged 10 keep IL too dry for cranber-
rie,. We concluded 10 .et IL oil with vines IN
order To dow IL. which would injurs other
crops, and I have now nine acres Of vince,
mostly set within about three years. My
mode Of cultivation i. ne follows. via. We
clear up the swamp by taking of the top.
ro,u aud all. TO the depth oi ono foot or
more. (Which makes excellent manure FOR
the adjoining urland) and ha,ing'ira,nct 70
by di,ehingsmark ogt the ground With the
corner Of the hoe. and sst out the Vine-,
~h,eh we have obtained from tho common
Wild bos-, wherever We could Get them ;
AMI having dropped I've OF sir vine. in the
hoe mark. stamp thSm with the heel and
haul on some dirt with the toe. covering the
vine about ,wo.thirds up with dirt. This
operation may be performed at any time OF
the year, when the ground Is not frozen. At
not too dry. IL !. thea necessary 10 keep
them clear Of weeds.
have heretofore thought srass would no,
hurt them after the 'ines got well spread {;
hat am convinced by this years eIpsri'
snce that they cannot be KEEP, too clean. |
have Que acre ths, vas ss, four years ago.
About thrcc. qaarter, OF the acre has been
covered with ru.he., and is now; while the
other quarter. a, Que end OF the 10, has been
kept clean. | have the pass week measured
Of one square rOi ot the clean vines, and
gathered two and halt bushels OF berries
from the rod. which Is no more than an
.yeSas. OF the quarter acre, which will he
testified 10 by the gentleman who assisted
me in picking them, as also ~ several other
gentlemen who have seen them since, rs the
other berrit. We, remain On the vines. The
other three quarter acre, covered With grass,
has been mostly picked and although the
vines are as large. I shall not get - bushels
Of berrie. from the ,hree-qparIer aere-the
one ylclding AZ the rate OF 400 bushels pr
acre, the other about 20, showing the great
advantage Of keeping the vines clean.
My meadow would PROBABLY have yielded
100 barrel. more this year, bad 1t beer KEEP;
clean. picked my berries by hand, US
am consi need there is no advantage in rak
ing them. We have 10 pick after the rake,
aud DO not think the vines will bear s'
veil the next year. TIE rake also bruise.
the berry, aud causes IL % rot. dow my
meadow about two fee, deep in the month
OF December, and keep i, on until the month
I Of May. when I draw it down, leaving atOu'
two inches Of water on the surface under
the vines. as long as there - any fear OF the
frost; then kep il as near the top Of the
ground a. ] can.
Y 6nd the cranberry will begin to baar
~ell from three 10 Eve years after setting
TIE c).i Of cultivation I shall put in round
numbers. a. follows, viz. CO, OF land s u.
Per acre. eleAnin: 500, vine. and setting
$50, co-, OF cultivation clio per acre-tor
year. $40. total s202. But the top thai
We tOOk of is worth SO for manure, leav'
IN, Sls2. Interest Tor 1 years, makes tive
hundred tWeu,y.nine dollar. and thirty iou'
csnt. per acre. Ny iour.year old vines tLa'
are clear IRON grass, (say half an acre NOR,
or le.s,) will average 600 bushels per acre
! have beea offered $3.50 per bu'hel atoy'
the eO.t Of piesl0s. which gives mea elsa'
prof, over aud above the cost OF land anC
cultivation n on the half acre, Of 500 ,33.
do not gather my berries until they are ripe
Tor li picked whils green. they are b't'e'
AMI un6s for use although by spreading
they may become quite red, sIill they ar'
not worth bali price.