The Portland daily press., 1868-02-01
4 --a
Cultivation OF Cranberries.

There are thousands OF localities iu Maine
profitable one-nore profitable than many
other crops But this Is business which our
| farmers do not understand, at least. a large
| majority do not. Cranberries can be raised
as easily as corn or potatoes, provided the lay
| of the land and the soil are suitable and the
| cutivator knows how to begin his work. In
many portions Of our State the cranberry
grows spontaneously and abundantly, and
many find it good paying business to gather
them In the fall for the market. There is not
a county in Maine and scarcely town where
this valuable berry may not be found In q
wild state, and there are hundreds Of places
in every county where they might be raised
and the cultivator put money in his pocket.
| It Is somewhat remarkable that so little at
| tention has been paid to this crop in our
| State where SO much land is found admirably
suited to produce it. We are glad 10 know
| that some farmers have turned their atten-
| tion to this subject within a few years and
found both pleasure and profit in the cultiv&-
| tion of the cranberry, and we trust many
| more will engage in the business the coming
| season.
Maine can raise her own cranberries and
not be brought under tribute TO New Jersey,
| Cape Cod or any other place. Her soil and
climate are well enough and all her farmers
| have to do is to set about the work the COM
| ing spring and they may have On abundance
| OF this luxury for their own tables and for
the market. "But when and how shall we
begin the work ?" many may ask We an
swer. The Cranberry vine should always be
| set out in the spring which is now close q;
hand While the bush is blooming il is very
sensitive and too much weakened by flower
! ing to put forth Iootlets and take strong hold
| in the soil. After it has fowered, the plant
assumes a second and thrifty growth, but the
season is not long enough for it to root well,
therefore from April till July is the most la
vorable season for transplaniing.
The Fruit Culturist says: There are TWO
kinds OF stems coming up from the roots the
Banner and the Bearer. The former has its
leaves all pointing upward, leaving the un-
der side OF the stem to fall on and root into the
| ground, the latter shoot grows perpendicular
| ly, its leaves standing out horizontally. As
any eye in any stem of the cranberry plant
may be made to root, all those eyes, on The
runner touching the ground, become root
! centres Thus il will be seen that The cram
! berry vine forms new root-ccntres in all di-
rections around the parent stem, wherever
the runners touch the ground. Those who
have dug up cranberry vines know very wei
how they root in the ground and that cram
| berry meadow may be skinned and rolled up,
! root and branch somewhat similar to rolling
M carpet from the floor. The roots never
| strike deep. not over two inches, and some
times not that. II takes several years for the
roots to become matted in the ground as
above described.
twill readily be seen irom the nature Of
this plants roots that at least years growth
Is necessary 10 enable it to staud and success
fully buffet the waves, winds and heaying. of
the irosts which last are worst OF all. Ii will
also he seen that there is aneeessity OF very
clean, unobstructed soil so that the roots may
| take firm hold and not be too long about it.
The ground must be kept clear of weeds es-
| pecially until the roots become matted aud
then they win, In some good degree, prevent
| the growth Of weeds. The ground must bs