The Republican journal., 1871-07-20
Where 10 Look for a Cranberry Bog

WnefG 10 LOOK fer a cranberry BOG.
The large profits realized from the sale
of cranbcrries for the last ten years has
/ led many to inquire for suitable lands for Il
plantation. II is by no means necessary to
20 10 New Jersey or to Cape Cod for this
purpose. There is undoubtedly n larger
amount of peat bogs and sand banks in
these sections than can be found in most
places, but there, also, the value of the raw
material is best appreciated, and the prices
are eorrespondingly high, So far as climate
is concerned, a peat bog in any of the shore
towns from Maine to New Jersey is Just as
good As Cape Cod or Ocean county. The
frosts are kept OF by the air, and the
land, il properly handled, would be quite
as productive. Peat bogs in these locali
ties which the cranberry fever has not visit
ed are still cheap, say from ten to twenty
dollars an acre while on Cape Cod they
would be worth at least ten times that sum.
To make 4 plantation a successful CONNER
cLll enterprise, several things are to be
conSidercd We must have the three essen
tial things-peat sand, or gravel and capaci-
ty for 1oWage, OF there is no assurance of
success A bog that does not have these
requisites is not cheap at any price Then,
bog, with everything promising well, may
be bought at such figure As to leave Il small
margin for profit. If the raw material costs
$500 an acre, and the skinning, sanding
mud planting costs $500 more, the capital is
$500 per acre, and one viii have to wait
three years before he can expect to make
much return. The conditions are changed
tor the better when we can get equally
good land for $40 an acre, and the cost of
preparation is only $500. Such lands can
be found in many OF these shore towns, and
the owners are willing to sell them because
they are unproductlVc, ana they have no
faith in cranberries, or no capital to invest
in such improN Nements. Still farther back
from the shore for fifty miles or more, there
are lands just as good, If the stream run
ming through them is large enough to adj
init of sudden tlowage to guard against the
troSts OF September. Sometimes this can
he secured by Il reservoir, even where the
stream that supplies it is small. Bat this
reserve of water can only be had at an eX-
ira expense, and must be taken into ac
count in making the investment. The cram
berry interest is constantly increasing in
the localities referred to- and large sums
are annually expended in srubbin9 Old
maple and cedar sWamps, carlng sand or
gravel. and planting the vines. james A.
Bill, OF Lyme, Conn, is Just finishing the
standing OF thirty acres, at Il cost OF about
twenty thousand dollars, when the plants
are All in. Mr. Spencer of Saybrook, near
tie Shore Line road, has about twenty
acres nearly covered with gravel, and the
plants will be set this season. Dennis Tut
Tie, ut Madison, has been at work upon a
plantation several years, and his vines put
ont last year are coming on rs finely as
could bc desired. The small plantation put
out by .lr. Small dozen years ago, though |
not so thoroughly prepared rs the latter
ones. still bears aDundantly. and annually |
makes converts to the cranberry faith. A |
single acre OF this plantation one year pro- |
luccd one hundred and sixty barrels of |
fruit, worth not far from $1,000. This sue |
cesSful enterprise has led many to drain |
heir peat bogs, and make plantations in all |
the neighboriug towns. There is still |
much land of this sort to be possessed, and |
he chief thing wanted is capital to develop |
it, The business is now pretty well under |
stood by those gentlemen who have under |
taken these improvements. Skilled labor !
can be found to sand the land and to set |
owl tho plants There is no more risk in |
the Investment lhan in ordinary farming, |
aad capital judicously expended brings a |
large reward. Men who wish to make i'll |
vestmeuts IN this Kind Of fruit culture can |
hardly do better than to visit these planta- |
lions along the Connecticut shore. Amcri |
AN Agrculturist.