Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1874-11-05

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has been made, probably, in proportion to
their value, than cranberries. At the same
time there have been very many failures.
Buti this locality all failures were owing
TO the fact that too little instead of too
much c'ptsl was Invested. Ny experience
81 fourteen years goes to show that. al
though l made some radical mistakes, l
made the business pay over 100 per cent,
and stu ! see many very important points
tn which ! could improve on anything
have done or have seen done by others.
One thing is evident to every one that has
ever tried 10. that cranberry vines are the
toughest things to kill aud the easiest
vegetable 10 grow yet known. have had
one barrel from square rod on nearly
ene-haif an acre picked and measured.
As TO varieties. Il is claimed bv some
that there are but three varieties-the
cherry. the bell, and bugle. But there are
As many subdv isions Of these as there are
OF apples. am not speaking now OF the
upland cranberry. When the. vines are
selected they are taken from the original
bog, and most men naturally select the
rankest, largest, and darkest colored vines.
This is all wrong. l select the palest-
colored, smallest-leaved, aud yellow gold
en-colored runners. commenced with
handful that | have reset three times, and
now have some fsur acres of these vines,
which have beat my neighbors' In yield
oue-third, where other conditions were
equal. The dark, large-leaved, and rank
looking vines bear very large berries, but
few 10 number, some hardly any. There
is a root worm tina, Injuries vines Sc, on
mud bottom, where 1t Is not ditched aud
/ saDded. but where patch is properly i'm.
proved have had no trouble with them.
There Is the vine-worm. The miller is
very email. Of Ugh: brown color, not
much larger than a cranberry leaf. and
looks like one when not in motion. They
tie up the tops OF the uprigh,s with a fine
web. They hatch twice In a season when
not interfered with; once about the lst of
June. again about the LIST of July. They
have hot troubled this locality this season
to any extent They are very easily pre-
vented from doing any damage by flooding.
4, especially If my plan OF making low dams
four rods apart is adopted. Then there is
the berry worm, which is easily destroyed
by water If taken at the right time. The
| berry worm also attacks upland cram
I he rrias and tho anlr re,u.dx lpaun 4, mao
! Is to burn brush on either side of the patch
at night TO attract the millers. The vine
worm is native of Rowland; have never
known of its troubling on upland. The
amount of labor necessary TO keep a cram
berry patch clean until In full bearing de-
ponds altogether on the manner the ground
| Is improved 10 the first place. There are
several kinds of bunch grasses that grow
I low. also punches OF sand rushes that grow
two feet high IL let alone. II all these
weeds are kept out until the vines get
matted the vines will keep them after
ward.
/ But the true way is 10 get fall by low
! ering down the streams. and ditch rs often
as four rods both ways, and let the water
follow from the brook. This makes Il too
dry for grass TO grow. In our locality the
best sand TO put on the bushes lies under
the muck; this saves carriage. In case OF
drough, board IS put in each flume, and
the ground Is soon flooded; then the board
may be taken out before any grass starts
Some think cranberries need 4 good deal
OF water. This is a mistake; they need no
more than corn or potatoes. have never
known as much growth on lowland in one
year a have where K was ten feet to
water. l said cranberry vines will keep
out all kinds OF grass. will except one
species of sedge. This is caused by springs,
and is only prevented by thorough ditch
ing. a small running blackberry Is very
troublesome, and no flooding or ditching
affects II I; it must be dag out by the roots
with hook. There is nothing gained in
| putting of this wedding; what could be
done in one day the first year will take five
or six the next year. As to locations, We
take valleys from eleven 10 twenty five
miles wide, having a running stream and
short brush, but no grass muck bottoms
from one to two feet deep; these can be
improved for half the cost Of a cedar
swamp. l am veiy sure, from my past ex-
perience, l can make patch worth e. 600.
purchased in this locality at an expense OF
$500 per acre. | would remark ! have
heard that fires in New Jersey have re-
Gently burned all around our cranberry
patches and never knew or heard of this
II they would, on my place, in case of fire
or danger Of frost, can put eleven acre.
under water in six hOurs.-[A. j. HlSDs
| In Portland Press