Lamoille newsdealer. [volume] (Hyde Park, Vt.) 1860-1877, 1874-11-11
Agricultural.
Cranberry Culture.

- - eASAh "AfNA aAeAN nv
ey has been made, probably, in proportio
to their value, than cranberries. At th
same time there have been very man
failures. Bat in this locality all failure
we're owing to the fact that too little il
stead of too much capital was invested
My experience of fourteen years goes t
show that, although made some radica
mistakes, made the business pay owe
100 per cent, and still l see many YER
important points in which l could improv
on anything have done or have seen dom
by others. One thing is evident to ever.
one that has ever tried it--that cranberr,
vines arc the toughest things to kill anc
the easiest vegetables to grow yet known
l have had one barrel from square roc
on nearly one half Of an acre picked anC
measured.
As to varieties it is claimed by some
that there are but three varieties--thc
cherry, the bell, and the buglc. But
there are as many subdivisions of these a.
there are eff apples. l am not speaking
now of the upland cranberry. When the
vines are selected they are taken from the
original bog, and most men naturally Sc.
lect the rankest, largest, and darkest col.
ored vines, This is all wrong. | select
the palest colored, smallest leaved, and
yellow golden colored runners. com.
mencei with handful that | have reset
three times and now have some four acres
of these vines, which have beat my neigh
bors' in yield one-third where other con-
dltions were equal. The dark, large
leaved, and rank looking vines bear very
large berries, but few in number, some
hardly one.
There is root worm that Injuries
vines set on mud bottom. where it is not
ditched and sanded, but where path is
properly improved have had no trouble
with them.
There is tho vire worm. The miller is
very small, of light brown color, not
much larger than cranberry leaf, aud
looks like one when not in motion. They
tic up che tops Of the uprights with fine
web. They hatch twice in the season
when not interfered with once about the
the LIST Of June, again about the LIST of Ju-
ly. They have not troubled this locality
this season to any extent They are very
easily prevented from doing any damage
by flooding, especially if my plan Of max
ing lew 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 cranberries, and the only remedy
known to me is to burn brush on either
side of the path at night to attract the mil
lers. The vine worm is a native Of low
land I have never heard Of its troubling
on upland.
The amount Of labor necessary to keep
= cranberry patch clean until in full bear
ing depends altogether on the manner the
ground is improved in the first place.
There are several kinds Of bunch grasses
that grow low, also punches of sand rush
es that grow two feet high if left alone.
If all the weeds are. kept out until the
vines get matted, the vines will keep them
out afterward. But the true way is to
get fall by lowering the streams, aud
ditch as often as four rods both ways, and
let the water follow from the brook. This
makes it too dry for grass to grow. In.
our locality the best sand 10 put on the
bushes lies under the muck this saves
carriage. In case Of drought board is
put in each fume, and the ground is soon
flooded ; then the board may be taken out
before any grass starts.
Some think cranberries need a good
deal of water. This is a mistake; they
need no more than corn or potatoes. l
have never known as much growth on low
land in one year as l have where it was
ten feet to water. l said cranberry vines
will keep out all kinds Of grass. I will
except one species Of sedge. This is caused
by springs, and is only prevented by thor
sush ditchiug. A small running black
berry is very troublesome, and no flooding
or ditching effects it; it must be dug out
by the roots with hook. There is moth
lug gained by putting off this wedding !;
what could be done in one day the first
year will take Eve or six the next year.
As to locations, we take valleys from elev.
en- to twenty-five miles wide, having a run
ming stream and short brush but no grass.
Muck bottoms from one to two feet deep !;
these can DO improved for half the cost of
sedar swamp.-Mass. Ploughman.
RoTATros.--A judicious rotation of
crops il abs olutely necessary in maintain
Ing the fertility Of the soil. This needs
no demonstration, for 1t is universally ad.
mittcd. But how To rntafa TO sacnre fhs