The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1876-01-05

THr PICKING SEASON At rs HEIGHT-
TIE scALD-sTAIIsTIcs

BRIcRsEURG, \. j., October 20
Some thirty years ago Captain John
| Webb. Of jackson township. Ocean
county, in this State. began expert
neating with the cultivation Of cram
berries which were growing wild up
on his land Gathering the few
bushels in the swsDps and carried
ihem to Trenton, 30 miles distant,
where they were readily exchanged
-. his winter stores The captain
- = : tie proprietor OF = wooden leg,
with which lie deity punched the
vines into their places and made
them slay lhere. The result was
that the pioneer o. cranberry culture
n this STATE, al in due time. became
3 man Of and be has refused
SI.5g0 al acre for his boys | met
the captain g few days ego swinging
along On his wooden leg, as cheek
ed and vigorous looking asa school
bUT iusI let ca for 3 holiday. de
Is popularity known a. the "cranbury
king" Toe first attempt TO cultivate
this fruit was made by Captain Hen
~ Hall, Of Dennis, Mass, on Cape
Cod, II The year 1912, and The vines
from which The irst crop WAS gather
er have born a good crop ever since
and viii oEord q fair WELD this au-
,amn The cranberry growing district
Of New Jersey Includes parts Of the
Ocean. Burlington and Atlantic
although some small portions OF
MonmOtb, Middlesex, Camden, Cape
May aud perhaps 4 or two Other
counties are adapted 10 the cuitlva-
uion Of the fruit. The greater por'
ton IS located in what Is known a.
the Pines wherein also ne the
charcoal regions, q tract containing
about 1900, 600 acres just now
the cranberry piekers are as busy al
work Is the mosquitoes are working
al them. In walki"g yer the bogs
the ripe. crimson berries are &c numer.
Gus that they constantly mash and
pop beneath their feet, while the
still more numerous mosquitoes pop
away at your face, hands and neck
| passed over a bog Of 100 acres IL
Burlington county where the pickers
were as busy as bees. There have
been 400 women and children al
work at the same time on this single
bog. Each pick from two to i've
bushels The mel average about four
days a week and generally get drunk
the rest, although Of course they
make d better showing in some see
lions. After the vines have been
pretty thoroughly gone over, the wa
teri IS let in. and bushels Of berries
rise to the surface and float down 10
the gates, where they are raked out
The cranberry, ike all cultivated
fruit, is developing numerous yarle-
ties. the principal Of which are the
bell. ola deep notified crimson and
somewhat pearshaped; the white,
which ripens the earliest aad rots
the soonest, and the common round
berry, which is the least liable 10 rot,
and viii keep longer than the other
two together. The fruit, ike all
other, has its enemies, the most de-
s~lructiye Of which is that popularity
known as the scald or rot, though
some separate these TWO blights. The
vines begin bearing the third or
fourth year after being set out, the
yield increasing each season for dou-
BILE that time. The cGltiyator finds
his whole field or bog as it is al.
ways called down here, blushing,
crimson, OF about to do so, and be
rubs his hands and bushes also as
be mentally calculates his near pro.
hts. An acre yields from q tc
four hundred bushels, which sell
from two TO three and four dollar.
a bushel, and during the year the
price obtained was three or four time;
that amount; but before picking time
comes the blight sweeps over the
field. A few berries turn a dirty
yellow, and in one week the Who'll,
bog has it bad. The cvltivator sur
veys the spread-out mass of rotten
ness, pulls his hat ever his eyes
jams his hands into his pockets, ant
goes home to figure how be a econ
omize enough 10 try some new exper
iments next year. This seald bust
cess has kept up So long that it is be
coming moaotonOus, and not the leas
remarkable popularity is the fac
that no living mortal has been abb,
TO find out a preventative for To,
plague. Every imaginable expert
ment vas made; water has been lie
on sooner and later than usual; al
sorts OF fertilizers mere tried, anC
many and many a time it was believ
ed that a remedy had been found
Finally Professor Taylor, the United
States Microscopist of the A~gricultu
raj Department ct Washington, wa.
called in and be visited the boys her,
and at Cape Cod, and spent weeks il
probing for the cause. His thorough
Investigations discovered that th,
evil lay in the root of the fruit, o
rather 10 the ground, which in al
cases OF the rot, was found to b,
sour, causing fermentation and de
cay IN the berry. This was estab
lished beyond a doubt, and the appa
rently simple problem remained o
determining how the soil should b,
syeetened. The professor recon
mended lime, sand and various fer
tilizers, and never did the eranberr,
season open upon a more hopeful Sc
Of mel than were the growers a few
months ago. Professor Taylor cam,
down in this county to hear the re
suits of following bis advice. Their,
was something very amusing in oc
cupying the position of a spectato
and listener. Old Captain Webt
the cranburry king, stumped in anr
sat ear the door, and was made al
honorary member of the Cranberrr
Growers Association before be coult
fairly comprehend What was goin,
on. Lime had been used more thal
ever before, and the rot among III
cranberries this autumn is create
than ever vas known. One grove
recommended sand, and his neighbo
announced that it was not worth
continental; another gentleman ba'
tried plaster of paFis, and not a Der