The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1876-11-02
Farm. Garden and Household,
Cranberry Culture.

When man has an original idea and
uursaes it for years amid the ieers of the
malicious and the doubts and regretfll
sympathy OF his kindly neighbors, it is
very gratifying to see him come out tri-
0mphant; so agreed the little group who
were looking at A. X. Giles cranberry
farm one bright October morning. The
popular notion of a cranberry swamp is
Of something very moist and uncomfort-
ale and indeed, the driver, who was a
reighboring villager, had expressed the
opinion that dreadful long g-legged boots
would be needed if anybody was GOING
near enough to see the picking,n an opin.
-ri which he later handsomely recanted,
with the confession that he had never been
wn on the marsh before. The farm is
situated on the swamp at the head of
shaker Pond near Alfred village, and the
uead ot water which is used for flooding
ae held and running the mill is obtained
damming brook on the northerly
-ie. broad dixie runs across the head
the marsh parallel with the brook, with
-IAhen water gates which let the water in
where it is wanted. From this dixie mar
~ dlkes run AT right angles towards the
i.oi ot the marsh separating the field in
sulps OF convenient width which were
-uud Hooded with water, in which were
d -ang OF men with long legged rubber
ItS Wadln9 and with wire toothed rakes
ptiy raking off the bright red berries
airh tloated away Oh the surface of the
wafer The wires Of the rakes were
.'pcd outward in such way as not to
4re the vines and the whole crop was
ceased without brusng the berries.
~ hen the work was accomplished a light
om was placed across the head of the
.ttrt bed, and moved slowly along driv-
4 I he crop To- the lower end, into Il canal
which they iloated, along with the cur
.Ut fo the southeast corner where they
4~-td into i1ume and swept rapidly
ssh towards the mill, gaily Fastening to
u-, AT testal Thank ksgiving boards the
-usprcting turkeys, innocently gobbling
'he.r native tarmyaris, which fate had
r-it-tiucd Tor their ailinites. Arrived at
nUIl, the cranberries were carried up
wire buckets on an endless belt, and
ict OIL upon a screen where they be-
--a ,loping Journey Of thirty feet out
The sunshine to dry. Here Il sorting
.a, = began A gap is left in the screen
which the round. solid, ripe berries
lrri while the soft. pudgy ones plump
lt1 the chasm When they reached
end OF the upper screen they fell up
"a lower one and came slowly rolling
4ek into the building dried and as
Ued. ready L. be barrcled and sent to
market Elsewhere crnberries are picked
hand. which is Il slow and troublesome
HoreSs losing many among the vines, or
tV freezing it sudden frost comes, and
aNing many bruised in the picking, but
,r this process Mir Gle harvests his crop
lur twenty cents barrel against cost of
dollar and sixty cents by the usual
method When we are going to Europe
Uj the older states to learn improved
methods If agriculture. it is gratifying to
.nd that men are making Il pilgrimage to
.ur own state to learn this system of
atuherly culture, Mr.. Gile has been ex-
lermeniing for several years to bring his
conception to a realization, meeting with
occasional disappontments, as that of one
season when the muskrats undermined his
likes, but he has worked patiently and
Hlderstandingly, analyzing his soils, weak
aulug them with sand when too rich, cut
iae and contriying to bring his machinery
iu completion. and now finds himself dis
appointed only that his screens seem re-
4ardless Of color and previous condition
ut servitude, failing to separate the white
berries from the red; but that failure
seems of little consequence since we find
IAv hand picked berries in our markets all
la HE same condition, and his rapid method
I harvesting, and ingenious system OF
fn0ding enables him to ripen them much
mere thoroughly than by the ordinary
process The path he has thus opened
may we'll be trod 10y other farmers. and
much land, otherwise utterly waste and
yllueIeSs, he utilized in the production of
This profitable crop Mr. Gile is a pioneer
with all the pluck, ingenuity and persist
cury which BELTS the character, and Il
hludeume success crowns his Intelligent
.Eurte Portland Press