The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-06-30
CRANBERRIES.
Large and Valuable Marshes in Monroe
County. Wis.


County, Wis.
Much attention has been paid to
cranberry culture in Wisconsin, and
there are now many large and valuable
marshes, yielding thousands of bushels
annually. About Berlin, in the Fox
Aiver, are some of the largest and best,
from which their owners have made for
tunes. A correspondent of the Prairie
farmer thus refers to few in Monroe
county:
Mr.. Hutchins, manager of the Hitch
COCK Cranberry Company's marsh, says
the vines have never looked so we'll as at
the present time. THE marsh contains
600 acres, and is now under the best of
Improvement, and the rapid and steady
growth OF the vines is commented on by
all who see them. The past season the
berries were completely drowned, as
they had no means of preventing the
water from flooding them; but they have
guarded against another such mishap by
building a dam at the upper end of the
marsh, so that, on short notice, they can
turn the water away.
A mile and q half from this marsh is
one of 200 acres, owned by Levi Moore,
of Baraboo, and Stickney and Raumbach,
of Wauwatosa. Only forty acres are
cultivated. Two years ago this marsh
was quite dry, and the frost took the,
crop. They concluded they needed
more water, and held it on all last sum-
mer, but learned that it is necessary to.
be able to get it on or off as the frost or
flood may require. Last fall they put
more dithes through the marsh, and one:
below the lower dam, in order to be able
to drain it quickly.
Not far from this is marsh owned by
Green, Bacon, Crawford & Newman, a
patch of sage-brush, tamarac and black
spruce. The bog is of good quality, and
they have made some improvements on
their marsh within the last three years,
but have had no success, for the vines
cannot grow where they are 50 choked by
sage-brush.
About mile farther is another marsh
of 100 acres. The owner, Mr. S. E.
Shipley, has never failed to get good
crop from it. 1t is well flooded, and has
a good prospect for next year. | can see
no reason why cranberry raising may
not be as uniformly successful as almost
any other crop, provided the necessities
of the case are understood. One of the
oldest cultivated marshes in this vicinity
is owned by Wise & Brooks. They have,
four hundred acres and have done we'll
in the business, though many thought
they were wasting time and labor.
These men have been here five years,
Last fall they shipped 900 barrels, and
there must have been as many more
wasted, as they only had one ditch with
which to drain the marsh, and were
obliged to stop the waste gate in the
dam above. This marsh has the best
flood of any around here. the vines be-
ing, in winter, from one to two feet
under water, and thoroughly protected
from the cold.
One mile north of this marsh is one
owned by Mr.. Prothero, of forty acres,
which has been under improvement three
years, and is now looking well. There
was very deep and heavy moss here,
which is good indication for cranber-
ries.
Some who own the most land only Gull
tivate a small part of it. | have been
told that White & Cummings have 81
900 acres about eight miles from here,
but have never heard of their picking
many berries Mr.. White is a cranberry
grower in New jersey.
Near Mr.. Prothero's is very good
marsh of $40 acres, owned by Reynolds
& Co. This has been under improvement
three years, and has been quite free from
frost, as there were 500 bushels of ber-
ries picked from it year ago.
Half mile west from this is a marsh
of $50 acres, which was bought by Tuttle
& Case last fall, two weeks before pick
ing time This is one of the best
marshes, naturally, in this county, being
well vined, and having good supply OF :
water. 1t had been under the control OF
Mills and Co., who own marsh or 900
acres adjoining A year ago they picked
twenty-three bushels of berries on their
cultivated marsh, and 800 bushels on
This wild marsh Last fall there was no
ditch to conduct the water off, and after
the heavy rains, of course, it was COM
pletely submerged.
Twenty miles north of this place on
the Wisconsin Valley railroad, is the
most successful cranberry marsh in this
part of the country. 1t consists of 200
acres, and is owned by Mr.. Barres who
has been there five years, and has picked
six crops, never having failure. His
first crop of eighty bushels was picked
in the fall he went there, and last fall
he shipped 1900 barrels. His marsh is
the best improved of any in this region,
not having more than 10 acres in one
plot, and each of these surrounded by
bitches; thus he is able to let the water
off very quickly. Having great many
bitches is important for two reasons;
one to prevent the marsh from being
flooded in the summer at picking time,
and, the other, that they may be heio
full of water in the fall, not enough 10
cover the vines, but to guard against
frost.