The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1877-07-28
Concerning Cralberries.
4 Glance at the Marshes of Wood
County.
Eow the Berries Grow end how They
are Harvested.

A correspondent of the Chicago Times,
writing from Grand Rapid, states that he
has made personal examination of nearly all
the leading marshes in Wooa county, and con-
versed with maay groves, and finds the
| prospects for a large crop are excellent, and
all are looking, and making preparations, for
the largest yield per acre eler produced there.
Owing TO the long droJth III the spring,
forest and marsh fires ran very extensively
through The county, and burned nearly half
OF the cranberry marshes but those burned
being ths wild lands, uponwhich no improve
ments had been made, andfroIa which small
yield was expected, the increased yield OF the
cultivated marshes will more than make up
for their loss and the crop, for the entire
county will be fully up 10, and perhaps q
listle better than the ave;aGe. The cool and
wet weather of the last tyo weeks has made
wonderful change in thu appearance Of the
marshes, and if it continues a week longer,
or until the berries areaet, the yield will be
enormous. Every vine las from three to FIVE
',''ds- most of which re already in bloom !;
and snce set, only the cranbel,y ,.-.-- -.
prevent their maturing.
The time from blowing until the berries
are set, is when the worm mischief is done.
II during this time it is very warm and dry,
q species Of miller or moth, quite small and
Of whitish color, makes its appearance and
drops ita eggs in the cranbery blossom, and
when the berry Is fo'ned this egg is inside
Of it, and there grows to a worm an eighth of
an inch long, and soon reduces the berry to
mere she'll, and if ? sound berry grows close
enough go it touches the one IN which the
.yorm grows It soou bores from one to the
other, and the sound berry is in short time
reduced TO the coCdition Of tie one abandoned.
Here growers differ, some contending that
the process is carried ON indefinitely, or until
all the berries within reach are guttsd. 9th
ers claim that two is the highest number
blasted by one worm and this was fully con-
armed last season; but as the worm did not
get to work until very late, hia time was
limited, and this might be the cause of his
operations reaching but two berries.
Developments this season were locked for
ward to with good deal of interest and
anxiety, but the weather at present promises
to relieve the minds of all parties, which viii
be more satisfactory than any amount of ex
perlments would prove to be.
As cranberries are raised in so few states,
their mode of fclltare and cranberry marsh
must be comparatively unknown to many
readers, and a description of one may not be
out Of place here.
The cranberry being essentially water
plant, growing only where the roots are con-
stantly III black muck or bog and water,
a piece Of boggy marsh where water can be
held all year and raised six or eight inches
above the level is necessary, and experience
has shown that where tamarack grows, or
where the water from tamarack swamp can
be drawn on the marsh, is the best place up
On which to locate. What qualities neces-
sary for the Grant erry are contained in the
tamarack, or what the relation between them
are, has not yet been demonstrated, but GER
tain it is that wild berries are usually found
growing i'll or near tamarack swamp. and
hence these sites have very naturally been
looked upon as the best for raising cranber-
ries Usually those marshes are so wet that
a person walking over them viii sink to the
knee IN muck and water, and by Jumping up
and down can shake the ground for rods in
any direction, and the first thing for the
pioneer to do is to dig bitches enough to
carry off the water from all parts of the
marsh, which is best done by digging main
ditch through che center of the marsh, and
smaller ones to branch into this wherever
necessary These bitches will also be neces-
sarY TO carry the water back to cover the
marsh when flooding commences in the fall.
The next thing viii IL dams with sluice-Na7s
IN thaH. Tor regulating tae supply OF water
sad holding it during winter Thus your wa
ter supply IS under control and the main cr
vital p9rt is secured. Tier what lev bssl.ts,