Peninsula enterprise. [volume] (Accomac, Va.) 1881-1965, 1885-11-28
CrauberrieS.

y letter IRON FdtiiiluS'iiic, N'o.,
to the New York Times. gives the
following interesting fact about
cranberllcS:
When one.leggcd John Webb
settled near l1orked river, in Ocean
county, many Years ago, no store,
keeper conld be induced to give
him credit, so poor was he in this
worlds goods. John Webb could
now buy out the whole town if he
so desired This is because he had
a great head. In the course of hui
man events lie became the posses
sor of piece OF low swampy land,
IN which the cranberry vine and
the garter snake hourished, and
between gathering the rnddy fruit
and bruiSing the scrpents' heads
Webb had time enough to observe
that where the rains had washed
down sand upon the old peat bot
tom, there the vines grew longer
and the berries clustered thicker
and larger than on The bare "muck,
as it is termed. 1t was this I'M.
pretcntious discovery that suhsc-
Qucntly filled John Webb's Golfers
with bright round dollars and
caused his name to be Il household
word among the cranberry growers
from the marshes OF Massachusetts
to the Swamps of Wisconsin. John
Webb with commendable alacrlty
made the most of his observations,
and soon had constructed the first
cultivated cranberry bog ever
Known.
Until John Wchb'S innovation,
in 1896. cranherrieS grew on long
vines which trailed over the ground
only in wet SwrmpS and morasSes,
and so scarce were they. and con
seqncnt!y expensive, that they only
glaced the tables of the wealthy.
To day so many are raised that
they are within the reach of every
housekeeper, and in support of this
statement is the fact that during
the five years past their conSump
ton to this country has increased
500 per cent. The cranberry bog
of to day is Il low. broad plain of
OF emerald hue, divided neatly into
beds 10y bitches. To construct a
beg it is necessary TO raze Il swamp
which has a deep peat BOTTOM
After the ground is cleared of
stnmpS and made level, bitches are
dug and beds are laid out. Sand,
To Il depth of three or four inches,
is then spread over the peat and
the bog is ready for plantlng.-
Sprigs Of the long green vines are
taken from the SwalnpS,im Embedded
in holes made with % stick III the
sand. and in the soil is pushed in
tightly about them. Then the vines
if they are we'll planted and enter
priSing, begin growing, and the
sole purpose or their life seems to
be to reach over all creation and
hide the earth from sight.
Perhaps in their travels the vines
are anticipated in their laudable
desire to possess the earth by what
is called "thrce-SQuare grass" and
PUSHES. The former is the most
persistent and aggravating grass
which ever nodded Familiarity to
the sun, while the latter acquired
such Il reputation about Moses
time that the Awriter disllkes to
Sess-rnree:squaren and rushes are
p early and at it, and by the time ,
ne cranberry vine gets around it !
ndS no opening for an enterpris- !,
lg young shoot. :
The expense of extricating grass !
nd rushes from the bog has By ,
lie end ofthe second year increaa- !
i its cost from, say, $500 an acre :
, 5000. All we'll regulated cram :
cry bcgs slumberfor seven months :
IT OF the twelve under water in ;
der to escape the winters troSts. :
] order to food bog two things =
e eSsential-a never-iailing stream :
water and a substantial dam.- ;
o bog cali be successful without !
ZEN. Tie cranberry lands here u
;out are submerged annually :
bout November l, and while they :
ly lie beneath six feet Of water =
& and little Americans from one ! !
I'd of the land to the other arc u :.
okipg upon the cranberry sauce > >
hen it Is red. In the meantime !,
e vines are arranging things for !; !,
e DeXtseason, and when the wa - -
7 is drawn from the bog about !
e middle of May they lose 10 :. =
nelyirg around and drying in the y .
IL, but set to work turning out ~ -
other crop, and anything else 4
at can beat the cranberry crop - -,
S toget up and hump itself. :,
ANY cranberry bog With fair -,
nditions should yield 100 bushels is
berries to the acre, which will =, ~
t anywhere from 500 to $780, RI
is estimated that rs a rule Gran. M
Try cultivation pays about twen- II
five per cent. per year OH the OF
,ney invested.
In New jersey there are about
90 acres OF cranberry bog. Last
ar the crop WAS worth about
$1,000. 1t is estimated by the
tistician Of tile New Jersey Gran 81
rry Growers association that MI
, yield in this State this year b,
/ reach 257,O0O bushels, while go
W England Will probably turn @i
225,OOO bushels; Wisconsin, or
1000 bushels, and other States Sc