New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-09-12
CAPE COD CRANBERRIES.
PICKING NOW BEGINS IN THE BoGs NEAR
SANDWICH.
vpss1Mpyr IN THE HUTs OCCUPIED BY TIE
r1cKERs-THE PROCESS OF MAKING A CRAM


sandwich Mass Sept a-when the city man calls
ar cranberry sauce with his dish of turkey at res
taurant or hotel. he perhaps never gives the rea
berries a second thought some of the very berries
that have added much relish TO the dinner may
have come nom Cape Cod and perhaps they even
grew on the great bogs Lake Mashpee Ihey
might tell Of cool evenings in September, when the
hnzbt full moon rises over the ripping waters oil the
old Indian reservation and Of sounds Of music issuing
from the huts where dwell for q time the many peo-
nile who pick cranberries. The accordion and violin
furnish music for dancing and the shouts OF laughter
as the merry pickers after their day Of toll meet 10
have a Jolly evening, mingled with voices in the
swedish Portuguese, Irish and original Cape C0dders
dialect, make jargon Of sounds strange enough to
the newcomer.
In the early evening, when the pickers come in
from the boys tired and wet it is picturesque sight
to see men and women, some In bright colors and
others In faded that have become artistic, group
themselves about the campfire looking with longing
eyes at the huge pot Of coffee that is simmeng the
bright Goals of wood fire. The evening meal is none
the less enjoyable that IL is served in tin dipper,
and the bread simple cake is eaten from the hands
that have toiled all day rescung the beautiful berries
from the damp and dirt of bog They sleep well.
and up early at work the lines laid out across
the bog for they paid by the measure and not
BY the day, they free TO begin the day at any
hour they please.
Many bogs the village, and the pickers re-
turn to their homes. But those half dozen miles
distant have their camps and their little communities
Frequently whole families shut up their houses in the
towns and move into shanties built on the edge of
large bog.
The fame and the name of the cranberries raised
Cape Cod we'll known the fact that the Cape is
most delightful resort The business OF
raising the fruit has within a comparatively short
period grown TO enormous proportions. Twenty-Five
years ago few crmberes grew wild in the swamps in
this region, and were considered Of no special value
except by a few who had used them an excellent
relish for meat dinner AT that time there was
little or no demand in the local markets, and the
price was from 81 to 81 80 bushel Last season
they sold high S16 a barrel
Here and there among the Cape Cod villages, all Of
which abound In swamps. the sturdy farmer began to
see that these ow-lylng lands, which had formerly
been considered worthless, valuable when made
into cranberry boys. One after another began to
prepare them in a rude sort of n way. and the
berries became known and the price had been raised
10 SEA, more care and study used in making a
bog
In the first success of the cranberry growing on the
Cape the supply in no way equalled the demands Of
the market. The high prices stimulated the produc
ton to such an extent that hundreds of boys were
started and arc now yielding their annual supply to
the markets of the country.
Cranberry land should be selected with three dis
tlnct objects view First, to have good drainage
second good sand ana third, good natural supply OF
water to be used in flowing for frosts and for killing
the destructive fre-wOrm. When a swamp is found
that has these requirements the brush apd trees are
cleared of and burned The top sod is turned over
and the tree stumps taken out the land eveIled and
drained by deep bitches dug in the plot around the
edge and through the centre This work having been
completed. the bog is ready for sand which should be
of quality put evenly over the entire sur
face. from four to six inches deep. The bog is now
ready for the vines, which Of various varieties the
early black being raised to a greater extent thnn any
other. The vines cut OF Old bOgS and set ont
from twelve to eighteen inches apart in regular ORDER
by who work on their knees with an iron paddle,
pushing the vines down into the plot, which furnishes
moisture for the plants while roofing The sand keeps
the heat Of the sun and warns the plot underneath
This combination of heat and moisture makes the vine
thrive as II did in q natural state
1t takes four OF constant allow these
single vines 10 cover the spaces between the
settings Under favorable circumstances q crop may
be expected at the end of this time, varying from 100
10 1G0 barrels OF fruit per acre.
One OF the most expensive parts of cranberry culture
is keeping the bog free from weeds and marsh grasses
which grow freely in the moist. sand. and if
allowed TO remain in many obstTuct the growth
Of the vines, and in destroy the bog. This
work Of caring for the vines is done by and
who work with hoes among the settings the
first season. after which the labor is done with the
hands, the which begin to grow must be
disturbed little possible
The cranberry growers prospects are uncertain I'M
less he prevent the ravageS OF the fire worm which
is liable to destroy crop in the spring unless the bog
can be flooded with water. This has % be done twice
in a If the appears. otherwise the fruit |
IS destroyed and the foliage looks though fire had
passed the ground leaving the vines q reddish
brown color Another thing 10 be carefully guarded
against is early frosts in spring when the fruit is
setting This is also Offset by flowing the bog with
water.
The grower, having escaped the frosts and fire
worms. begins on September 10 to gather the crop
The bog Is lined off in with twine and the
plckers men, and children. of all ages. gather
the fruit the vines working along the bog on their
knees. Most Of the berries are picked by hand but
O machine IS sometimes used which scoops
from the vines. An average picker, with the hands
alone. pick thirty of six quarts each
day, for which they receive ten cents per
three dollars. With the assistance OF the machine as
high 100 measures have been picked in a day. The
hand picking does not destroy the vines much the
machine. and Is therefore preferred.
At the large bogs in Mashpee GOO pickers are often
employed at one time. They migrate from all parts
of the country, and as already stated, camp out in
shantlcs
The largest cranberry growers the Cape A. T.
MaAepeace, Of Barnstable; Emulus Small, of Harwich
the largest single grower HIS boys covering about 100
acres the Crowell Brothers, of Sycamore, Who have
bog mile long; Morse & Holmes of Marshpec Watson
b. Kelly, of liarwich, and Ellis & Co., Of Sandwich.
All OF these gentlemen have made study of the sub
leet and arc now receiving handsome yearly income
nom their boys. which will last about ten years from
Ne time they were out
The original cost Of the land used is about S25 per
acre and the cost Of constructing the bog is usually
not more than $500 The yield Of 100 barrels Of
berries to the is not uncommon and these will
sll AZ an average price of a. 80 barrel. Some years
ne Pree rises 10 $40 and OveI The cost per barrel
Io pckng not over 81 CO, and the barrel and com
lssion ior marketing not so cents The cost Der
acre OF bog Is about $50 a year.
A., is not difficult with these figures TO determine why
.ns Nspe fodder has let his farm run down and has
t aheu Ms attention 10 cranberry culture Some of
ry 4srge growers who started with the beginners are
"a wealthy men, who still living I'm their little
Ii isohed houses with few comforts for their fami
NJ anu G, no change for themselves. Now and then
s mai vii nave servant for his overlooked wife end
Mn care ior the education his children But the
c Pcsue Is 20 see the large returns from the fan
M c J, most Interesting sight 10 the city people on
Ine Nape WNO owe about in snnieher now md tInr