The morning call., 1891-10-21
CRANBERRY CULTURE.
An Experiment by Mrs. A. ChabOt
of Oakland.

Thanksgiving day Is scarcely more than a
month distant, and its advent has already
been announced by the arrival of its un-
numbered heralds III the city-barrels OF
cranberries, without which the roast turkey
is not considered to be properly served.
TIE raising of this delectable berry is
branch of agriculture concerning which
very little thought is ever given by the gen.
eral public, and it is therefore more than
probable that not one out of ten persons is
aware that the b erry is brought almost II
not entirely across the continent for them.
More properly speaking, this has been
the ca, until within the past three years,
when a large quantity of western-grown
berries put in an appearance in the market
and found a ready sale. These berries we're
grown up in Washington in the vicinity OF
Astoria, and the cranberry farms or bogs
are the property of Mrs. A. ChabOt of Oak
land In speaking Of this industry last
evening she said:
FROM THE BoGs.
II have just returned from the bogs, the
object Of my visit being to make study OF
my property, as | am not satisfied with IL.
1t did not seem to me that II was paying
investment and | desired TO tind out the
cause. Yes, believe have found the rea-
son and that is the phenomenal yield In the
Eastern cranberry b0es which, with the
prevailing freight rdteS, enables the Eastern
shippers to lay the berries In San francisco
almost If not fully as cheap as they can be
brought from my place.
NO, | cannot tell you what the yield
should be per acre as my bOgS were flrSt
planted or stocked with the wild berry,
which did not do we'll aud made 1t necessary
for US to send to Cape Cod, Mass, for cut
tiugs Of the cultivated vine to restOck the
bogS. Then. you know, it takes several
years for the vines TO properly mature.
Nine though planted almost ten years ago,
have only been bearing for the past three
years. l have 100 acres in the cranberry
bOgs.
AN EXPERIMENT.
mo; l don't know of any one else en-
gagged in the industry in the same vicinity.
The origin of my berry fame was an expert
ment of my husband. He had friend who
understood cranberry culture, and he told
him to look around this coast for suitable
ground with the before mentioned result
While | do not think much of the invest
ment this year, | do not believe that the
yield in the East will be so large year alter
year, and l therefore yet hope to make it
Pay.
thing about cranberry culture, as have
been unable to gain the information desire
out here"
The cranberry was first discovered in this
country in the vicinity of Cape Cod. where
many acres OF the marshes, which Tor many
years was considered worthless, are now
utilised for their culture. The berry was
then tried in the New jersey bottoms, and
thrived 50 well that some thousands of
acres are now devoted to them. IL was then
tried In Michigan and Wisconsin with so
favorable a result that many hundred bar
rels OF the berries are shipped from there
annually,
REQUISITE CONDITIONS.
To grow it successfully peat-bog Is re-
ouired, and it must be free from all clay.
The ground should be covered with sand,
both to keep the soil underneath moist and
also to keep out grass. There are many
difficulties to overcome in their culture. and
entire crops have been ruined By lack OF at
tenti0n. There is an insect called the fire.
bug, which, if not watched, Will get into the
patch and ruin the berries. A cold climate
is necessary, but frost ruins the berry, and
constant care is necessary to keep them
floOde to prevent such result. Tie most
exp ,usive feature is the picking. as it re-
quires an expert to pick four bushels day.
Mrs. ChabOt showed IHE CALL man some
of the berries from her farm, aud they
equaled any grown in the East showing
that there is no difficulty in securing good
results in cultivating them on the Pacific
Coast. The average yield is thirty-fve BUSH
els per acre, and there are unnumbered acres
OF suitable land in Washington.