Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-12-30
WE CAN RAISE CRtNBEBRIEs
Commissioner whitehead Oners
Valuable Suggest!oDs.

To the Editor Of the Dispatch
The remumorativc price for cranborrics
IN the past. together with the fact that
they can be kept ike apples. had &c
different times attracted the attention Of
fruit men I'm Virginia. but mo- direct care
fol experiments have been made test
ing their suitability 20 this climate. ln-
doubtedly there are thousands OF acres
I'm the state Of suitable hnd-bOgs that
can be properly ditchcd; sand Of the
best quality for top dressing, ana con-
venientiy at hand. and such location or
water from reliable streams as 10 insure
flooding. An important fact unno-
ticel Is that we have bog land
In all the divisions Of the State-the
slashes and swamps of Tidewater, the
wet plades and marshes of Middle VIZ
ginia. the undrained cOves Of Piedmont
and the Valley. and the high, wet pla-
teaus and sources Of water in the APP
palachians. and 20 each OF these five
sections nnd we might add the coves
and plateaus OF the Blue Ridge SUBJ
dvision). there is a different soil and eli
mate shown by productions from the
cotton and trucking line 20 the Cana
dian with il cabbage and bucSwheat IN
Appalahia.
Another value OF this industry IS IT'S
long life without cultivation or fertilzA-
ton. after it has been established. There
IS a cranberry bog which bore run
crop the third year, and has continue
10 bear a fun CROP for siXty-iivc years
without other care than he gathering
of the fruit. Now. what has deferred
our people from venturing on this line'
of fruit-groVing? Clealy the preparation
,,-. Of I'll. land must Ea tho
roughly ditched so that all water can
be drawn off below the roots Of the
plants or vines I'm summer The top or
the bog must be carefully taken on,
every root Of grass or shrub removed,
and the bog prepared for planting. lt
must then be covered with pure sand,
containing no clay or loan, coarse ana
gravelly from three 10 six inches deep.
The plants are set in rows twelve inches
wide and twelve inches apart. The first
and second years every blade or grass,
every spr0ut. everything but the cram
berry plant kept out till the third year,
when the bog will be permanent. In
most Of our land out Of the mountains.
they should. perhaps might would be
safer. be planted in the fall
In New England they are planted tn
the spring. but. as u general rule. IL is
better for all shrubs 10 remain during
their dormant state where they are 10
fruit. and the longer the better. Now.
this labor costs according TO New Eng
lands calculation, SloJ at least 10 tie
acre. This deters our people. The Offset IS
that in Plymouth county. Mass, they are
valued and assessed ~ $1,000 per acre
the third year. If successful Cranberries
are q great money crop In New England.
New jersey. and Wisconsin. Many bar
rels are exported. They have sold at
fabulous prices. In England they one.
sold for $50 per barrel. They retail here
now at l0c per quart, and wholesale at
$50 10 s. per barrel. This is considered
the lowest market for years.
RAISED N COLD LOCALITIES.
At present they are grown wholly in
comparatively cold localities. II success
ful in Tilewater Virginia. "a much earlier
crop might bee marketed There is %
native cranberry IN the boggy land Of
the Appalachians i'm Virginia and North
Carolina. described as a bush. The
northern plant is a trailer, 4 20 feet
long. . feet high with pinkish white.
transparent berries. with fine. acid
favor. but | have been able 20 secure no
plants. 1 have seen so many favorable
loations in Upper Tidewlter. where the
land would not bring its taxes. that /
have called the attention Of the owners
in this respect, TO see If any one would
experiment.
/ prepared and planted bog Of one
fifth Of an acre this last fall TO furnish
an object-lesson on success or failure
TO those who see H. I think it will sue
coed. and my northern advisers have faith
IN il. My faith is much stronger I'm the
meadows of Dan" and other high noun
tain DOGGY. or wet lands.
| will take pleasure in furnishing any
one desiring 10 make a bog with the
names OF gentlemen in New Jersey and
Massachusetts, who will give specific di-
rections and information about procuring
plants. THOMAS WHITEHEAD
Commissioner OF Agriculture.