The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1898-01-21
The Cranberry Industry.

TaclHc coast, the growing OF cranOer-
ries is one which promises rich returns
for the time and money invested
There are several bogs in Western
Washington, which have demonstrate
ed that good cranberries can be grown.
Two are in Mason County, the Burr
beds on Oyster Bay being one of the
first planted in state, but neither have
received attention of late. The follow
ing description of the Chabot's marsh
IN Pacific County, from the Portland
Tribune, will give some idea OF the in
dustry:
CRANBERRY picking on Chabot's
marsh in Pacific county, Washington,
has just been finished, and all of the
berries recently gathered and not yet
marketed are safely packed in barrels
ready for shipment. This years crop
aggregated 1900 barrels.
"Allen & Lewis and Bell & Co., of
this city, handled the greater part of
the product. Some berries are used
here, but most of them are shipped to
San Francisco and the east. About
l5O pickers. white men, women and
children, Cinnamon and Indians, were
employed this season. The sum of
$4,000 was paid out for wages and other
incidental expenses. Pickers were
paid 90 cents per box, which holds one
bushel. The market price of the pro-
duct is 81 so to $500 per barrel. They
have 40 acres in cranberries. The
splendid returns of this ranch demon
strate conclusively that the west has
just as good land for cranberry raising
as the east The Pacific coast article
compares favorably with that of Cape
Cod. At .his time of year when cram
berry sauce is an appetizing feature of
our holiday dinners, it is highly proper
that we should know something about
the culture of it, which is pleasant
and decidedly profitable industry.
"Cranberries have been raised in
this country, profitably and to any ex-
tent, only within the last 40 years
Cape Cod, in New Jersey, Massachu-
setts and Wisconsin ranked highest in
this enterprise. The principal kinds
are: Bell, Bugle and cherry, so named
because of their resemblance to the
objects mentioned
Glow, beaver-dam land is best adapt
ed to its cultivation. Alluvial forma-
tion, that is land that has been formed
by deposit of rich sediment long ago
when this earth was in furma tive
state-is the home of the cranberry.
The ground must be sufficiently low to
admit of periodical flooding. This is
the way the bed is prepared, having,
OF course, a suitable location, where
plenty of water is obtainable for flood
ing purposes, also plenty of sand near
by.
"First the sod is cut in squares and
taken away, which can be used in
building dykes; then sand must be
spread over the muck from three to
six inches in pepth. Sand is used to
keep weeds from growing and destroy
ing the young plant. The plants,
from six to twelve inches long, are
dipped through the sand into the
muck in horizontal position, to en-
able the runners to spead out more
rapidly. This done, they are left to
grow, and will, in four years, have an
unbroken web or mat, with upright
stems six or ten inches high. The
plants are set two or three in place,
about fourteen inches apart.
''The vines will bear if properly at
tended, in five years, with astonishing
results. Flooding is employed for two
reasons, first to kill worms and insects
to protect the vines from frost in fall
and winter. Water is retained in the
marsh from October to the 18th of
May, The length of time depends up
on the condition of the climate.
picking commences some time in
the fall, in plenty of time to avoid
possibility of loss from frost. The
pickers are each assigned a row, four
feet wide and running the width of
the bog. The work is by hand, and is
tiresome because of the constant crook
in ones back while resting on the
knees in sort of sitting position.
Some pickers make $500 and $3.50
per day, but they must be experts.
The average picker earns from $1.00
to ST. so day.
"When box has been filled you are
given ticket representing amou mt
due you. The work is absolutely
clean, and exceedingly delightful for a
minute or two, to those who, as visit
ors, take hand just for fun. But the
novelty soon wears off, and the mossy
heath soon loses the attractions that
lured you. People of all descriptions
take their baggage and tents, and
camp near by, just as they do in hop
yards. As high as 500 bushels have
been raised to the acre."
"My daughter when recovering from