The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-25
SPEAKING OF CRANBERIEs
Here Is Something About How a
Cranberry Farm Is Worked

! Detroit. Nov. PA Sault Ste. Marie
special TO the Journal says: II will prob
ably surprise a good many residents of
Michigan to learn that Chippewa county
every year produces her quota towards
supplying the demand. and furnishes the
only cranberry farms run on scientific
principles in Michigan.
John Clarke is the largest grower. He
has two farms under cultivation, one near
Whitefish Point, the other at Life Saving
Station No. g which produces annually
from 1900 70 1000 bushels. The crop just
harvested is an average one. about !, 500
bushels of berries being harvested.
Cranberry farming is distinctive. mas
/ much as it is different from any other
kind of farming. The land TO be planted
| first has to be put in such a condition
that not even grass or moss will grow up
on 1t, and in order to accomplish this, the
fine sand which abounds on the south
shore of Lake Superior is used as the
fertilizer" and in which the plants are
set out. Another requirement TO the sue
cessful production Of the berry is plenty
of water as during certain portions of the
year the farm has TO be completely sub
merged.
In the spring especially is this true,
as the plants have TO be protected from
the frost until the berries began 20 form
IN the summer months grasshoppers and
canker worms attack the plants and can
only be got rid of by flooding the farm.
after which kerosene oil is poured over
the troubled waters" which has the ef-
feet of putting a speedy termination TO
the pests. The farm is divided into tracts
of several acres, each surrounded by
bitches and drains. so that each certain
portion can be flooded without interfering
with the other sections.
In gathering the crop. the entire farm
is irst flooded. and the section on which It
i desired to operate is surrounded BY
blooms made OF inch lumber. six inches
wide two pieces being hinged together.
Rakes with long teeth are used by the
pickers. VINO run them through the plants.
detaching the berries, which float 10 the
surface Of the water. They are then
scooped up in nets and taken TO the dry
ing rooms. where by a process invented
by Mr.. Clarke, they are run through a
pipe, the flow OF water being so regular
that all refuse viii sink 10 5:le bottom.
The berries are then run through the dry
room. whence they 60 20 the packing
room. where they are packed. some in
boxes holding a bushel others in three
bushel barrels when they are ready for
shipment.
Il was tventy-siN years ago that Mr..
Clarke removed from Marquette 70 White
FISH Point 20 make experiments in cram
berry culture. and ne has kept everlast-
ingly a. il The work was discouraging a.
the start. and for number OF years ne
vas disposed 10 give il up. He has seen
a promising crop destroyed in a single
night by frost. and has had the work of
q season destroyed by grsSShoPpers and
other pests. Still he kept on making i'm
provemenJs here and experiments there
until the experimental stage has been
passed and the work reduced 70 a science. |
Now Mr.. Clark can count on an average
crop each year. and Il pays well.
A steam pumping plant vas installed /
during the past year. wnicn is used il /
flooding.