The Grit-advocate., 1903-08-21
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Our Cranberry Eogs.

Not long ago a man in conversation
with the writer expressed surprise at
being informed that cranberries are
grown as far south as Indiana and Hi
nois. Yet the cranberry is grown over
very wide area Of territory in the
United States and possibly could be
grown much further south than it is
at present grown. Massachusetts. New
Jersey and Wisconsin are the great
cranberry states. exceeding in their
cranberry products all other states.
The figures for these three states for
the census year 1899 were: Massachu-
sets, 59S,906 bushels; New Jersey.
23O,221 bushels; Wisconsin, l11,O98
bushels. We can appreciate the lead
of these three states by looking at the
returns Of New York, the next greatest
producer, which grew that year only
1887 bushels. Massachusetts had
5,12S acres in cranberry marsh: New
Jersey. 1856, and Wisconsin 5,821. OF
the three Massachusetts had the small
est acreage, but the largest crop, each
acre yielding III bushels of cranber-
ries, against New Jerseys 29 and Wis.
consin's 10.
Altogether 10 states reported cram
berry marshes. They were Connect.
cut Illinois, Indiana, Iowa. Kansas.
Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Min
nesota. Nebraska. New Hampshire, New
Jersey, New York. North Dakota, Ore
gon, Rhode Island, South Dakota,
Washington and Wisconsin. But Illi-
nois. Iowa, Kansas and South Dakota
reported only single acre each, with
yields Of SO, 81, &c and % bushels re.
spectively. Oregon reported six acres,
which yielded at the rate of 119 BUSH
els per acre the best average OF all.
New York cranberry marshes yielded
96 bushels per acre The Wisconsin
per acre yield of 10 bushels was the
lowest of all except Maine, which re-
ported an average yield of II bushels
per acre on 80 acres. That cranberries
are grown in man" other states not re.
ported we have no doubt; nor do we
doubt that this delicious and profitable
berry can be grown in large quantities
in the states that now report few
acres.
berries, only few of which are known
to commerce. The cranberry of COM
merce is known as Vaccinium macro.
carpon, and Is native to a narrow belt
OF country along the Atlantic coast,
from Maine to New Jersey, and in iso-
lated areas along the Allegheny noun
tains from southern Pennsylvania to
North Carolina. In the central United
States the plant is found in Michigan,
Wisconsin and Minnesota. The sue
cessful commercial developments in
the cranberry industry have generally
been found in localities where the
cranberry occurs as a native plant.
The first paintings Of the cranberry
were made in the Cape Cod region of
Massachusetts between 1900 and 1918.
Two species of cranberries grow in
this country. One is the little cram
berry (Vaccinium oxycoccus), which is
indigenous to sphagnum swamps in
sub-arctic and Alpine regions Of both
Europe and America. and is also found
growing wild in New England, Penn
sylvania, Wisconsin, Michigan and the
Pacific Northwest. The large or Amer
lean berry (Vaccinium macrocarpon)
is distributed in the nineteen states
mentioned at the beginning Of this
article. 1t is the species that is being
used as base for the developing of
new and improved varieties.