The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-11-26

temporary movable plank tracks from ad-
Joining sand banks to the surface OF the
bog. The boys In most cases are too low
and soft to allow the use OF horses.
Like other economic fruits. the cram
berry Is not often prcpaeated by seeds.
but propagates itself naturally by Offsets.
Commercial propagation 10 carried on by
the use OF cuttings or layers. The cut
tings with which new Mulberry meadows
are established are usually 10 or Is inches
long. Planting Of new meadows Is done
as early In the spring as cuttings can be
secured, usually about the first OF June.
Once planted crnnberries take care of
themselves in far as cultivation 10
concerned. About the only thing neces-
sary for the grower TO do il to keep down
grass and weedy growths of all kinds.
In the early days OF cranberry culture
harvesting was necessari done entirely
by hand, and this method Is still In vogue
In many focalttiea. particularly In die
fricts where the meadows are Of small
size However, 40 the industry expanded
the increa sed demand for pickers made
II necessary that, In order to hold the
cost OF production within reasonable
bounds, some device be found which
would lessen the cost Of harvesting by
increasing the quantity On individual 10
able to pick. This demand has been met
by two forms Of cranberry rake. One 10
operated by being forced through the
branches. thus pulling or the fruit.
while the other Is nrst forced into the
vines. the guard pressed down. and then.
by withdrawing the implement, the ber-
ries are stripped on, the shoots upon
which the berries are borne being drawn
between the iron fingers OF the picker.
Either Of these ingenious aids to cram
berry harvesting enables a great savfng
OF time and expense. a. one person can
gather 70 or 80 measures OF six quarts
each I'm an ordinary working day. while
hand picker cannot gather more than
half that quantity. For d time there was
q prejudice among many growers against
the use Of these harvesting devices be-
cause Of SO much imaginary injury to the
boys, but within the past few years this
prejudice has largely disappeared.
Cranberry harvesting n usually paid
for by the measure Each person Is fur
rished with a rake and with paiis or
boxes In which TO place the berries a.
picked. The meadow IL then laid on In
sections or strips and each picker 10 a.
signed to q division. By this arrange
ment each worker gets his share OF both
heavily and sparsely fruited plants, and
the grower Is certain OF getting the prod
uct from all parts Of the meadow After
the fruit 10 picked It is carried to store
houses, where 1t IL allowed to remain
until assorted In the trays In which IL
was placed Mt picking time. Most of
these trays have = capacity OF about 10
quarts each.
As the cranberries come from the neid
there are to be found among them many
broken branches, leaves and defective
IT. fAov n
branches there 10 employed any one Of
variety OF cleaning devices similar to the
tanning mills used for cleaning grain.
After having been winnowed In this
fashion the fruit II spread upon asserting
racks Operators seated upon either side
Of this apparatus look over the berries
In much the same manner that beans are
looked over In hand picking. From the
asserting table the berries 20 Into bar
refs only a comparatively small portion
being Grated.
The grower who cuitivates cranberries
on a large scale almost invariably pro-
vides storage buildings on his swn land
II 10 the prevailing practice to hold the
fruit In the storage-houses at the boys
until the market 10 ready. which IL from
SIX to weeks TO three months after the
conclusion Of the harvest No artificial
cold IL necessary In the storage-houses.
abeut the only precaution necessary being
to prevent the fruit from freezing. In
the early days Il was thought necessary
TO pack the berries In casks aod cover
them with water In order to preserve
them for any length Of time. but this
Tor the most part stored In small oDoo
boxes.
The fruit an cleaned, assorted and bar.
relied, usually In ventilated barrels. u
placed on the market. The housewife
who visits the retail stores II, perhaps,
more accustomed to seeing crAuberfies In
,ushei crates than In harreIs, but this
rating Of the fruit 70 done by the mid
iienen, who act ~ distributing agents
ather than by the producers The price
4 cranberries has varied tremendously
lurfng the past quarter OF . century. In
one years the fruit has sold as low ~
q 50 to - per barrel. even In Sovem-
per, when the demand ID keenest. and
hen again the price has been above SIS
he usual price, however. has been from
Z to SO per barrel
Common Superstition = that deiicaries
or the table comprise the sum total OF
be housewives purchases IT Thanksgfv-
az time, and 1t might surprise many Of
ur readers TO learn how large q proper
Ion of the whole holiday outlay goes for
overs. The major PARTON Of this latter
ppfopriaffon H. OF course, expended Tor
be Thanksgiving flower the shaggy
II b ~ this season OF
be year that the popular .muns'' are
their best, and Ia the larger cities the
oris.s sre seldom able to secure eacugh
T the white and yellow blooms to supply
ae demand. Prices 60 soaring much
fter the fashion Of the quotations for
Hes at Easter, and instead OF the usunl
rfces Of - to 80 Per 0eDea, the hoaDe-
older who desires Q cluster OF the appfo-
rate poeies for bis dinner table II likely
be held up 70 the tune OF from 312 60
8 per dozen for choice specimens.
WALDON FAWCETZe