Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1907-11-15

nearly always proves successful Good
clean sand near by an amply supply Of
water controlled by a dam and avail
able at all times.
l VIII tell you something about the
hog owned by the Kennebec Cranberry
Co.. which / am interested in. 1t is
located about seven miles from Gardi-
nar near Togus. 1t is what at one time
was the bed Of Mud Mill Pond, so call
ed. MIR. Wellman Of whom we purchas-
Ell the property started the culture of
cranbcrries there over 25 years ago. In
thefirst place cultivating berries he
found growing wild. From this start
he increased and extended the work
until he had ten acres under cultiva-
ton, end has raised as high as 500 bar
rals in Il single year. He has shipped
them to New York and Boston markets
getting good prices and very compli-
mentary letters regarding the color,
flavor and keeping qualities. We have
been interested in this work only three
years. The first year we had very
small crop. owing 1 presume to frost
| in June. Last year there was falr
yield. This year about 600 barrels
which ] should say is good average
crop for this locality. l understand TINS
to he q small yield for Massachusetts.
We are now laying out new beds the
| width If the bog which is about 6O rods
wide. In the first place we put often
around the whole piece with enough
cross bitches to take the water from
the beds with dispatch for it is of ut
most Importance that it be arranged so
this can be done when we have 10 no"
for frosts and pick the next day Al
| ter this work is done the whole surface
| i. turted that is all of the grass roots
anG bushes are taken Off and the Deds
made Derfoctly level, after this the
| whole surface base TO be sanded from
| three II four inches deep. Now we are
| ready TO nut out the plants which we
are very particular in selecting. the
| 10 rg@r portion we shall use are those
raised on the bog known as the Well
| man cherry cranberry. although we
Il,ayc some early blacks which mature
earlier and are ready for market about
| two weeks caller than the others. IhTy
do not keep as we'll, and bring less
| uric" in the market. We use cuttings
| fo,. setting out n new bog. using the
| srrcu,e from IL to i inches long "l
| good vigorous plants. placing them III
| rows IS inches wide. about 10 lncnes
| ,nar,. 1t takcs about three years to
| get a bog to bearing. but once properly
| r,ade are good for many years
Harvesting the crop begins about the
,0th Of Scptember, and takes from III
II, I, DAYS. We use pickers secured
from the maker on Cape Cod and like
them very much This can be done on
old established vines but new vines
have to be picked by hand as the pick
ers would do more or less damage 70
the roots. The berries are nut in'c
| ventilated crates made Of stats ana
| n,aced in a house built for the rur-
| nose These crates are packed Ill Sc
| ther, is a circulation OF air around
,hen all the time. When we are
ready 20 ship them they are run
| through a separator which takes oat
all Of the dirt and many Of the poor
berries. After this they go over soy.
| ing table and any that are not perle''
| taken out By hand.
| don't want to give the impression
that this is all that has got to be done
t. make the growing of cranperrieS
success for many nights without sleeE
is the lot Of the man looking after a
bog. 4 frost in June may destroy 4
large portion of the crop, and the early
frosts in the fall are sure to do damage
unless someone is there to watch AND
be ready to turn on the water when
the thermometer goes to freezing. Be
sides this there are insects of various
kinds that destroy the berries and vines
so it requires constant care and atten-
ton to successfully grow cranberries
L in Maine at least. But l am satisfied
that under proper conditions that this
i crop can be grown profitably.
The last speaker of the forenoon was
/ Commissioner Gilman Of the State Ag.
ricultural Department. who spoke very
briefly alluding to the apple as the king
of fruits and complimented the work
| done by the State Enton,olOgist, Z. r
Hitchins in studying the conditions OF
the orchards and asCertaining the
causes of the destruction of fruit trees
Just before the forenoon session adj
journed Secretary knOwlton read a let
ter from Secretary James Handy eX-
| pressing the greetings of the MISSISSIPPI
pi Valley Apple Growers Association
and asking the Maine Pathological So
ciety to do all in their power in favol
Of the establishment Of National ap'
rle d2y on the third Tuesday in Octo'
Der. Referred to the committee or
PRESIDENTS address and other papers.