Evening journal., 1909-09-24
CRANBERRY TIME
IN SOUTH JERSEY
Last Of Summer Visitors at
Summer Resorts Reap a
Rich Harvest

This be- the height OF inc cfanntfls sea-
-on 30 the upland meadows near Point
Pleasant and the adjacent towns and al
most any fair day the visitor along shore
viii discover energetic amateur pickcrs
busly gathering their winter supply OF
Ihc little red berries. These arc the irst
cranberries TO ripen. the bog berries not
being ready for picking until about the
frst Of October. There are still q goodly
number Of summer visitors at Point
Pleasant Brielie and Msnaequan. many OF
whom seem 10 be eager 10 take hand
In the picking. II is Likely that there win
not be a very generous number left for the
market, while bushels upon bushels will
md their way TO city homes by way Of
suit cases and Gladstone bags
The berries never rlpen until after Labor
Day, and as the biggest part OF the hotel
and boarding house crowd has returned
10 the city by that time. the precious
secret OF the berry boss has never been
diyuleod except 10 those who stay later
Oven to these tho cranberry bogs re-
main an unopened book since they grow
IA a curious manner. until some good-na-
tured native points out how and where
they are 70 be found some of tho most
generous crops OF thom are 70 be found
ten feet from the sidewalk and less than
stones throw from the trolley line. and
in certain held close by a street which
has Just been cut through = few summer
guests managed 10 pick ten quarts OF the
cranberrics in a little more than an hour
one day last week. Then. practically IN
the back yard OF one OF the largest sum-
mer hotels now closed for the season. Is
a small bog fairly teeming with large
cranborries. only waiting to be picked.
You would meet on the way to the cram
berry fields piclSers Of every age and de-
scription. ono day last week there were to
be seen IN bog off the sidewalk on At
lantic avenue. about ten pickers including
one man. two women. six little girls and a
two-year-old baby whose chief occupa.
ton was upsettng tho cans filled by the
efhers
All sorts Of receptacles are used. sum
mer visitors not usually being euuipped
with the proper paraphornalia for gather
nE cranberries in largo quantities. ono
giri used the leather case OF her camera.
,ut filled it 10 the limit before she had
,iclSed an hour. Occasionally tin pail is
borrowed and laundry bags and oven pill
ew cases have beon called into use by
hose hard pressed for some utensn for
olding the precious berries.
One small family collected in two DAYS. Z
My picking tho berries for short time 4
ach day, eighteen quarts. and sun an {
ther expressed homo big gladstone bae S
lied with nothing but berries I
The cranberries are quite invisible 10 +
he casual passerby. and one could almost !
ramp over the bogs where they grow !,
hickest without even suspectng their
proximity. There IS absolutely no sign to
er that down underneath tho deep green
81 the plants the ground is spread thick
with a bright crimson harvest The salt
water bay bushes are usually found near
by and sometimes lthe tall marsh grass
si'es the bog the appearance Of fat
W. yl'qf l2fa-''lf -ybg look close down 70
ihc ground sou viii probably see a thick
mating OF a deep. shining green color.
formed by millions OF tiny plants, bearing
mall leaves. They are thickly tangled.
ike vines, II you MT this pretty shining J
arpet you win uncover the roof OF tho '
lanberry shelter. and unless the field has {
een picked over. there win be berries b
lfN NniAtNr 10 hN EaliA'itN Ah NtNlNNA hN II
he hsndfulc a.
The regular pickors use sort Of ma q
hine. constructed like a huge hand. II S. is
iade Of wood and has a good-sized box az il
he handle end. tho front Of the machine p
cling formed OF fingers cf wood This Is 81
ushed among tho vines. breaking the
FERRIES from the stem and holding them IN q
he box at the end. no harm Is done tho C.
Ines, and at least two quarts Of berries Ii
an be picked before the box IS emptied. d
one professional berry picker secured two b
bushels Of berries one day last week from s
one Of the wild bogs. q
Some amusing stories are told az the D
amateur cranberry pickers one very ]
young matron. with her mind's eve fixed
an delicious ieny for her wintor table. set
cut 10 gather q quantity. She managed 10
gnther eight quarts, but when hor hus-
band took toll Of the cost Of those berries
they found themselves very much on the
wrong side Of the account. Even supposing
the Young housekeeper would have pad
eighteen cents = quart for the berries at
home the sum she would have spent for
her ten quarts was Si.0. But she was in
bed for day with a raging headache and
oackacho from the exertion Of picking her
berries and the doctors fee and medicines
amounted 70 s. Then she tore her pretty ,
White skirt $3.50 and ruined the inside OF
ier bag. However, she still has the ber- {