El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-19

, the present time is much the same as
| that originated by Webb, the first step
in the making of a bog" being the
| pulling of stumps and the stripping
off Of the top layer of turf. Next, the
surface is covered with the purest
/ white sand obtainable, which is brought
in wheelbarrows and laid on to a depth
of three or four inches. Finally, the
bog is ditched for drainage, to carry
off surface water. Partly overlooked
land is best for the purpose, because
the cranberry swamp should be flooded
in winter, as a protection against frost.
|, Nothing accomplishes this so well as a
covering of five or six feet of water,
which. on being withdrawn in the
month of May, reveals the vines as
green and fresh as a pasture in sum-
mer.
Flooding also serves as a means of
destroying various destructive insects.
The sand merely Affords bed for the
vines to stand in and rest upon. their
food being derived wholly from the
water. No cultivation worth mention
ing is required, and no fertilizer is
used. But a great deal of labor is de-
manded to keep out the weeds-partic-
ularly a sharp edged grass and the
hardy bulrush, which grow with ex-
traordinary rapidity, and which would
SOOH CHOhO tie vines " QodlflJlI loll
alone. All this work has to be done
by hand.
Planting n New Bog.
new bog, after being prepared in
the manner above described, is planted
in May and June with cuttings from
old vines The cost of establishing the
plantation is from $500 to 500 an acre,
up to the first crop. which is not OBJ
tanned until the third year. In that
season a production of 20 or 80 barrels
to the acre may be expected, but later
on it rises to IS or even 100 barrels.
The cranberry plant is a small, hardy
shrub with evergreen leaves. 1t is ma
tive to narrow belt along the Allan
tic coast from Maine to New Jersey,
and flourishes with exceptional lux
uriance in the so-called cranberry belt,
on Cape Coda strip % miles wide
north to Massachusetts, bay. Also, it is
found in isolated areas in the Allie
gheny mountains, and along the north
ern border Of the United States. Mas
sachusetts today has 5000 acres of Gull
tivated cranberry boys; New Jersey
has 5000 acres, and Wisconsin 5000
acres.
The total crop of the country this
year will be considerably in excess CT
to so cents a bushel for their work, |
receiving, when they turn in the fruit
at the bog. tickets which are exchange |
able for cash at the end of the week. |
Thus it is seen that something like |
half a million dollars will be paid this |
autumn to the people who are accus- |
toned to depend on cranberry picking !
for ekeing out slender incomes-chief- !
" in the three states above mentioned /
On Cape Cod. where the inhabitants are |
mostly in humble circumstances, this |
agricultural industry is said to have
improved conditions of living.
Not Liked in England.
Earnest efforts have been made to /!
build up an export trade for our cram |
berry Growers association sent an |
agent TO England, to see what could be |
done in the way of introducing the |
fruit over there.
The agent. On arriving in Liverpool. |
found that the only dealer in cram |
berries in that city was one girl, who |
sold the fruit exclusively to Ameri- |
cans. and said that she never ate It |
herself. because it tasted like medi |
cine With no little difficulty, sew |
eral keepers of hotels and restaurants |
were persuaded to try cranberries |
which the agent prepared in their !
kitchens, furnishing the fruit himself. |
They were quickly converted, and a |
number of eating houses put the new
dish on their bills of fare. But the |
favor it enjoyed was short lived, and |
the American cranberry is almost I'M |
known in Europe today
Rene Bach.