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Cranberry. A name applied to trailing species of the genus Vaccinium (Ericaceae) ; much grown in North America for the fruit. Plate XXIX.

Cranberry. A name applied to trailing species of the genus Vaccinium (Ericaceae) ; much grown in North America for the fruit.

Of the true cranberries, there are two species in North America, the small (Vaccinium Oxycoccus), and the large (V. macrocarpon). The large cranberry, V. macrocarpon (Fig. 1087), is now cultivated on thousands of acres in the United States and this cranberry culture is one of the most special and interesting of all pomological pursuits. This cranberry grows wild only in North America, where it is native to acid swamps in the cooler parts of the United States and in Canada. Here it trails its slender stems and small oval evergreen leaves over the sphagnum and boggy turf, and the firm red berries which ripen during September and October often persist on the vines till the following spring or even longer. The curve of the slender pedicel in connection with the bud just before the blossom opens, with its resemblance to the head and neck of a crane, is said to have suggested the name craneberry which is now shortened to cranberry.

Of the true cranberries, there are two species in North America, the small (Vaccinium Oxycoccus), and the large (V. macrocarpon). The large cranberry, V. macrocarpon (Fig. 1087), is now cultivated on thousands of acres in the United States and this cranberry culture is one of the most special and interesting of all pomological pursuits. This cranberry grows wild only in North America, where it is native to acid swamps in the cooler parts of the United States and in Canada. Here it trails its slender stems and small oval evergreen leaves over the sphagnum and boggy turf, and the firm red berries which ripen during September and October often persist on the vines till the following spring or even longer. The curve of the slender pedicel in connection with the bud just before the blossom opens, with its resemblance to the head and neck of a crane, is said to have suggested the name craneberry which is now shortened to cranberry.

There are three centers for the production of cranberries in the United States: Massachusetts, where cranberry-culture began and from which come the most berries; New Jersey second; and Wisconsin third. While the culture is in most respects similar in these three centers, each has its own characteristic methods of preparation and care of the bogs. There is also an important and growing cranberry industry in Nova Scotia.

There are three centers for the production of cranberries in the United States: Massachusetts, where cranberry-culture began and from which come the most berries; New Jersey second; and Wisconsin third. While the culture is in most respects similar in these three centers, each has its own characteristic methods of preparation and care of the bogs. There is also an important and growing cranberry industry in Nova Scotia.

The cranberry bog. Figs. 1088-1090.

The cranberry bog.

 

To insure success in cranberry-culture, a prime requisite is to locate the bog on soil on which wild cranberries or some of their common associate plants flourish. This is usually a black peaty formation from a few inches to 7 or 8 feet in depth, overlying sand which in turn is frequently underlaid by a "hardpan" that is nearly impervious to water and the presence of which had much to do with the formation of the peat. Another requisite is to make sure of an ample supply of water, preferably of the brownish color, for winter flooding and for protection from frost in spring and fall. Flooding at special times is also the safest and surest weapon against many kinds of insects. Without an ample supply of water, cranberry-culture is so hazardous as hardly to be worth undertaking. The building of the dams is the first step necessary for the improvement of a bog. A foundation for these should be made by digging a trench entirely through the peat, even if it should be 8 feet or more thick, to the clean sand, and this trench should be filled with sand free from all foreign material; above this foundation, embankments are built of clean sand and faced up with sods of live turf to prevent their being washed by the waves of the lake formed. The dams should be sufficiently high to flood the higher parts of the bog a foot deep, which will frequently make the water in the deeper parts 3 to 6 feet or more in depth. Gates or flumes must be constructed at the lowest point in these dams to provide for drawing the water off the bog and provision made for surface drainage. The latter is generally accomplished by opening the natural stream, if there should be one, or by digging an open ditch through the natural drainage center of the piece of land being improved. Side ditches should be dug leading into the stream, or main ditch, in sufficient number to drain off all surface water; they may be made from 1 to 3 feet deep, according to the character of the land to be drained. A reservoir built above the bog is very desirable in facilitating control of the water. In frosty Wisconsin it is considered almost necessary to have three times the area of the bog in reservoir to insure the crops. If a bog is situated on a stream subject to high water, provision must be made for keeping the flood water from the bog, as the crop would be destroyed if it were flooded during blooming time or seriously injured by flooding at any time during the active growing season. Winter flooding of cranberry bogs is to prevent heaving and winter-killing. The water is put on about the first of December or after the vines have become thoroughly reddened by cold weather.

To insure success in cranberry-culture, a prime requisite is to locate the bog on soil on which wild cranberries or some of their common associate plants flourish. This is usually a black peaty formation from a few inches to 7 or 8 feet in depth, overlying sand which in turn is frequently underlaid by a "hardpan" that is nearly impervious to water and the presence of which had much to do with the formation of the peat. Another requisite is to make sure of an ample supply of water, preferably of the brownish color, for winter flooding and for protection from frost in spring and fall. Flooding at special times is also the safest and surest weapon against many kinds of insects. Without an ample supply of water, cranberry-culture is so hazardous as hardly to be worth undertaking. The building of the dams is the first step necessary for the improvement of a bog. A foundation for these should be made by digging a trench entirely through the peat, even if it should be 8 feet or more thick, to the clean sand, and this trench should be filled with sand free from all foreign material; above this foundation, embankments are built of clean sand and faced up with sods of live turf to prevent their being washed by the waves of the lake formed. The dams should be sufficiently high to flood the higher parts of the bog a foot deep, which will frequently make the water in the deeper parts 3 to 6 feet or more in depth. Gates or flumes must be constructed at the lowest point in these dams to provide for drawing the water off the bog and provision made for surface drainage. The latter is generally accomplished by opening the natural stream, if there should be one, or by digging an open ditch through the natural drainage center of the piece of land being improved. Side ditches should be dug leading into the stream, or main ditch, in sufficient number to drain off all surface water; they may be made from 1 to 3 feet deep, according to the character of the land to be drained. A reservoir built above the bog is very desirable in facilitating control of the water. In frosty Wisconsin it is considered almost necessary to have three times the area of the bog in reservoir to insure the crops. If a bog is situated on a stream subject to high water, provision must be made for keeping the flood water from the bog, as the crop would be destroyed if it were flooded during blooming time or seriously injured by flooding at any time during the active growing season. Winter flooding of cranberry bogs is to prevent heaving and winter-killing. The water is put on about the first of December or after the vines have become thoroughly reddened by cold weather.

Preparation and tillage.

Preparation and tillage.

Before cranberries are planted, the land must be cleared of all its natural growth, the stumps and roots removed and the ground leveled to a greater or less extent. The more nearly level a bog is made, so that proper drainage is provided for, the more economical it is in the use of water and the easier it is to provide the optimum amount of irrigation during the summer. The first cost of such perfect leveling, however, may be prohibitive or it may require the removal of all the good peaty soil over a considerable area, leaving nothing but pure sand in which the cranberries will not grow well. In many places, the removal of the natural growth may best be accomplished by cutting off the tops of the bushes and trees so that they will not extend above the surface of the water and flooding for two years, thus killing all vegetation. While this flooding entails loss of time, it is much easier and cheaper to clear away the dead roots and stumps than five ones, and when no sand is applied to the surface, as is the rule in New Jersey, it greatly lessens the expense of keeping the bog free from weeds for there are no live roots in the ground to send up suckers. In some places, as in most of Wisconsin, this method of drowning out is impracticable, because the surface soil, in which are the roots of all the living plants, will separate from the more perfectly decomposed peat below and rise to the surface of the water in floating islands making death to vegetation by drowning impossible. In such situations the ground must be turfed and all roots and stumps grubbed out. In either case the roots and stumps are best disposed of by piling in heaps and burning. In Massachusetts, it is the custom to cover the cleared and leveled bog with 3 to 5 inches of sand, which makes it still easier to keep the bogs free from weeds and acts as a moisture-retaining mulch for the underlying peat. Where sanding is practised, it is the custom to apply a fresh coat of sand an inch or less in depth every two or three years; this keeps the vines short and close. Cuttings for planting are secured by mowing vigorous vines from an old bog with a scythe. These cuttings, preferably not more than 8 or 10 inches long, are thrust diagonally into the surface of the bog from 12 to 14 inches apart. Not more than 3 or 4 inches of the top should be exposed, and if the bog is sanded, care should be taken that the cutting extends well into the muck below. As the vines grow they send out runners in all directions, netting the ground completely over. These sometimes grow as much as 6 feet in length and root in the soil at frequent intervals. From the runners grow upright stems which, in time, cover the bog with a solid mat of vegetation. The uprights are preferably not more than 6 inches high but under some soil conditions grow to a foot or more when the fruit is likely to be scanty. From the time of planting, three to five years must pass before the ground is matted over and a crop may De expected.

Before cranberries are planted, the land must be cleared of all its natural growth, the stumps and roots removed and the ground leveled to a greater or less extent. The more nearly level a bog is made, so that proper drainage is provided for, the more economical it is in the use of water and the easier it is to provide the optimum amount of irrigation during the summer. The first cost of such perfect leveling, however, may be prohibitive or it may require the removal of all the good peaty soil over a considerable area, leaving nothing but pure sand in which the cranberries will not grow well. In many places, the removal of the natural growth may best be accomplished by cutting off the tops of the bushes and trees so that they will not extend above the surface of the water and flooding for two years, thus killing all vegetation. While this flooding entails loss of time, it is much easier and cheaper to clear away the dead roots and stumps than five ones, and when no sand is applied to the surface, as is the rule in New Jersey, it greatly lessens the expense of keeping the bog free from weeds for there are no live roots in the ground to send up suckers. In some places, as in most of Wisconsin, this method of drowning out is impracticable, because the surface soil, in which are the roots of all the living plants, will separate from the more perfectly decomposed peat below and rise to the surface of the water in floating islands making death to vegetation by drowning impossible. In such situations the ground must be turfed and all roots and stumps grubbed out. In either case the roots and stumps are best disposed of by piling in heaps and burning. In Massachusetts, it is the custom to cover the cleared and leveled bog with 3 to 5 inches of sand, which makes it still easier to keep the bogs free from weeds and acts as a moisture-retaining mulch for the underlying peat. Where sanding is practised, it is the custom to apply a fresh coat of sand an inch or less in depth every two or three years; this keeps the vines short and close. Cuttings for planting are secured by mowing vigorous vines from an old bog with a scythe. These cuttings, preferably not more than 8 or 10 inches long, are thrust diagonally into the surface of the bog from 12 to 14 inches apart. Not more than 3 or 4 inches of the top should be exposed, and if the bog is sanded, care should be taken that the cutting extends well into the muck below. As the vines grow they send out runners in all directions, netting the ground completely over. These sometimes grow as much as 6 feet in length and root in the soil at frequent intervals. From the runners grow upright stems which, in time, cover the bog with a solid mat of vegetation. The uprights are preferably not more than 6 inches high but under some soil conditions grow to a foot or more when the fruit is likely to be scanty. From the time of planting, three to five years must pass before the ground is matted over and a crop may De expected.

Diseases and insects.

Diseases and insects.

Spraying with bordeaux mixture is very generally practised to prevent "scald," a fungous disease which has been especially injurious to the growers of New Jersey and which was so named because it was long thought to be caused by the scalding effect of the hot sun shining on berries wet with dew. As it is seldom possible to run heavy spraying machinery over the bogs, spraying involves the use of very long lines of hose or laying of pipe lines, or both, the spraying of each property being a separate engineering problem.

Spraying with bordeaux mixture is very generally practised to prevent "scald," a fungous disease which has been especially injurious to the growers of New Jersey and which was so named because it was long thought to be caused by the scalding effect of the hot sun shining on berries wet with dew. As it is seldom possible to run heavy spraying machinery over the bogs, spraying involves the use of very long lines of hose or laying of pipe lines, or both, the spraying of each property being a separate engineering problem.

Varieties.

Varieties.

There are now many varieties of cranberries in cultivation, all of them having been selected from wild vines or vines that appeared naturally in cultivated These varieties vary in shape, color, size, productiveness, time of ripening and adaptation to different soils. Some of the forms are shown in Figs. 1091-1093. The most generally cultivated are the Early Blacks and the Howes, both of which originated in the Cape Cod district and which together make about 50 per cent of the berries marketed from all three of the cranberry states.

There are now many varieties of cranberries in cultivation, all of them having been selected from wild vines or vines that appeared naturally in cultivated These varieties vary in shape, color, size, productiveness, time of ripening and adaptation to different soils. Some of the forms are shown in Figs. 1091-1093. The most generally cultivated are the Early Blacks and the Howes, both of which originated in the Cape Cod district and which together make about 50 per cent of the berries marketed from all three of the cranberry states.

Picking and grading.

Picking and grading.

In Massachusetts most of the picking is done by a scoop, by which the berries are raked from the vines. When the vines are short, the uprights not tangled, and the picker is experienced, berries can be harvested in this way very rapidly and with very little damage to either fruit or vines. The bogs are kept in good condition for "scooping" by pruning every three or four years with a rake the teeth of which are knives placed about 6 inches apart. The scoop (Fig. 1094) is also used to a considerable extent in New Jersey and Wisconsin but in these states a great many berries are still picked by hand.

In Massachusetts most of the picking is done by a scoop, by which the berries are raked from the vines. When the vines are short, the uprights not tangled, and the picker is experienced, berries can be harvested in this way very rapidly and with very little damage to either fruit or vines. The bogs are kept in good condition for "scooping" by pruning every three or four years with a rake the teeth of which are knives placed about 6 inches apart. The scoop (Fig. 1094) is also used to a considerable extent in New Jersey and Wisconsin but in these states a great many berries are still picked by hand.

In 1903, a machine was patented by Joseph J. White, which avoids the defects of the bounce machines. This has since been put on the market and its use is spreading among the more careful packers of * ii"' . * ««.*' ' ew Jersey, but the more compli- 1 -.! greater cost have prevented ita . yers. This machine is provided .» . si. iich the cranberries are emptied th:-": . ' "'hi ' i-h removes the coarser grass and \>- i: !ii- r the berries are fed, single file,r1- i1 .1. which they are held by trough like guards. These guards do not quite touch the screw, leaving a crack through which the remaining bite of grass, vines and dried berries are dropped into a box placed below to receive them.

In 1903, a machine was patented by Joseph J. White, which avoids the defects of the bounce machines. This has since been put on the market and its use is spreading among the more careful packers of * ii"' . * ««.*' ' ew Jersey, but the more compli- 1 -.! greater cost have prevented ita . yers. This machine is provided .» . si. iich the cranberries are emptied th:-": . ' "'hi ' i-h removes the coarser grass and \>- i: !ii- r the berries are fed, single file,r1- i1 .1. which they are held by trough like guards. These guards do not quite touch the screw, leaving a crack through which the remaining bite of grass, vines and dried berries are dropped into a box placed below to receive them.

The screw conveyor passes the berries over a series of selecting plates made of some resilient material, the best found so far being the selected spruce wood prepared for piano sounding-boards. These plates are tapped by small hammers placed beneath, the strength of the blow being regulated by a thumb-screw. The sound berries respond to this gentle tapping by jumping off the screw conveyor and falling on an endless belt a few inches below, which delivers all the sound fruit at one end of the machine. The rotten berries do not respond to the tapping of the selecting plates and are carried to the ends of the screw conveyors where they drop in the same box under the machine that receives the fine grass and the like. Frozen berries are removed by this machine nearly as well as rotten ones and the shape of the berries is of no importance, while the berries only drop twice, a few inches each time, and are in much better condition for long keeping than those that go over the bounce machines. After the berries have been cleaned by machine it is customary to place them on tables where women remove any defective berries that may have been shaped cranberry. (x M) missed by the machines.

The screw conveyor passes the berries over a series of selecting plates made of some resilient material, the best found so far being the selected spruce wood prepared for piano sounding-boards. These plates are tapped by small hammers placed beneath, the strength of the blow being regulated by a thumb-screw. The sound berries respond to this gentle tapping by jumping off the screw conveyor and falling on an endless belt a few inches below, which delivers all the sound fruit at one end of the machine. The rotten berries do not respond to the tapping of the selecting plates and are carried to the ends of the screw conveyors where they drop in the same box under the machine that receives the fine grass and the like. Frozen berries are removed by this machine nearly as well as rotten ones and the shape of the berries is of no importance, while the berries only drop twice, a few inches each time, and are in much better condition for long keeping than those that go over the bounce machines. After the berries have been cleaned by machine it is customary to place them on tables where women remove any defective berries that may have been shaped cranberry. (x M) missed by the machines.

Marketing; yield.

Marketing; yield.

Most cranberries are marketed in barrels holding- about 100 quarts; a few are marketed in crates three of which fill a barrel. Some dealers prefer to buy cranberries "in the chaff," that is, just as they come from the bogs without having been run through any machine. Berries sold in this way are always packed in crates and are cleaned by the dealer, a few crates at a time, as his trade calls for them; they keep better than those that have been cleaned before being shipped.

Most cranberries are marketed in barrels holding- about 100 quarts; a few are marketed in crates three of which fill a barrel. Some dealers prefer to buy cranberries "in the chaff," that is, just as they come from the bogs without having been run through any machine. Berries sold in this way are always packed in crates and are cleaned by the dealer, a few crates at a time, as his trade calls for them; they keep better than those that have been cleaned before being shipped.

Evaporated cranberries have been on the market for a number of years and are excellent, there being less difference between the sauce made from them and from fresh fruit than is the case with most kinds of fruit.

Evaporated cranberries have been on the market for a number of years and are excellent, there being less difference between the sauce made from them and from fresh fruit than is the case with most kinds of fruit.

History.

History.

Cranberry-culture began about a century ago in Massachusetts on the Cape Cod Peninsula. William Kenrick, writing in 1832 in the "Orchardist," says that "Capt. Henry Hall, of Barnstable, has cultivated the cranberry twenty years;" "Mr. F. A. Hayden, of Lincoln, Massachusetts, is stated to have gathered from his farm in 1830, 400 bushels of cranberries, which brought him in Boston market $600." In the second and subsequent editions, Kenrick makes the figure $400. It is not said whether Hayden's berries were wild or cultivated. At the present day, with all the increase in production, prices are higher than those received by Hay- den. In the third (1841) and subsequent editions, it is said that "an acre of cranberries in full bearing will produce over 200 bushels; and the fruit generally sells, in the markets of Boston, for $1.50 per bushel, and much higher than in former years." It was as late as 1850, however, that cranberry-culture gained much prominence. It was in 1856 that the first treatise appeared: B. Eastwood's "Complete Manual for the Cultivation of the Cranberry." About 1845, cranberry-culture began to establish itself in New Jersey.

Cranberry-culture began about a century ago in Massachusetts on the Cape Cod Peninsula. William Kenrick, writing in 1832 in the "Orchardist," says that "Capt. Henry Hall, of Barnstable, has cultivated the cranberry twenty years;" "Mr. F. A. Hayden, of Lincoln, Massachusetts, is stated to have gathered from his farm in 1830, 400 bushels of cranberries, which brought him in Boston market $600." In the second and subsequent editions, Kenrick makes the figure $400. It is not said whether Hayden's berries were wild or cultivated. At the present day, with all the increase in production, prices are higher than those received by Hay- den. In the third (1841) and subsequent editions, it is said that "an acre of cranberries in full bearing will produce over 200 bushels; and the fruit generally sells, in the markets of Boston, for $1.50 per bushel, and much higher than in former years." It was as late as 1850, however, that cranberry-culture gained much prominence. It was in 1856 that the first treatise appeared: B. Eastwood's "Complete Manual for the Cultivation of the Cranberry." About 1845, cranberry-culture began to establish itself in New Jersey.

The culture of cranberries began in Nova Scotia about thirty years ago. The first attempt consisted in improving some of the patches of wild berries found growing around the central district of the Annapolis Valley. Gradually the idea was entertained of planting new areas, and as this proved successful the new industry was soon fairly established. Farmers in the vicinity of Auburn soon took up the industry, and in the fall of 1892 the first carload of cranberries was shipped to Montreal. Since then, Nova Scotia cranberries have met with a ready sale throughout Canada.

The culture of cranberries began in Nova Scotia about thirty years ago. The first attempt consisted in improving some of the patches of wild berries found growing around the central district of the Annapolis Valley. Gradually the idea was entertained of planting new areas, and as this proved successful the new industry was soon fairly established. Farmers in the vicinity of Auburn soon took up the industry, and in the fall of 1892 the first carload of cranberries was shipped to Montreal. Since then, Nova Scotia cranberries have met with a ready sale throughout Canada.

Literature.

The standard books on the cultivation of cranberries are Webb's "Cape Cod Cranberries," and "Cranberry- Culture," by Joseph J. White; these are old books and in many respects out-of-date. The best literature on the subject is to be found in the various publications of the United States Department of Agriculture, the bulletins of the agricultural experiment stations of New Jersey, Wisconsin and Massachusetts, the proceedings of the American Cranberry Growers' Association which have been published biennially since 1880. the reports of the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers Association, and the reports of the Wisconsin State Cranberry Growers' Association. Elizabeth C. White.

Vaccinium macrocarpon, Ait. (Oxycoccus macrocarpus, Pers.). Larger American Cranberry. Sts. slender, creeping, elongated, 1-4 ft. long, somewhat coarser and stouter than in the last, the fl.-branches ascending: lvs. oblong or oval, obtuse or retuse, 1/3 – 1/2 in. long, in texture and coloration similar to the last, margin less revolute: pedicels several, axillary and lateral: fls. larger; filaments shorter than in the last: berry red, larger, 1/3-1 in. long. N. N. Amer. See Cranberry.

 

 

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==References==

==References==

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