The $80,000 Cranberry Bog Behind the Ilwaco Beach

By Hon. J. E. Baker.

The center of cranberry culture on this coast may be said to be in Pacific county, of this state, a few miles from Ilwaco, on the Ilwaco Beach railroad. You leave at a small siding called "Cranberry Station," which is but a few rods above where the German ship Potrimpos lies wrecked on the beach.

All successful efforts of commercial importance in this industry have originated with the Pacific Cranberry Company, located as above, and most efforts along the coast in this direction may be directly traced to the influence of this company, which has clearly shown that such cultivation can be made a financial success, and several of their former employees have started business on their own account in locations near by.

The Pacific Cranberry Company owns 1,600 acres of land in one body at this point, 800 of which are suitable for cranberry culture. Forty acres are planted and new plantings are made every year. One hundred acres are cleared and can, with no very great further outlay, be made available for this purpose in the near future. Some of the bog already planted has been in cultivation 15 years, still producing good crops.

Prices and the Market.

The total product of cranberries by this company in the past year was 7,280 bushels, the most of which were shipped to San Francisco. Two hundred barrels were ordered by J. W. Godwin Co., Seattle, and some orders were received from Tacoma and Portland. The prices received were from $7 to $9.50 per barrel, the net price being $7.50 per barrel. It is plain that this product has had no effect on the general market, prices having been generally well sustained, and the bulk of the supply still comes from the Eastern states, showing that the business may safely be largely increased. The appointments of this company are ample for the purposes in view. A plank road is built for two miles from the cranberry marsh to the railroad siding, and ample accommodations are afforded for the shelter of pickers and other employees, the quarters for which, with the packing sheds, resemble at first glance a large seaside summer hotel.

Work is given to 200 pickers and the season lasts for six weeks. Fifty cents per bushel is the price paid for picking. Some pickers, accustomed to the work, have picked seven to eight bushels in a day and many can pick four to five bushels. Opportunities are given for changing the work when desired. Those employed by the day are paid 10 cents per hour at such work as screening, sorting, packing, etc. Chinamen have been employed heretofore, but if adequate arrangements can be made for a white force such will be employed instead. All the whites living near by now avail themselves of the opportunity, but there are not enough to do all the work, which commences about September 10, lasting to the close of October. An outfit similar to that required at the hop fields would be necessary for comfort — blankets, cooking utensils. Much the same arrangements govern as to the hop fields in the way of obtaining supplies, transportation and the like. No doubt the transportation companies would give special rates to parties wishing to do the work, the usual reduction being half fare, or fare one way, returning free. The premises can be reached by way of South Bend, on Willapa bay, or by the Columbia river and Ilwaco.

Kind of Land Cranberries Require.

It is generally considered that the first requisite is level land, with view to flooding it with water, and that an adequate supply of fresh water be at hand on a higher level, which can be used for this purpose. The land is first dug over and all the roots dug out, with view to subduing all vegetable growth which would interfere with the growth of the cranberry plants; after which the ground is smoothed perfectly level, and then it is sanded to the depth of four to five inches. The plants are set 16 inches apart each way. Under such conditions they grow somewhat slowly. This seems necessary to secure the best results. A strong, rapid growth means rank vines and little fruit. The object of the sand is to more effectually smother all other growth than the cranberry vines on the bog, and to induce such a growth as will give the largest crop of berries.

The bogs so treated do not reach full bearing until the fifth year, though there is quite a little fruit borne the second year and more each succeeding one. The expense of establishing such a bog is reckoned at about $500 per acre, and bogs that are well established will last for 25 years and longer. Constant attention is required to keep the bog clear from other growth until the vines cover the ground, and hand weeding after the first year is all that can be resorted to. The seeds of forest trees and shrubs are quite troublesome, such as willow, alder, buckbrush, of which many seedlings grow, also red sorrel and velvet grass. All such growths have to be hand picked.

The varieties grown are Early Black, Late Dark Red, Cape Cod Beauty, Chitman Bugle and the McFarland. Plants are furnished of all these varieties except the last two named, of which there is not as yet sufficient stock. The usual price for plants among growers is $3 per barrel, and four to five barrels of plants are required to set an acre. After the bog is once established the work is chiefly of a light character, which may be done by a small family, and an acre or two of such, in full bearing, would afford a more reliable income than any other fruit proposition of like magnitude I am acquainted with. Any one having suitable ground on which to establish a bog could easily commence in a small way with a few rods square and gradually increase as found profitable to do so. There is much territory in nearly every county of Western Washington well adapted for this purpose.

Sand Is Necessary.

An important point in the establishment of a bog is the selection or convenient situation of sand suitable for covering the ground. This should be coarse sand of a porous nature, which will let the water through readily. If it contains some gravel all the better, but it should contain no soil. The bogs of Pacific county are under some disadvantage in this respect, as the sand is so fine that it packs and the water stands on the plants at times when it is undesirable for it to do so.

The most important enemy of the cranberry grower here is the cranberry worm. The method of destroying it is to flood the bog when they appear. On the old bogs where the ground had not been properly leveled, such parts as could not be covered with water were often bare, having been destroyed by the worms.

Mr. B. A. Landers, who has a small bog adjacent to the Pacific Company, and was formerly manager for it, having been sent from Cape Cod, Mass., to fill the position, has started into business without the usual supply of water, and says he does not think it absolutely necessary; that he has seen much harm done with excessive flooding at times when the plants were in bloom, the setting of the fruit being prevented. At any rate he has not been deterred from entering upon the business through lack of water to flood his bog at will, as the Pacific Company are able to do. I see no reason why a spraying with a Paris Green solution of 1 pound to 200 gallons of water would not effectually destroy the cranberry worm and possibly secure larger crops, at much less expense than by flooding the bogs. As this difficulty occurs in May and June, at a time when the plants are in bloom, no possible harm could come to the fruit through treating with this spray.

Any parties especially interested in the construction of a cranberry bog may be sure of courteous treatment by the manager of the premises, Mr. S. G. Clark, who mentioned to me, however, that he had something else to do than answer all the inquiries made of him by letter, they having become so numerous that he was forced to consign them to the stove.

Mrs. E. M. Chabot, of Oakland, Cal., is the principal owner of the property and possibly has more leisure for letter writing than the manager, who has not only the cranberry bogs in his charge but a large farm with a considerable herd of cattle also to care for. It is said that the whole estate represents an investment of $80,000.