We should be pleased if any of our readers could give us further information about the shrub described below.
A gentleman of this place having occasion some twenty years ago, to make an excursion into the northern part of the state, near Lake Umbagog, where the Magalloway empties into the Androscoggin, passed through a large piece of low land, comprising many acres, which was covered with the high cranberry as far as the eye could see, exhibiting the most beautiful and splendid appearance, perhaps, ever displayed from any of the spontaneous productions of the forests of New England. He says that some shrubs which had acquired the magnitude of trees of several inches diameter, were literally bent to the ground, under the weight of their luxuriant fruit; and such was their abundance, that a single individual might have gathered more than thirty bushels in a day.
The high cranberry in dense forests, sometimes acquires the respectable altitude of 15 or 20 feet; but in more open places, its height is generally from 6 to 8 or 10 feet. Its stem and leaf very much resemble those of the snow-ball; and the flower, while it lasts, is but little inferior in elegance and beauty to the flower of that highly ornamented and much esteemed shrub. The fruit is smaller than that of the running cranberry, of a bright red color when ripe, and grows in large, flat clusters on the ends of the branches. Its taste is very acid, and rather austere. It contains a large, hard, flat seed, which is an objection to the use of it without sifting or straining; but being sifted or strained after stewing, it is excellent for sauce, pies, and tarts. Prepared with sugar, in the usual way, it makes a most delicious jelly.
I HAVE read the article headed "Sheep, Paular Merinos," over the signature of Examiner, in the May number, page 52 of your paper, purporting to give us plain farmers an insight into sheep breeding, &c.; and what fine flocks used to be, when the "old fashioned Merino sheep" were in their "glory." What they were a quarter of a century ago, I cannot say, that was before I had any thing to do with sheep in this country; but I presume that _fine_ flocks were then not so numerous as they are now. I can not agree with the writer, "that the fine flocks of the United States are sadly deteriorated, indeed, nearly run out." Since 1825, I have been acquainted with fine sheep in this country, and I venture to say, that there are three, four, or five, and in this section, _ten_, fine flocks, where there was but one 18 years ago.