182 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



to enuracrate. They seemed like fine snow-flakes. I should 

 think the little millers did not measure more than an eii^hth 

 of an inch across. The air was full of them in the vicinity 

 of the vines, and I concluded that they were there for some- 

 thing. The description that we have had does not solve the 

 problem. I have one meadow in the vicinity of the meadow 

 of which I have been speaking, where the vines have been 

 destroyed for two seasons. They will appear perfectly fair, 

 with no particular signs of insect visitants one day, and in 

 three days' time they are infested all over. I see but very 

 few millers. It seems as though fire had gone over them, as 

 I have seen a potatoe field when the fire-blight came upon it. 

 They come and spread all over the vines at one time, and 

 yet I am unable to discover a very large number of the 

 miller. So I have come to the conclusion that we have not 

 yet reached the bottom of this matter. I am very glad it 

 has been introduced, and that remarks are being made upon 

 it. I have found, universally, that the use of water has 

 prevented the ravages of the fire-worm, — having abundance 

 of* water to use, and using it at the proper time. 



There is one thing about this matter that I wish to be par- 

 ticularly noted, and that is, the difference in different sec- 

 tions. The doctor has been speaking of Cape Cod, and about 

 their freedom from early frosts ; but there are large cultiva- 

 tors of cranberries all over Massachusetts, in those sections 

 where frosts are early, and where they are liable to have 

 their vines destroyed. He has given us no definite time 

 when the water should be drawn off in the spring, and the 

 proper time to flow again after it is drawn off. We have 

 practised this rule : to draw off the water on the first of 

 May, and again raise the water on the twentieth of May and 

 leave it on four days ; and never, when we have been able to 

 do that, have we been troubled with any vine insects, or 

 seen any of them. It has resulted just in that way with us, 

 and we follow that rule universally. 



I found that what is called " the berry worm " operated 

 very extensively last season all over Norfolk County and 

 probably in other counties, but I found that they operated 

 generally where there had been no winter flowage. One of 

 our dams broke away and let the water down last winter, 



