HORTICULTTUK. 779 



is believed thai the drainage ditches should be deep enough to allow the reduction 

 oi the ground water level t<> a depth of L8 in. to 2 ft. below the surface of the marsh 

 proper. 



Relative to frost it is stated that in no month during the year ran Wisconsin 

 growers consider themselves free from this source of danger. The authors found 

 that frost was influenced to a remarkable extenl by such factors as tin- depth of 

 sanding to which the marsh lia<l been subjected, the thickness of vegetation, par- 

 ticularly the moss, etc. One nighl when the temperature over the marsh showed a 

 genera] minimum of 25°, "small plats of ground which were well drained and 

 sanded were entirely unaffected by the frost, while the berries on adjacent plats 

 which were in a more moist condition and nnsanded were entirely destroyed." 



A list is given of about 20 species of weeds which an- injurious in the cranberry 

 marshes of Wisconsin, and some suggestions made as to method- for their eradica- 

 tion. In regard to spagnum moss and wood moss, it is stated that small applications 



of common salt or salts in commercial fertilizers will help exterminate these weed-. 

 Sudden flooding of the bog and drawing off the water is also very injurious to these 

 plants. 



The cranberry scald is mentioned as one of the most serious diseases of cranberries, 

 and the differences between the character of the disease iii eastern marshes as com- 

 pared with Wisconsin marshes are pointed out. The indication- are that the fungus 



enter- the vines and lives there perennially, from which it enters the henies. Spray- 

 ing experiments with Bordeaux mixture for the control of blossom blight showed a 

 gain of 30 bu. per acre over plats which were unsprayed. 



Berries are picked both by hand and by raking, the price varying from 50 cts. per 

 bushel by the former method to $1.50 to $2 per day by the latter. < 'onsiderable loss 



occurs in raking the berries from injury to the vines by breaking them and tearing 

 them loose, berries should be fully matured when harvested, but not overripe. If 

 harvested and stored in a wet condition they do not keep well. Artificial drying 

 should be resorted to if necessary. 



The berries should be separated from the debris which is gathered with them as 

 soon after harvesting as possible. The notion that they should be stored in chaff 

 and moss to aid in coloring up is considered wrong. They color up as well without 

 the debris as w ith it. Not much attention has been given to the cold storage of cran- 

 berries, but a barrel placed in cold storage in the fall was found to be in good condi- 

 tion the following August. 



Varieties of strawberries, W. .1. Gheen and F. II. Ballot | Ohio Sta. Hoi. /.:.;, 

 pp. ..".i 68, figs. //';.— The results are given of tests during the year of in varieties of 

 strawberries <_'rown at the station. A table shows the sex of the different varieties, 

 the blossoming period, period of ripening, yield, size of the fruits, and habit and 



health of the plant. Descriptive note- are given of a large number of the varieties 



tested. 



Studies in fruit drying, A. L. Kniski.v {Oregon Sta. llpi. 190S, />/>. jl-JSS).— 

 Apples and potatoes were peeled, sliced, and dried under varying conditions, and 

 the results obtained are presented in tabular form. The essential features of the 

 work consisted in dipping the apples and potatoes in salt solutions of different 

 strengths and noting the effects upon the color and quality of the dried product. The 

 slices varied from about one-eighth to three-sixteenths of an imh in thickness. In 

 Some cases the slices were dried immediately without any further treatment. In 

 others they were dropped into cold water alone, and in still others into dilute salt 



solutions, varying in strength from one-fourth of 1 per cent up to 2 per cent. 



The treatment with salt solutions was to see if this process would not give a well 

 bleached product without the use of sulphur. In tin; case of sliced apples when 

 the Strength of the solution was I to 2 per cent, the product was very bright and 

 white. With a lower percentage of salt in the solution they were more or less col- 



