26 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 398 



continual expansion of the analytical service in those fields and, in an attempt 

 to define these values, several special circulars were published during the year 

 in order that the feeder might extend intelligent and deserved consideration to 

 these recently recognized beneficial factors in feed products. 



THE CRANBERRY STATION 



East Wareham, Massachusetts — H. J. Franklin in Charge 



The season's cranberry crop was the second largest in the history of the in- 

 dustry, both in Massachusetts and in the United States. There was rather more 

 rot among the berries as they came from the field in this State than has been 

 evident in any other year, and the abnormal decay showed a marked tendency to 

 continue in storage. Fortunately, a lively demand for the berries throughout the 

 selling season, both for commercial canning and as fresh fruit, moved the crop 

 promptly. 



Injurious and Beneficial Insects Affecting the Cranberry. (H. J. Franklin.) 

 Hill Fireworm {Tlascala finitella (Walker)). Moths of this species emerged in 

 confinement very late in May and were caged with cranberry branches on May 

 30. On June 13 many small caterpillars were found to have hatched from eggs 

 that had been laid during the interval. Some of these were as much as a twelfth 

 of an inch long and had done considerable feeding, so they may have been three 

 day's old, indicating that the eggs hatch about ten days after they are laid. Some 

 unhatched eggs were found, most of them on the stems of th-e new cranberry 

 growth. They were oval in outline, much flattened against their support, and 

 about a fortieth of an inch long. The young worms had blackish heads and very 

 faintly striped reddish brown bodies. 



The Burrage bog, infested with this insect last year, was examined on June 16. 

 The worms there had channeled some of the cranberry stems toward and to the 

 tips causing them to drop over. Occasional worms, already showing their strip- 

 ing were sewed up in the cranberry tips like black-headed fireworms, but with 

 more frass around them. The infestation on this bog was again quite serious. 



Spotted Fireworm (Cacoecia parallela (Rob.)). This pest broke out severely on 

 about nine acres of bog in Marion, Mass., early in June. Most of the worms 

 matured by July 8, but some remained till after July 16 when the moths had 

 begun to fly. The infestation was well controlled by dusting with 30 pounds of 

 cryolite to an ace on June 25. 



Nine species of parasites were reared from this pest, the most prevalent being 

 Itoplectis conquisitor (Say), of the order Hymenoptera, family Ichneumonidae; 

 and Nemorilla floralis (Fallen), of the order Diptera, family Exoristidae. All the 

 others belonged to the order Hymenoptera, four being Ichneumonidae and three 

 Chalc'doidea. 



The spotted fireworms fed on the following weeds on and around the infested 

 bog: chain fern, sensitive fern, marsh shield fern, common brake, flowering fern, 

 saw brier, hardback, chokeberry, coarse bramble, winterberry, marsh St.-John's- 

 wort, sweet pepperbush, swamp blueberry, sheep laurel, loosestrife, and asters. 

 Loosestrife and Inarsh St.-John's-wort were evidently favorite food plants of the 

 insect. They were very abundant on the bog and may have largely induced the 

 infestation. 



Some pupae of the spotted fireworm squirm vigorously when disturbed, but 

 they are more often inactive. Each of the abdominal segments of the pupa, 

 except those toward the posterior end, has two ridges across the upper surface 



