No. •!.] CRANBERRY CULTURE. 393 



burned. If the grower has practised clean culture, hie will 

 still have the insects and elements to contend with. 



The Hooding previously alluded to is necessary during 

 the winter season that the plants may not be destroyed by 

 freezing, as was the case during the winter of 1000 and 

 1901, when large tracts that were not flooded were so badly 

 injured that they did not fruit at all during the following 

 season. Again, if one has a reservoir with a good head 

 of water for use at will, it is often advisable to flood, for 

 a short time only, during the last part of May or first 

 part of June, to destroy the "fire worm." This insect 

 (Iiliopobota vaccinia na), often known as the vine worm or 

 blackhead, has been very destructive in many sections of 

 south-eastern Massachusetts. Flooding for a few hours in 

 the early part of the season, just as the worms are hatching, 

 has been quite satisfactory where plenty of water was at 

 hand, but as there are only a few plantations so situated, 

 insecticides and spraying have been resorted to. For this 

 purpose many growers from 1885 to 1890 used a strong 

 solution of tobacco with quite good results, while others 

 used Paris green. At present, a solution known as arsenate 

 of lead, prepared from a formula furnished by Professor 

 Fernald of the Hatch Experiment Station, appears to be 

 best of all. The spraying is done with a large force pump 

 set upon a barrel or tank, mounted upon low, broad w r heels, 

 that it may be easily moved about the bogs. A line of hose 

 with spray nozzle is attached, and, while two men move 

 the tank and work the pump, a third directs the hose, 

 thoroughly sprinkling the entire surface. Three or four 

 applications arc usually made between May 1 and July 1. 

 It is a curious fact that some bogs are never troubled with 

 this insect, while upon others, only a few rods away, it has 

 entirely destroyed the crop. 



The fruit or berry worm (Mineola vaccinii) is also quite a 

 serious enemy, working upon the fruit only. To destroy 

 this insect, Paris green or arsenate of lead is sometimes 

 used, the spraying being done just after the berries are set. 



The root worm, which often destroys quite large tracts, 

 works very similarly to the common red-head white grub 



