59 



allowing their bogs to remain fairly dry; 2 that some bogs are 

 kept wet and some dry; and 1 that a variety of practices 

 exists. 



Bloom. 



The bloom reports range from 75 to 150 per cent, and 

 average 106.4 for the cranberry district. The bloom was 

 above normal in Middlesex, Bristol and Plymouth, and about 

 normal in the other counties. Reports of blasting of the 

 blossoms are about evenly divided, but two of those in the 

 affirmative state that considerable damage was done, and one 

 correspondent places the amount of blossoms blasted at 25 

 per cent. The percentage of blossoms set is 68.3. It ap- 

 pears that the excessive use of water in the protection of bogs 

 from frost, and the cold nights, was detrimental in many in- 

 stances to a fuller set. At present, for the district at large. 

 Early Blacks j)romise better than the Late Howes, 17 corre- 

 spondents reporting thus, 2 favoring Late Howes and 11 

 declaring that the prospect is even. 



jSTew Uprights. 



There has been an excellent growth of new uprights, better 

 than last year, the average percentage comparison being 

 101.4. 



Were the reports of " better," " some better " and " much 

 better " expressed in figures, the higher average would more 

 nearly represent the true growth as compared with that of 

 one year ago. 



Wet-bog Firewokm. 

 This insect, otherwise known as the black-headed cranberry 

 worm, is reported as very abundant by 16, or 44.4 per cent, 

 correspondents ; about as usual by 10, or 27.7 per cent, cor- 

 respondents, and not very abundant by 10 correspondents. 

 The first brood did some injury locally, apparently only 

 where not held in check by spraying and flooding. This pest 

 is generally under better control than formerly, owing to the 

 wider adoption of combative measures. Whereas no direct 

 comparisons can be made, it would seem that the infestation 

 of 37.5 per cent of the cranberry bog acreage compares favor- 



