WEATHER IN CRANBERRY CULTURE 57 



SUNSPOTS AND VULCANISM 



A list of the more destructive frosts in the histor}' of the cranberry industry, 

 with suggestions as to contributive causes, follows. Those wanting to learn about 

 the relationship of sunspot abundance and volcanic activity to atmospheric 

 tem{.eratures are referred to Chapters 3 to 5, inclusive, of Part 5 of "Physics of 

 the Air" by W. J. Humphreys (1940)^^; "The Influence of Solar Variability on 

 Weather" by C. G Abbot^"; and "Sunspots and Their Effects" by Harlan T. 

 Stetson (1937).6!^ 



Massachusetts 



1. September 8-9, 1871. Frost took at least a quarter of the cranberry crop. 

 Possible cause, sunspot abundance. 



2. June 1, 1875. The frost must have reduced the crop prospect greatly. 

 Possible cause, vulcanism (see next). 



3. May 31-June 1, 1876. A severe frost reduced the crop greatly. Possible 

 cause, vulcanism (eruption of Vatna JokuU, Iceland, March 29 and during April, 

 1875). Sunspots few. 



4. May 12-13, 1878. Frost killed the tops of potatoes and harmed straw- 

 berries materially in Barnstable County. It must have reduced the cranberry 

 prospect substantially. Cause, warm early spring. 



5. May 29-30, 1884. The ground froze to a depth of a quarter to a half inch 

 throughout New England. This frost and the one next listed together reduced 

 the cranberry crop prospect of Massachusetts fully half and of New Jersey a 

 quarter. 



6. June 14-15 ,1884. This frost did great harm to garden crops over most of 

 the Cape. Possible causes, sunspot abundance and vulcanism (eruption of 

 Krakatoa, Dutch East Indies, August 27, 1883, one of the greatest in recorded 

 history). This frost did much harm on the cranberry bogs on Long Island also. 



7. September 30-October 1, 1888. Loss large, probably a quarter of the crop. 

 Sunspots few. 



8. June 10-11, 1892. Cranberry prospect reduced perhaps a quarter. Pos- 

 sible causes, sunspot abundance and vulcanism (eruption of Bogoslof, Aleutian 

 Islands, February 1890). 



9. Ma> 14-15, 1894. Frost took half the crop. Sunspots abundant. 



10. May 28-29, 1900. Cranberry loss not estimated but very substantial. 

 Sunspots few. 



11. May 24-25, 25-26, and 31-June 1, 1903. Cranberry prospect reduced 

 probablv a third. Possible cause, vulcanism (eruptions of Mount Pelee, Marti- 

 nique, May 8, 1902; Santa Maria, Guatemala, October 24, 1902; and Colima, 

 Mexico, February and March 1903). 



12. September 22-23, 1904. Frost took about a quarter of the crop. Possible 

 causes, sunspot abundance and vulcanism (eruptions of Santa Maria and Colima, 

 cited above). 



13. May 20-21 and 21-22, 1906. Widespread and substantial damage to 

 cranberry bogs in both Plymouth and Barnstable counties. Sunspots abundant. 



14. April 28-29, 1910. Thirty-five per cent of the cranberry fruit buds killed. 

 Sunspots few. Cause, very warm early spring before a normal frost. 



15. June 9-10, 1912. Cranberry prospect cut at least a quarter. The erup- 

 tion of Katmai, Alaska, took place three days before, but weather sequence 

 probably explains the occurrence of this frost. Sunspots few. 



16. May 29-30, 1915. Cranberry prospect reduced 40 per cent. Sunspots 

 fairly abundant. 



17. September 10-11 and 11-12, 1917. Frost took 60 per cent of the crop. 

 Sunspots very abundant. 



18. June 20-21, 1918. Cranberry prospect reduced 55 per cent. Sunspots 

 abundant. 



^^Copy in the Middleboro library. 



^^Scientific Monthly, August 1936, pp. 108-121. (Copies in the Middleboro library.) 

 ^^This book (copy in the Middleboro library) lists the monthly numbers of sunspots from 1749 

 to 1937, inclusive. Those desiring to follow their abundance should subscribe for the Monthly 

 Weather Review, published by the United States Weather Bureau. This gives their provisional 

 daily numbers each month. 



