18 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 168. 



A comparison of the percentages given in the table shows that the 

 shrinkage in quantity from October 11 to January 19 averaged to be about 

 20 per cent, less than that in weight from October 11 to January 10. As 

 is indicated by the word "screened, " none of the berries in the cup samples 

 showed decay. If the disintegration due to incipient decay was a large 

 factor, as it probably was, in causing the quantity shrinkage, the loss of 

 water in cranberry storage does not appear to cause anything like a corre- 

 sponding loss in quantity of fruit. 



(d) To determine the Period in the Cranberry Storage Season in which 

 the Greatest Development of Decay occurs. — Only one series of tests was 

 carried out for this purpose, as follows: — 



Two lots of Late Howe berries, of 4 bushels each, picked in the same 

 location on October 12, were stored in the same way in the same kind of 

 boxes on October 26. One lot was run through a Hayden separator and 

 screened just before it was stored, while the other was stored as it came 

 from the bog, without any cleaning aside from the removal of such loose 

 vines as could be readily taken out by hand. These eight boxes of fruit 

 were examined by means of cup samples on January 8, 12f per cent, of rot- 

 ten or partly rotten berries being found in the lot that was not cleaned be- 

 fore it was stored, while only 8f per cent, was found in the lot that was 

 screened. If the tendency of these berries to decay was doubled by the 

 process of cleaning, as, in the light of the results of tests described elsewhere 

 in this report, seems very probable, it may be properly estimated that, if 

 the cleaned lot of fruit had not been injured at all by the cleaning, its nor- 

 mally developed decay in these tests would not have been over 4f per cent. 

 If, then, 4| per cent, may be fairly regarded as representing the normal 

 amount of storage decay that developed among these berries between 

 October 26 and January 8, as compared with 12f per cent., the total 

 amount of rot found among the berries that were not cleaned previous to 

 storage, it appears that over 8 per cent, of these berries, picked on October 

 12, were already partly or wholly rotten two weeks later. There was 

 probably some rot among this fruit when it came from the bog, but, if 

 this is neglected, it may be concluded that nearly twice as much rot 

 developed in the period between the 12th and 26th of October as in that 

 between the 26th of October and the 8th of January. It would appear 

 from this that the most rapid development of decay takes place in the 

 very first part of the storage season. Different lots of fruit infected with 

 different diseases, how^ever, probably would vary considerably in this 

 respect. 



(e) To determine the Effect of an Ad?nixture of ''Vines" on the Develop- 

 ment of Decay among Cranberries in Storage. — No specially planned 

 tests were carried out for this purpose, but the examination of the berries 

 stored in boxes showed that, as a rule, in each stack those boxes which 

 seemed to have the largest admixture of leaves also had the largest per- 

 centage of rotten berries. The writer does not consider, however, that 

 the evidence at hand justifies a definite conclusion in regard to this, his 



