BIENNIAL RETORT, 3«27 AND 1928 313 



tension service on a variety of subjects coining within tlie scope of our 

 work. This includes correspondence, response to telephone calls, per- 

 sonal conferences at the offices, a limited number of field visits, lectures 

 on request and the preparation of informational literature. During a year 

 some 500 letters are written, about 100 field visits are made and 250 to 

 300 persons call at, or telephone to, the offices for help or information. 

 Naturally much time and thought are necessarily diverted by these activ- 

 ities from the main work of the Experiment Station. There is, however, 

 a certain amount of reciprocal benefit to the Station in that the research 

 worker is kept in closer touch and sympathy with the work and prob- 

 lems of the grower and such a relationship is necessarily stimulating and 

 sometimes productive of valuable results. Desirable as such an arrange- 

 ment may be, it seems evident from the volume of this work that should 

 it materially increase — which appears altogether likely — either the re- 

 search of the Department must be jeopardized or an addition to the staff 

 would become imperative. 



THE CRANBERRY STATION 



(Ecist Wareham, Massachusetts) 

 H. J. Franklin in Charge 



The investigation work of the Cranberry Station has made steady, and 

 on the whole, satisfactory progress during the past two years and has 

 unearthed much new and valuable information. The work has been more 

 extensive and intensive than in previous years and has demanded the at- 

 tention of a somewhat larger number of workers during the active sum- 

 mer season. For this increase of personnel, use has been made mainly 

 of local help but men have been employed in various localities to help in 

 making special weather observations, and Prof. William H. Sawyer of 

 Bates College, who has been on leave of absence and doing post-graduate 

 work at the I>aboratories of Cryptogamic Botany at Harvard University, 

 has made the study of a disease often epidemic on the black-headed fire- 

 worm his principal thesis work. He has carried on this work actively at 

 the Cranberry Station during the summer season. 



The cranberry extension work has increased steadily and is now inter- 

 fering seriously with the proper execution of research work. This condi- 

 tion should somehow be relieved in the near future. 



The research work done at the Station during the biennium is classified 

 here under j)roper headings, the first four headings being those of the 

 off'icially approved i)rojects: 



Injurious and Beneficial Insects Affecting the Cranberry. (H. J. Frank- 

 lin.) During the two years a great amount of scattered research work 

 necessary to round out information already at hand was done in order 

 to complete our knowledge of the insects discussed in Bulletin No. 239 

 published in 1928. Tiie .researches of special importance and interest may 

 be discussed under the following headings: 



(fi) Disease of the Black-headed Fireworm (Rhopohota vacciniana 

 (Pack)). The work on this disease was done by Prof. William H. Saw- 

 yer already mentioned. He determined this disease to be caused by 

 Entamophfhora sphaerosperma Fres. He found that this fungus is absent 

 or inactive on the bogs where fireworm infestations are notably resistant 

 t(> control and generally abundant on other infested areas. He found 

 further tiiat bogs on which it is scarce are generally large well managed 



