BIENNIAL REPORT, 2927 AND 1028 315 



tact. As it was found that nearly all the serious cases of infection by this 

 disease are on bogs that are flooded but little during the growing season, 

 nieinbers of the Cranberry Station staflf have been recommending that 

 late June flooding be practiced to keep down the spread of the disease 

 where water supplies are available, it being believed that flooding at that 

 time destroys the carriers. As the blunt-nosed leaf hopper (Euscelis spp.) 

 is very commonly associated in abundance with severe attacks of the 

 disease, it is believed that this species may be found to be the principal 

 carrier and for that reason spraying with pyrethrum soap is recommended 

 for treating areas where water supplies for flooding are deficient. 



(b) Relations of Weather to Keepbuj Quality of the Fruit, Dr. Stevens 

 has had this study in charge alone. His findings have enabled him to make 

 accurate forecasts of the general keeping quality in recent years. 



(c) Incubator Tests of Keeping Quality, These tests have been con- 

 tinued and extended so satisfactorily that they probably will eventually be 

 made extensive use of by cranberry selling agencies as a means of deter- 

 mining what disposition to make of shipments. 



(d) Fairy Rimj funyus. Rather extensive studies of this fungus that 

 works in the soil and kills out vines in ever-growing rings were made and 

 considerable information of value regarding it was accumulated. 



Weather Observations with Reference to Frost Protection. (H. J. Frank- 

 lin in cooperation with the U. S. Weather Bureau.) 



(a) Reports of local weather observations made at 8 A. M. (eastern 

 standard time) were made daily by telegraph to the office of the Weather 

 Bureau at Boston. General weather observations were made and recorded 

 at 8 A. M., Noon and 8 P. M. in 1928. 



(b) Further weather records likely to have a bearing on cranberry 

 frosts were accumulated in both 1927 and 1928, several new observers at 

 selected points in Barnstable, Plymouth and Middlesex counties assisting 

 in this. 



(c) Studies of observations already recorded were made from time to 

 time, these resulting in a constant increase in our knowledge of these 

 problems and a correspondingly greater ability to forecast minimum bog 

 temperatures accurately. The most recent result of these studies is the 

 discovery that wet bulb observations made at East Wareham, South 

 Chelmsford and Worcester are more valuable as a basis for reckoning 

 minimum bog temperatures in the early evening than are the bog tempera- 

 ture and dew-point observations used heretofore. 



(d) Forecasts of minimum bog temperatures were made in the frost 

 seasons of 1927 and 1928 in the early afternoon and the early evening. 

 These forecasts were distributed by the New England Telephone and Tele- 

 graph Co., the cost of distribution being paid by the Cape Cod Cranberry 

 Growers' Association as heretofore. 



Blueberry Investigations. (H. J. Franklin in cooperation witli the 

 Bureau of Plant Industry.) The Station blueberry patch has been used 

 mainly as a demonstration plantation. Not much investigation work has 

 been done in connection with it. The most interesting development was 

 the satisfactory demonstration of the practicability of inter-planting young 

 blueberry patches with Howard No. 17 strawberries. Experience thus far 

 indicates that the cheap weed control and the humus added to the blue- 

 berry soil by the mulching of the strawberry vines are of very material 

 value. 



