98 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 265 



by hand it was sometimes noted that a sample had berries of more than one 

 type distinguished by the shapes of berries. 



Chipman from Orleans had an exceptionally low acid for the variety 

 which should not be caused by immaturity nor by respiration. But such 

 breaks are not unknown in a series of chemical analyses of natural products. 



There were 13 varieties of cranberries received from New Jersey, each 

 represented by one sample. As a rule these cranberries were harvested be- 

 fore they were nmch colored, or as one letter expressed it "when the berries 

 were white." But this necessarily is while the fruit is immature, and the 

 analytical results confirm the immaturity. Two varieties, McFarlin and Wool- 

 man, appeared well ripened both in color and in composition. Centennial, 

 Champion, Howes and Early Black were respectively near the lower range 

 of our Massachusetts samples in sugar content, this showing their relative 

 immaturity. McFarlin on the other hand was near the highest figure for the 

 variety in Massachusetts. 



The Wisconsin samples represented three distinct cranberry districts, 

 northern, central and southern. Two varieties were represented by a sample 

 from each section, viz., McFarlin and Searl's Jumbo. It was noticeable that 

 the percentages of sugar in these samples were highest from the northern and 

 lowest from the southern districts. Further, the average of 6 varieties from 

 Central Wisconsin was 3.58 and from Southern Wisconsin 3.21. Three samples 

 were all that came from Northern Wisconsin and averaged 4.23 per cent. 



Of the 42 varieties of Massachusetts cranberries 28, represented by 39 

 samples, contained between 3.50 and 4.50 per cent of sugar; 22 varieties, in- 

 cluding 30 samples, contained more than 4.5 per cent sugar; 11 varieties, witTi 

 18 samples, had less than 3.5 per cent sugar, two of them containing less than 

 3 per cent. 



For the three ditferent states, the average composition was: 



State 



Massachusetts 

 New Jersey 

 Wisconsin 



One variety, McFarlin, was grown in all three states, and five varieties 

 were common to Massachusetts and New Jersey. The composition character- 

 istic of each variety was common to the different states, modified by the 

 variable maturity of the samples when removed from the vines. 



It is of interest to compare McFarlin data from the three states: 

 State Samples Acid Sugar 



Quality and Chemical Composition 



Quality in cranberries has never been discussed in any publication that 

 has come to the author's attention. To what extent it may be related to 

 chemical composition is perhaps not to be defined. In apples (3), oranges 



