1912.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 19 



Cranberry Girdlkr {Crambus hortuellns (Hiibner)). 

 The work with this insect was confined to applying dii'feient depths 

 of sand to infested plots, to find out what depth was necessary to 

 smother the insect and prevent tlie moths from coming- through. The 

 sand was applied evenly, late in May, to depths varying from 1 to 

 3 inches. Means for catching and counting the moths which came 

 llirongh the sand on the various plots were provided. An unsanded 

 check plot was also placed under obseiTation and control. No moths 

 came through the sand on any of the sanded plots, while a large num- 

 ber were eaiitured from the check plot. Future work may show 

 that less than a full inch of sand, when evenly spread, is sufficient. 

 However, an inch is not too much to be practicable, especially as the 

 vines are usually heavy where this insect becomes troublesome. To 

 l)e effective, this treatment must be applied between December 1 and 

 the following June 1 (when the insect is in its cocoon under the vines), 

 and the sand must be spread evenly. 



A New Pest. 

 During 1910 a Lepidopterous insect, known to science as Gelechia 

 irialhamaculella Chambers, did great injury to a few strictly dry 

 bogs. Neither the food plant nor the life histoiy of this insect had 

 been heretofore known. Its habits and life history wei'e largely worked 

 out during the season. The insect passes the winter in the moth state, 

 as does the yellow -headed cranberry worm {Peronea minuta Robinson), 

 and its larvae, though considerably smaller, resemble somewhat the 

 larvae of that insect, both in general appearance and in habits. It is 

 heavily parasitized, and will probably never do noticeable injury on 

 winter-flowed bogs. 



II. FUNGI. 



The 1010 fungus work, done in co-operation with the Durenu of 

 Plant Industry, consisted in obtaining the assistance of certain of 

 the cranberry growers in practical spraying experiments, and in col- 

 lecting specimens for examination by Dr. C. L. Shear, the expert of 

 the Bureau of Plant Industry. 



Investigations during 1911. 



During 1911 the cranberry investigation work was divided between 

 experiments and observations and construction work for futui'e inves- 

 tigations. 



Experiments and Observations. 



This work came under the seven following heads, viz: Insects, Fer- 

 tilizers, Fungous Diseases, Weather Observations, Fertilization of the 

 Ci\an]ierry Blossom, Prolificness of Varieties, and application of Skin- 

 ner Irrigation System to the Needs of the Cranberry Industry. The 

 work under these heads is hei'e outlined : — 



