30 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 436 



11. The army worm (Cirphis) broke out on a good many bogs from which the 

 winter water was let off late. They appeared in some cases where the water 

 was let off as early as May 20. This was very unusual and may have been due to 

 the very warm weather in March and April. 



12. Cranberry girdler (Crambus): General infestations by this insect on the 

 Cape Cod cranberry bogs were more severe than for many years, this evidently 

 being due largely to lack of sanding because of labor shortages and to lack of 

 dusting because of the shortage of Pyrethrum. 



13. Spittle insect, cranberry weevil, and tipworm infestations about normal. 



14. Bumblebees and honeybees less abundant than usual. Scarce on many 

 bogs. 



Weather Studies. (H. J. Franklin.) A project entitled "The Relationship 

 of Weather to Cranberry Production through its Various Effects on Photosyn- 

 thesis and Growth," established in December 1935, was brought to a close in 

 May 1946, and the results were presented for publication as a bulletin of the 

 Station. 



Frost forecasts were continued as a special service, 212 cranberry growers 

 subscribing to the telephone service. The forecasts by radio were cooperative 

 between the United States Weather Bureau office at Logan Airport and the 

 Cranberry Station at East Wareham and were distributed by stations WEEI at 

 Boston and WOCB at West Yarmouth. 



DEPARTMENT OF DAIRY INDUSTRY 

 J. H. Frandsen in Charge 



New Sterilizing Agents for Dairy Use. (W. S. Mueller, E. Bennett, and J. E. 

 Fuller.) The germicidal properties of the following surface-active agents have 

 been investigated further: 9 quaternary ammonium compounds, 3 phosphonium 

 compounds, 3 substituted phenols, 10 alkyl aryl sulfonates, 1 aryl alkyl polyether 

 sulfonate, 1 aliphatic sulfonate, 1 aryl alkyl polyether alcohol, 2 polyoxyalkylene 

 of fatty acids, 1 aliphatic sulfate, laryl alkyl polyether sulfate, 4 monoesters of 

 polyhydroxy compounds, and 6 unknowns. Other properties which were in- 

 vestigated are stability, corrosiveness to metals, solubility, odor, taste, and 

 color. Germicidal tests made within one year after the surface-active agents 

 were obtained showed that 9 were effective sterliizing agents, 9 were moderately 

 effective, and 24 were ineffective. The effective group included only quaternary 

 ammonium and phosphonium compounds; while the moderately effective group 

 included substituted phenols, alkyl aryl sulfonates, and aliphatic sulfonates. 

 One or more of the materials of each class were represented in the ineffective 

 group, with the exception of phosphonium compounds, substituted phenols, 

 and aliphatic sulfonates. After 2J/^ years of storage only the quaternary am- 

 monium and phosphonium compounds retained their effective germicidal prop- 

 erties, while all of the materials which were found to be moderately effective at 

 first had lost most of their germicidal properties during storage. No correlation 

 was noted between pH values, germicidal property, and stability of the products. 

 The quaternary ammonium compounds were readily soluble, were not objec- 

 tionably corrosive to metals, and were practically odorless, tasteless, and color- 

 less, all of which are desirable properties of a dairy sterilizing agent. While the 

 phosphonium compounds also were non-corrosive to metals and had no serious 

 objectionable odor and taste, they did not go into solution readily and produced 

 cloudy solutions. Results to date indicate that only the quaternary ammonium 



