EXPERIMENTAL WORK WITH CRANBERRIES. 49 



observed to anj' such extent on other portions of the bog. The condi- 

 tions were such that, all things considered, this drying up could not very- 

 well be laid to dry weather. The reduced fruiting seems to have been due 

 to a detrimental effect of the nitrate, though it is perhaps impossible to 

 say with certainty just what the effect was. 



It must be remembered that half of plot 15 was this year sprayed for 

 fungous diseases as well as fertilized, but the unsprayed portion showed 

 a marked falling off in the quantity of fruit as well as the sprayed portion, 

 though the reduction was not so great on the unsprayed part. 



All the fertihzer plots were picked with scoops on September 15 and 

 16. The berries appeared so uniform in color and most other respects 

 that no records were made except those concerning their quantity and 

 size. The average counts of berries in several cup samples taken from 

 each of the plots did not show any considerable differences in size that 

 could apparently possibly be considered to have been caused by the 

 fertihzer. 



Storage tests were carried out with berries from all the plots, beginning 

 on October 28 and 29 and ending December 17 to 23, the results of which 

 did not appear to show any marked effect on the keeping quality, attribu- 

 table to the use of the fertiUzers, except with the berries from plot 15. 

 The berries from this plot showed poor keeping quality, due apparently 

 to the excessive use of nitrate of soda. It will be remembered, in this 

 connection, that this plot has received heavier applications of the nitrate 

 than have any of the others. 



7. INSECTS. 



Tliis year saw a marked decrease in the prevalence of both the flowed- 

 bog fireworm (black head cranberry worm) and the fruit worm. Last 

 year the injury done by both of these insects was abnormally severe as 

 compared with that of most of our recent seasons. This year, however, 

 both insects caused comparatively little trouble, a surprising fact, con- 

 sidering the damage done by them last year. The causes of this year's 

 reduction of these two pests are obscure, but it seems possible that some 

 condition of the weather during some period of the year was responsible 

 for it. If so, the most marked peculiarity noted in these conditions was 

 the very open winter of 1912-13, especially during December and January. 

 Probably the only way in which we can come to any definite conclusion 

 concerning the bearing of weather conditions on the prevalence of these 

 insects is to keep a careful record for a long period of years, and make com- 

 parisons of the experiences of one year with those of another. 



The season of 1913 has had other pecuharities from the standpoint of 

 cranberry insect troubles, especially in an unusual prevalence of cutworms 

 and of spanwonns of several different species. During the season numer- 

 ous reports came in from cranberry growers, telling of threatening gypsy 

 moth trouble, and the little cranberry snout beetle seemed to be more 

 troublesome than usual. 



