1912.1 PUBLIC DOCUMEXT — No. 31. 19 



Cranberry Girdler {Crambus hortuellus (Hiibner)). 

 The work with this insect was confined to applying different depths 

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

 smother the insect and prevent the 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 

 through the sand on the various idiots were provided. An unsanded 

 cheek plot was also placed under obsen'ation and control. No moths 

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

 ber were cajjtured from the check jdot. 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 

 be effective, this treatment must be applied between December 1 and 

 the foHowing 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 

 iriulbamaculella Chambers, did great injury to a few strictly dry 

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

 been heretofore known. Its habits and life history were 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 larva?, though considerably smaller, resemble somewhat the 

 lai'va) 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 1910 fungus work, done in co-operation with the Bureau 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. 



Ikvestigations during 1911. 



During 1911 the cranberry investigation work was divided between 

 experiments and observations and construction work for future inves- 

 tigations. 



Experiments and Observations. 



This Avork came imder the seven following heads, viz: Insects, Fer- 

 tilizers, Fungous Diseases, "Weather Observations, Fertilization of the 

 Cranberry Blossom, Prolificness of Varieties, and application of Skin- 

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

 work under these heads is here outlined : — 



