44 MASS. EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 168. 



permanent return to higher levels. Cranberry growing has, therefore, 

 now reached the stage where it is necessary to learn to produce the fruit 

 and market it at the least possible expense to make sure of getting satis- 

 factory returns. In other words, the industry is now in the position of a 

 man who must live simply in order to succeed. 



Much has been said recently about advertising cranberries extensively 

 with a view to enlarging the market by this means. While the possibiUties 

 connected with advertising should not be overlooked, cranberries probably 

 will not be found to be an exception to the general rule that good fruit is 

 its own best advertisement. The growers of other kinds of fruit have made 

 tremendous strides during the past decade in the attention which they 

 give to the quality and condition of their products. Cranberry growers 

 probably will find before long that they must give a like attention to the 

 quality of their fruit if they are to compete successfully. Some of the 

 things which should receive attention in this connection have already been 

 mentioned in the discussion of the storage tests, and many other improve- 

 ments in the methods of preparing cranberries for market are doubtless 

 possible. The growers could probably do much to extend their market and 

 maintain prices by giving their united attention to these neglected features 

 of the business. 



With the general conditions at present attending the cranberry industry 

 brought to mind by the foregoing remarks, the reader will be in a posi- 

 tion to more clearly comprehend the main problem of the cranberry 

 grower if it is restated in this way: How to grow and market cranberries 

 of superior quality with the least possible expense. 



It is in connection with the matter of the reduction of expense in the 

 growing of cranberries that the writer is here about to suggest a new plan 

 of bog management. To begin with, it must be stated that the con- 

 templated changes in methods probably cannot be applied with satis- 

 factory results on all bogs. They may not be feasible on bogs with ex- 

 ceptionally rich bottoms, on account of the tendency to excessive vine 

 growth. They may not be justified on bogs that produce average annual 

 crops of over 60 barrels to the acre. Most bogs, however, do not pro- 

 duce a yearly average of 60 barrels per acre. The suggestions are there- 

 fore advanced with considerable confidence that they may be applied by 

 most Massachusetts growers. 



The idea of the writer is this: Growers are unwise in attempting to raise 

 a crop of cranberries from the same area every year. In so doing they go to 

 needless expense in the care of the bogs and the harvesting of the berries, 

 and frequently throw away money in only partially successful attempts 

 to control the insect pests. In the opinion of the writer a substantial reduc- 

 tion in the cost of growing cranberries could be effected, without lessening the 

 per acre production, by the adoption of the plan of cropping only every other 

 year as a regular program. 



To begin the argument in favor of cropping every other year instead 

 of every year, the writer will make this statement for the consideration of 

 Massachusetts cranberry growers in general, for their approval or dis- 



