1913.1 PUBLIC DOCUMENT — No. 31. 209 



REPORT OF CRANBERRY SUBSTATION 

 FOR 1912. 



H. J. FRANKLIN. 



The experiments conducted and observations made during 

 the year may be discussed under the eight following heads: 

 weather observations, frost protection, fungous diseases, varie- 

 ties, blossom pollination, fertilizers, insects and miscellaneous. 



1. Weatiiee Observations. 



The season's observations began late in April, the Weather 

 Bureau having at this time installed the following instruments 

 at the station bog: elevated instrument shelter, thermograph, 

 barograph, hygrograph, triple register (for sunshine, wind di- 

 rection and wind velocity) with battery and wiring, weather 

 vane, anemometer, rain gauge, psychrometer, two maximum 

 and four minimum thermometers and a sunshine recorder. 



With these instruments the first really thorough and serious 

 year's work in investigating Cape Cod frost conditions, in their 

 relations to cranberry culture, was carried out. An unusually 

 large number of frosty nights during the first part of the sea- 

 son, especially in June, favored this investigation, and as a 

 result much valuable information was accumulated. It now 

 seems that it may in time be possible to forecast frosts with 

 gratifying accuracy. The Southern Massachusetts Telephone 

 Company has considerably improved its distribution of the frost 

 warnings sent out from Boston by the district forecaster of the 

 Weather Bureau. In addition to these warnings the substation 

 has undertaken to make special early evening forecasts for the 

 benefit of any who may wish to telephone in for them on doubt- 

 ful nights. It is not expected that the growers will place full 

 reliance on these forecasts at present, but it is hoped that they 



