FALSE BLOSSOM OF THE CULTIVATED CRANBERRY. 5 



nitrogen from these soils, as it usually shows great luxuriance of 



vegetative growth where the water supply is abundant. Mr. Malde 



(7) corroborates this view and states that the development of the 



disease appears also to be favored by extreme drought or lack of 



water. 



CONTROL. 



It appears from experiments conducted by Mr. Malde at the Wis- 

 consin Cranberry Station and reported to the writer that malformed 

 plants when transplanted and kept under more favorable conditions 

 tend to return to the normal form. The writer has been told by a 

 grower on the Pacific coast that plants from Wisconsin showmg 

 phyllody have entirely recovered from the disease when grown on 

 that coast. The cases in Massachusetts previously mentioned indi- 

 cate, however, that under rather favorable conditions of cultivation 

 in the Eastern States the disease persists for a long time in affected 

 vines. 



Owing to the obscure nature of this disease and the difficulties 

 involved in carrying out satisfactory experiments to determine 

 definitely its cause and nature, but little has yet been accomplished 

 in this direction. On the basis of the present theories of the cause of 

 the trouble, recommendations have been directed chiefly toward 

 correcting and making as nearly optimum as possible the soil and 

 nutritive conditions under which the plants are grown, as indicated 

 in the writer's papers presented at the Wisconsin State Cranberry 

 Growers' Association (9 and 11). This involves sanitary measures, 

 such as clean cultivation, thorough drainage, pruning, and fertiliza- 

 tion where needed. In cases where half or more of the plants in an 

 area are affected, it is best to mow off the vines, properly drain the 

 bog, and apply ground rock phosphate, which Mr. Malde believes 

 beneficial. In bad cases it will probably be best to scalp the bog 

 and replant with healthy vines (11). 



Experiments have been undertaken in Massachusetts to determine 

 definitely whether the transmission of the disease to normal plants 

 when grown in contact with diseased plants is possible. 



Plants from diseased bogs should be carefully avoided in making 

 new plantings. Even though under optimum conditions of growth 

 the plants may outgrow the trouldo in time, they will hot produce a 

 profitable crop as soon as healthy vines. 



SUMMARY. 



The disease known locally as false l>l<)ssom in Wisconsin is a true 

 case of phyllody. 



The ilond organs show all degrees of transformation Iroiii noiniul 

 flowers to those in which the parts are all changed to green leaflike 

 })oHi(!S and the axis prolonged into a shoot. 



