2 BULLETIN 960, U. S. DBPAKTMEISrT OF AGRICULTURE. 



study of the flooding waters in various parts of the State. In 1920 

 careful comparative shipping and storage tests were made of berries 

 harvested in various ways. 



The investigation of water-raking has been confined to the State 

 of Wisconsin, because this method of harvesting cranberries is prac- 

 ticed nowhere else. Indeed, it is doubtful whether it would be 

 practicable elsewhere, even if desirable. To bring about its intro- 

 duction on the large bogs of Massachusetts and New Jersey such 

 extensive alterations would be necessary as to make it out of the 

 question unless the practice could be proved to be extraordinarily 

 beneficial. 



STORAGE CONDITIONS. 



Aside from the action of insects or actual crushing, cranberries in 

 storage spoil chiefly from decay caused by fungi or from smothering. 

 These causes of spoilage and some of the factors which influence 

 them have been discussed in several papers (4, 5, 6, and 9).* It is 

 obvious that those conditions which have been proved injurious to 

 the keeping quality of dry-raked cranberries will also be injurious, 

 perhaps even more seriously so, to water-raked berries. Careful 

 handUng, low temperatures, and good ventilation wiU improve the 

 keeping quality of water-raked cranberries as of cranberries harvested 

 in other ways. 



A striking example of the importance of good ventilation in the 

 storage of water-raked cranberries was observed at Minneapolis in 

 1918. Here water-raked cranberries of the same variety (Searls), 

 from the same marsh, and handled in the same way were stored in 

 picking boxes and in barrels. On December 9, 1918, the average 

 condition of typical samples showed 22 per cent of spoiled berries 

 in the lot stored in boxes and 34 per cent in those in barrels. 



It is obvious and must be constantly borne in mind in considering 

 the material presented in this bulletin that the results here reported 

 can not be expected to apply to all cranberry conditions. Too many 

 variable factors are involved to make it possible to duplicate exactly 

 conditions or results. The variation in the kinds and quantity of 

 fungi present on different bogs and even in different seasons on the 

 same bog has been frequently remarked. Different varieties of cran- 

 berries are known to have quite different keeping qualities and may 

 well be differently affected by water-raking. Different Water and 

 climatic conditions would undoubtedly have an important effect on 

 the results. To mention only two examples: One could not expect 

 water-raked berries to dry so quickly in the generally humid atmos- 

 phere of the cranberry regions of Washington and Oregon as in the 

 much drier air of Wisconsm, and the relatively warm flooding water 



1 The serial numbers in parentheses refer to "Literature cited" at the end of this bulletin. 



