BULLETI]^ ]^o. 102. 



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



REPORT OF THE CRANBERRY SUBSTATION 

 FROM 1917 TO 1919. 



BY H. J. FRANKLIN. 



The 1915 and 1916 lines of work were followed closely in 1917, but a 

 collection of cranberry bog weeds was started and a long and searching 

 study was made of the weather records, bearing on frost conditions, taken 

 at the station from 1913 to 1917, inclusive. Storage tests with the fruit 

 were continued as an important part of the work, with interesting re- 

 sults. 



The 1918 work followed the general plan of other years. Special atten- 

 tion was given to frost predicting, the methods being much perfected. 

 The storage tests were largelj' suspended, as the handling of the unusually 

 large station crop left little room in the screenhouse for them. About 

 60 species of cranberrj^ bog weeds were collected by the writer and identi- 

 fied, with the help of Prof. A. V. Osmun of the Massachusetts Agricultural 

 College, and Dr. H. F. Bergman of the Bureau of Plant Industry. By 

 agreement between the Massachusetts Agricultural Experunent Station 

 and the Cape Cod Cranberry Growers' Association, the writer gave much 

 time to developing a cranberry harvester, fair progress apparently being 

 made. With the help of a special appropriation of the Legislature the 

 iron roof of the screenhouse was replaced with boards and shingles, and 

 the roof frame strengthened. 



Fungous Diseases. 

 The co-operative investigation of diseases and of handling, storing and 

 shipping the fruit was conducted in 1917 much as in 1916, Dr. C. L. 

 Shear of the Bureau of Plant Industry and his assistant, Mr. B. A. Ru- 

 dolph, making the more technical studies, and Dr. N. E. Stevens giving 

 valuable aid in the planning and performing of practical experiments 

 carried out in the cranberry section where he spent most of the fall 

 months, a large part of his work being done at the station. 



