B. P. I.— 200. V. P. P. I.— 150. 



MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS. 



-CRANBERRY SPRAYING EXPERIMENTS IN 1905. 



Bv ('. L. Shear. Palhohxjixt. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In Farmers' Bulletin No. 221 " a brief account was given of cranberr}^ 

 diseases, and also the results of spraying experiments with Bordeaux 

 mixture. The results in 190dt were not entirely satisfactory. This was 

 not due, howe\'er, to the inefficiency of Bordeaux mixture, but to cir- 

 cumstances which prevented the applications being made at proper 

 intervals. The results obtained in 1904 showed an average of 21.7 per 

 cent of rotten berries on the sprayed plats, as compared with an average 

 of 76.8 per cent rotten on the unspra^^ed check plats. Considering the 

 unsatisfactory manner in which the Bordeaux mixture was applied, the 

 prediction was ventured that it would be possible with more thorough 

 treatment to reduce the loss from rot to 10 or 15 per cent. The results 

 obtained in 1905 have more than justitied this prediction. 



The experiments were conducted on what is known as the Bunker 

 Hill bog at Whitesville, N. J., which is in charge of Mr. James D. 

 Holman, the same plats being used as in 1904, with the addition of a 

 small area not heretofore sprayed. This bog was selected because the 

 fruit had in former 3'ears been almost entirely destrojxd by disease. 

 The water was drained from the bog Ma}^ 10-12. It is the usual prac- 

 tice of cranberry growers to flood bogs for twenty-four hours during the 

 first week in June, in order to destro}^ insects. In these experiments 

 it was planned to spray part of the experimental plats before this second 

 flooding and part immediately afterwards, in order to determine the 

 necessity or desirability of spraying before this flooding. The water 

 supph^ of the bog was, however, insufficient to flood it at the usual 

 time, and it was not done. 



The spraying apparatus used was a barrel and force pump fitted with 

 two lengths of half -inch hose, each length provided with an extension 

 rod and two Vermorel nozzles. The apparatus was driven about the 

 bog in a low-bodied spring wagon, as shown in figure 1. 



"Farmers' Bulletin No. 221, 17. S. Dept. of Agriculture, "Fungous Diseases of the 

 Cranberry. " 



