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 showing 
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 trouble in time, they will not produce a 
profitable crop as soon as healthy vines. 
SUMMARY. 
The disease known locally as false blossom in Wisconsin is a true 
case of phyllody. 
The floral organs show all degrees of transformation from normal 
flowers to those in which the parts are all changed to green leaflike 
bodies and the axis prolonged into a shoot. 
