November, 1916 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
35 
CRANBERRY NOTES 
By J. W. FITCH 
Berries Small but Quality 
High 
Cranberry cleaning shows that 
t he berries are generally run- 
ning quite small, some crops 
showing as high as 38 per cent 
“pies.” One of the lessons of 
the season seems to be that 
the vines the best drained had 
the least blight, also that the 
vines which were sanded and 
drained well had larger berries 
than last year, at least that 
is the result apparent to the 
writer. A very extensive cam- 
paign for increasing the con- 
sumption of cranberries, is being 
conducted by the American Cran- 
berry Exchange in Chicago. 
About twenty thousand dollars 
will be spent and it is hoped to 
increase the consumption of cran- 
berries from forty to eighty 
thousand barrels in that city. If 
successful the work will be ex- 
tended to other places next year 
and a much larger sum will be 
expended. 
Important Committee 
Meeting 
A very interesting and im- 
portant meeting of the commit- 
tee appointed at the August 
meeting to consider the future 
continuance of the experiment 
station was held at Mather, Oct. 
23d, the meeting being post- 
poned from Oct. 20th. The mem- 
bers of the committee present 
were Mr. F. J. Hoffman, C. M. 
Seeker, and J. W. Fitch. Mr. 
Andrew Searls and A. B. Roberts 
absent. Mr. 0. G. Malde, super- 
intendent of the station, was 
there to help the committee in 
their decisions. 
The committee was unanimous 
as to the value and necessity not 
only of continuing the station 
along the present lines but of 
enlarging its scope to include 
demonstration, commercially as 
well as research though recogniz- 
ing that the work of research was 
the most necessary for the indus- 
try and that such investigations 
should not be sacrificed in order 
to make the station self-support- 
ing, which Mr. Malde thought 
entirely practical. Looking as 
well as it was able into the future 
and considering carefully the 
present conditions of the station, 
and the refusal of the present 
management of the Gaynor 
Cranberry Co. to renew the lease, 
the committee resolved that the 
location of the station should be 
changed. First to obtain more 
suitable soil conditions, second, 
for a sufficient water supply, 
third, that there should be at 
least forty acres for developing 
purposes, outside of reservoir re- 
quirements. Also it was felt that 
a much more accessible site could 
be obtained. Several offers of 
land with good water privileges 
were presented; also the possi- 
bility of getting a bog already 
planted were considered and will 
be duly forwarded to Dean 
Russell to present to the regents 
for their consideration. The 
matter of the premium list for 
the next state fair, was arranged 
and a systematic effort will be 
made to have all growers com- 
pete. Air. C. M. Seeker of 
Mather and Mrs. S. W. Whitt- 
lesey of Cranmoor were ap- 
pointed to represent the associa- 
tion at the winter meeting of 
the Horticultural Society, where 
an exhibit also will be made. 
SCORING THE APPLES. 
A new feature in judging the 
apple display at the recent State 
Fair was the systematic scoring 
system introduced by the judges 
Professors Moore and Roberts, 
of the Agricultural College of 
Madison. Being in a position to 
observe carefully its operation, 
I take this opportunity to pro- 
nounce it a howling success. 
Never were the apples gone over 
more carefully and never were 
the awards more conscientiously 
given. Every exhibitor got 
just what he had coming, no 
more, no less. And of course 
this tickled the Kickapoo crowd 
who won the Grand Sweepstakes 
thus walloping one over the 
Baraboo boys who as a rule are 
the winners. 
They certainly can grow some 
apples on those old bluffs in 
Crawford County. But watch 
next year, the Baraboo tribe will 
be out on the war path, and the 
Kickapoos will have to swing 
their tomahawks if they succeed 
in carrying off the ribbons. 
When considering improve- 
ments for the Horticultural de- 
partment at the State Fair for 
the coming year, we trust the 
management will see to it that 
the valuable feature is continued 
and let us hope that the compe- 
tent service of these same judges 
can be secured again. 
W. J. Moyle. 
Autumn-bearing strawberries 
have done well this year only 
where they have had plenty of 
moisture. Nevertheless they are 
worth growing in the home gar- 
den. 
Don’t be discouraged because 
the dahlias were a failure this 
year. Try them again next 
season. It is best not to plant 
until June. 
