December, 1916 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
51 
CRANBERRY NOTES 
By J. W. FITCH 
The sum of $25.00 having been 
appropriated by the Horticul- 
tural Society for premiums on 
cranberry exhibits it seemed 
proper for the association to 
supplement this somewhat in 
order to make a more complete 
award and make it worth while 
for growers to compete. In 
view of the fact that it may be 
necessary to go before the legis- 
lature and ask for help in putting 
the cranberry experiment station 
on a more substantial and per- 
manent basis, it is hoped that 
growers generally will make an 
extra endeavor to make the ex- 
hibit a good one, that the mem- 
bers of the legislature who may 
attend the meeting can see the 
possibilities of the business, for 
people generally are used to the 
smaller berries, and when the 
larger ones are seen a great deal 
of surprise is always manifested. 
It should take advantage of 
every possible chance to educate 
the public as to the importance 
of the industry, and a good dis- 
play of the cooked fruit will have 
far-reaching effect since there 
are no more appetizing cooking 
desserts than well served cran- 
berries. 
The past season should be 
cpiite a satisfactory one to grow- 
ers, since the prices obtained are 
very good, especially so since for 
cpiite a time it seemed as if prices 
were bound to be the lowest in 
years, but as a matter of fact if 
the general average be noted it 
will be seen that cranberry prices 
keep up as well or better than 
most other products. The keep- 
ing quality of the Wisconsin crop 
seems to be very fine this year, 
which would seem to indicate 
that dry weather during the 
growing season make for sound 
keepers; also it is known that it 
produces more fruit buds for the 
next year’s crop, so we may look 
for a good crop next year. 
President Searls’ remarks at the 
August meeting as to winter 
flooding and early drainage in 
the spring, should be recalled by 
growers. Mr. Searls said that 
the longer we could keep them 
out of water the better, meaning, 
to postpone the winter flood as 
long as possible, and to take it off 
as soon as possible in April, only 
reflowing in case of extremely 
warm weather in April which 
might start growth. The cran- 
berry vine must be covered in 
the winter either with ice or snow 
to prevent winter killing, which 
spoils the crop for two years. 
Vines which stick out of the ice 
seem to kill invariably more than 
those not flooded at all. Cran- 
berry growing possesses a great 
advantage over all other fruit 
growing from the fact that with a 
good water supply the crop is a 
sure one. 
The 30th annual meeting of 
the W. S. C. G. Assn, will be held 
in Grand Rapids Tuesday, Jan. 
2nd. and a cordial invitation is 
extended to all interested to at- 
tend. 
MAKE CRANBERRY JELLY. 
That cranberries may be dis- 
posed of in wholesale quantities 
in the form of jellies and jams, 
is an idea which has occurred to 
many people in the past and 
which has been tried to some ex- 
tent, but never on a large scale. 
It would be very desirable if a 
quantity of the cheaper, early 
fruit could be utilized in this way 
and the idea is worth thinking 
about — and is being thought of. 
There are numerous jelly and 
marmalade factories engaged in 
putting up other fruits which 
find a ready sale throughout the 
year. Cranberries make an ex- 
cellent jelly and in the marma- 
lade form are exceedingly ap- 
petizing. The great difficulty in 
the past in preparing cranberries 
in this way has been the expen- 
sive quantity of sugar required 
lo make them keep, but this can 
be obviated by putting the ber- 
ries through a chemical process, 
which will remove a large part of 
the acid and needing only enough 
sugar to sweeten. 
There is no reason why such a 
process is not commercially prac- 
tical. It only requires capital 
and commercial experience to 
establish a business which will 
not only prove profitable, but 
which will help the cranberry 
market. 
It seems to us that there is a 
better chance in this line than in 
the evaporating and canning ex- 
periments which have been tried 
in the past. 
There is a market waiting for 
such a product. It will not have 
to be created as is the case with 
evaporated cranberries. Good 
salesmanship and some adver- 
tising is all that is needed for the 
disposal of considerable quan- 
tities of fruit when prepared in 
this manner. The manufacture 
is simple and no difficulty will be 
experienced in making the jellies 
and marmalades keep if the acid 
is first removed from the cran- 
berries and enough sugar used to 
sweeten. It will not be neces- 
sary to resort to the use of ben- 
zoate of soda, which fact would 
have to be printed on the label 
and is objectionable to the pur- 
chaser. Sound, ripe cranberries, 
(Continued on page 55) 
