September, 1917 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURF. 
5 
lution in a wire basket container 
or in a thin but firm cloth such as 
a cheese cloth. For smaller quan- 
tities of fruit, use 4 tablespoons lye 
to one gallon of water with a pinch 
of alum added. 
Let the fruit remain two min- 
utes in the hot lye solution, then 
put it through two cold water baths 
to thoroughly remove the lye, and 
in the second bath of cold water 
rub off with the hands, the small 
pices of fruit skins that sometimes 
persist in clinging to the fruit. 
Keep the lye solution hot for use 
but abandon it for a fresh solution 
as soon as it turns dark for it has 
then lost its strength. 
Cranberry Growers Meet. 
The 30th annual summer meet- 
ing of the Wisconsin State Cran- 
berry Growers’ Association held at 
the pavilion near • Nekoosa, Wis., 
Tuesday, Aug. 14, 1917, was largely 
attended both by near and far away 
members and friends, and full of 
interest from start to finish. 
In the morning automobiles 
were in readiness to take visiting 
guests who wished to avail them- 
selves of the opportunity to inspect 
the Cranmoor marshes. 
The business session was called to 
order in the early afternoon by 
President Searls. The president ’s 
address followed in which among 
other things he told of the grievous 
loss sustained in the death of our 
secretary, Mr. J. W. Fitch, and the 
passing away of his father, Mr. W. 
H. Fitch, who, at an earlier date, 
also ably served this association as 
secretary. Of the appointment of 
Mrs. S. N. Whittlesey to act as sec- 
retary until the annual election. 
Of the crop prospects which at the 
present time are very uncertain 
owing to the extremely cold, late 
season. The bloom was unusually 
bountiful, and under favorable 
conditions, would have yielded one 
of the finest crops ever grown in 
our state. 
After the reading of the minutes 
of last January meeting by the act- 
ing secretary, the program was 
taken up and held the close atten- 
tion of all present. 
Letters were read from Dr. C. L. 
Shear of Washington, I). C. Mr. 
A. U. Chaney, general manager of 
the American Cranberry Exchange 
of New York, and from several 
others expressing good will. 
Reports on crop prospects were 
listened to from different sections 
of the state, all concurring with the 
opinion expressed by President 
Searls. C. L. Lewis of Beaver 
Brook had a most excellent article 
full of good ideas for future 
thought. 
Mr. Chas. Sehlosser, manager of 
Chicago district, thought market- 
ing prospects good and with short- 
age of other fruits, prices ought 
to be satisfactory. 
With the resignation of Mr. 0. 
G. Malde as superintendent and 
manager of the experiment station 
and the withdrawal of aid by the 
University College of Agriculture, 
a new and serious problem con- 
fronted the growers which at this 
meeting received much attention. 
Prof. F. B. Morrison, assistant di- 
rector, stated that ours was the only 
station wholly supported by the col- 
lege and that it was no longer pos- 
sible to extend this aid, because of 
the curtailment of $35,000 of the 
state budget for university work. 
Dr. E. D. Ball, state entomologist, 
gave a very earnest talk on our 
needs as he sees them and of our be- 
ing awake to the danger of insect 
pests, not only to cranberries but to 
all vegetation and made the start- 
ling announcement that 20 per cent 
of crops in the United States had 
this year been destroyed by grass- 
hoppers. 
The meeting closed with every 
one impressed that what we can do 
— what we can have, and what we 
can agree on, are now matters for 
deep consideration. 
Mrs. S. N. Whittlesey, 
Acting Sec. W. S. C. G. Assn. 
Chicago, Aug. 9, 1917. 
I tear Cranefield : — 
Glad to get the August issue of 
Hort. this morning. Sorry I can’t 
get away to attend your summer 
doings. 
That man from Colville, Wash., 
whose letter you printed brays like 
the four legged property of 
Balaam. I’m glad lie is not going 
to read the Hort. any more. It’s 
like casting pearls before swine. 
Maybe I can find some good Ameri- 
can to take his place. Best wishes. 
Yours sincerely, 
George Girling. 
“While our soldiers and sailors 
are doing their manful work to 
hold back reaction in its most 
brutal and aggressive form we must 
oppose at home the organized and 
individual efforts of those danger- 
ous elements who hide disloyally 
behind a screen of specious and 
.evasive phrases.” — President Wil- 
son in letter to Samuel Gompers, 
president of the American Federa- 
tion of Labor. 
Nice Old Professor — Ah, going 
out to make the world safe for 
democracy, are you, boys? 
Recruit from Douglas Co. — Naw, 
I ’m going over to educate the 
sucker who said America couldn't 
fight. 
All who are not for us are 
against us. 
