116 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
April, 1918 
CRANBERRY CULTURE 
Edited by Mrs. S. N. Whittlesey, Cranmoor, Secretary Wisconsin 
Cranberry Growers Association 
Observations and Suggestions by 
A. W. Chaney. 
Fighting the Fire W orm : Wis- 
consin seems to have suffered un- 
usual damage from this pest last 
season. Probably the cold sum- 
mer was the cause of the eggs 
hatching so irregularly that repeat- 
ed floodings seemed necessary. 
These repeated floodings greatly 
poison, such as aresnate of lead, 
Paris Green, etc. It costs around 
$10.00 per gallon ; but using only 
one gallon to eight hundred gal- 
lons of water does not make it ex- 
pensive. Two sprayings are often 
advisable, and the sprayings should 
be two or three days apart, as it 
is strictly a contact poison. That 
which appears to have been the 
most successful remedv is about 
reduced and often destroyed the 
crops. For a number of years 
the New Jersey growers have suf- 
fered severe ravages of the lire 
worm. The New Jersey grow- 
ers, Mr. Scammel and other gov- 
ernment experts, have tried many 
experiments. Some of them seem 
to have proven very successful. 
During last season I made diligent 
inquiry as to methods and results. 
Mr. Scammel seems to have proven 
that nicotine, mixed one gallon to 
seven or eight hundred gallons of 
water and sprayed at the proper 
time, is very effective. When the 
fire worm appears in the blossom- 
ing pei'iod or after the fruit is set, 
flooding is very likely to injure or 
destroy the crop, whereas spraying 
with nicotine greatly retards the 
fireworm damage and even fre- 
quently totally destroys them. Mr. 
White, Mr. Harrison, Mr. Holman 
and other well known growers have 
proven that by spraying at these 
times they often save at least one- 
half of the crop, whereas the flood- 
ing at that dangerous period would 
totally destroy it. 
This nicotine is a contact poison, 
known as “Black Leaf 40,’’ and 
is much more effective than food 
as follows: In the spring, before 
taking the water off, lower the 
head so that the vines are just 
barely covered with water. This 
shallow flooding will help to warm 
the soil and give the vines an op- 
portunity for an early start. Then 
at about the usual time, take the 
water off and leave it off from 
three to five weeks, watching very 
closely for the fireworm to appear. 
After they have appeared pretty 
generally over the bog and most of 
the eggs have apparently hatched, 
re-flood, covering everything with 
water and keeping it under water 
five days. 
Make a kerosene torch with a 
gas pipe or tubular handle to hold 
the oil fuel, and wade over the bog, 
or go over it with boats, and burn 
everything that sticks above the 
water, such as high vines, grasses 
or weeds, giving the worms no op- 
portunity to crawl above the water 
and live. Some suggest that cut- 
ting off these grasses or weeds that 
stick above the water and letting 
them fall into the water will ac- 
complish the same results. This 
method seems to have effectively 
destroyed the fireworm when flood- 
ed at the right time. Some grow- 
ers insist that when the eggs are 
almost ready to hatch, that by put- 
ting them under the water for sev- 
eral days they will never hatch. 
It is well then to have some Black 
Leaf 40 on hand ready to use, and, 
if the second crop does appear dur- 
ing or after the blossoming period, 
spray with the Black Leaf 40 to 
avoid endangering your crop. 
Give it two or three sprayings. 
Another Method — One of the 
largest and very successful grow- 
ers in New Jersey seems to have 
overcome the fireworm very com- 
pletely by using the following 
plan. He makes it a practice to 
spray with Black Leaf 40 as soon 
as the buds begin to burst, using 
one gallon to 700 gallons of water. 
He follows this spraying with a 
re-flooding after any worms that 
are left appear, or have had ample 
time to appear and become about 
half an inch long, or have dropped 
to the ground. He says he has 
not lost 500 bushels by the fire- 
worm in the last four years by; 
following this method. He thinks, 
and it seems to me he has demon- 
strated it, that by spraying before 
the fireworm is easily seen and 
follow with the flooding, is more 
successful than the first plan men-’ 
tioned. 
Two typographical errors occurred 
in the March number which we think 
best to correct. Near the bottom of 
second column on page 100 “blashed” 
should be — blighted — and top line of 
third column on page 101 “remove 
rake ends” should be — remove rake 
wads. 
The Lester Cranberry Co. havei 
decided to put in a pumping plant 
to improve their water supply. 
Probably a 3,000 gallon a minute 
pump. 
