148 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
June, 1918 
Cranberry Items for June Horti- 
culture. 
SPRING KILLING. 
Although cranberry vines seem- 
ingly wintered well there is now on 
a number of marshes in Wood 
county quite an apparent loss by 
spring killing. Upon careful in- 
vestigation this seems to be caus- 
ed by keeping the water off too 
long in the cold, raw, springtime, 
while the peat and vines are sol- 
idly frozen. It has been the cus- 
tom of our most successful grow- 
ers to draw the winter flood off 
early in March, leaving the bog in 
a frozen state to keep the vines 
dormant. About the tenth of May 
a new flood is put on to take out 
the frost and start growth. It 
now develops that where the bog 
is frozen to the top for so long a 
time — moisture cannot reach, or be 
carried to the top roots and vines 
consequently vitality ceases. Where 
frost was out an inch or more from 
the surface, the vines carried 
through in fine shape. It will be 
wise in the future to watch condi- 
tions closely, and re-flood if neces- 
sary till frost is taken out to this 
depth before keeping the bog so 
long uncovered. 
MAIN WORK 
Mr. C. D. Searls says “During 
May the two most important 
things to do is to get the frost out 
of the bogs by flooding, and then, 
after the water is drawn down, to 
look for the black head fire worm. 
Treatments for destruction of this 
pest were given in the April and 
May numbers of Horticulture. 
Most growers at this time have 
ample supply to use the water 
method as published in the May 
issue. 
The Belle Lake Cranberry Co., 
report finding some very small 
worms on their vines at Valley 
Junction May 17 — -a very early 
period. This marsh we believe is 
one of a number that suffered 
heavily last year from the ravages 
of the fire worms. 
The Bonnie View Cranberry Co., 
at Water Mills of which our Mr. 0. 
G. Malde is manager, is doing 
quite a lot of work on their high 
lands as well as cultivating and 
re-planting their cranberry marsh- 
es. During the past winter they 
cleared several acres of land and 
put up 200 tons of ice. They 
now have nearly 100 acres planted 
to corn and other grains. 
Messrs. Jacob Searls of Grand 
Rapids and Elmer Dano of Tomah 
recently attended a Directors’ 
meeting of the American Cran- 
berry Exchange in New York City. 
The reports of last year’s work 
were very satisfactory. All the 
old officers and directors were re- 
elected except that Mr. Searls was 
made 2nd vice president to fill the 
place of II. R. Laing of Berlin, 
resigned. 
Cultivating and Fertilizing With 
Water. 
Experiments in New .Jersey 
have developed the fact that by 
the proper, judicious use of water, 
much labor can be saved in keep- 
ing the bogs clean, give the vines 
a rest and opportunity for vigor- 
ous growth, and overcome other 
vegetation. Where vines are 
weak, old, or thin, or where there 
is an unusual amount of grasses, 
weeds or foreign vegetation, it 
seems to have been demonstrated 
that by keeping the vines unden 
water until about July 10th to 
15th, taking the water off just in 
time to permit the vines to grout 
and bud for the next season’s crop, 
has the effect of killing down other 
vegetation, giving the vines a rest 
and renewed vigorous growth, 
whereas the foreign vegetation dies 
down, giving the vines a material 
advantage over it and driving 
much of it out. One of New Jer- 
sey’s successful growers is noW 
following this plan by keeping one- 
fifth of his total bog area under! 
water every year, thus practically 
renewing his whole bog once in fivo 
years. This has greatly increased 
the size of his berries, his total' 
yield, and reduced the expense of 
weeding and cleaning. Where 
bogs are unusually grassy and 
w r eedv, it seems to have been advis- 
able to even follow this up two 
years in succession, or some argue, 
keep the bog under water the 
whole season. By taking the wat- 
er off in time to permit the vines 
to grow and bud for the following 
season only loses one crop. Quite 
a number of experiments along 
this line seem to have proven very 
successful. July 10th in New Jer- 
sey seems to he about the proper 
date to take the water off, but a 
different date might be necessary 
in Wisconsin. Some experiments 
along this line should be tried out. 
So long as the boys are at the 
front, difficulties are to be sub- 
dued, impossibilities to be trampled 
down. 
War is an ugly thing but a Ger- 
man peace is uglier — Russian farm- 
ers are producing German food. 
