174 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
August, 1918 
CRANBERRY CULTURE 
Edited by Mrs. S. N. Whittlesey, Cramnoor, Secretary Wisconsin 
Cranberry Growers Association 
It is considered something of a 
feat to be a successful grower 
of cranberries. Man ’s wisdom, 
strength,, and unerring judgment 
are usually thought necessary. We 
have a few rare instances, however, 
where woman has proven her abil- 
ity to conduct this enterprise and 
are submitting this month an ar- 
ticle by one of them — Miss Lydia 
M. Huyck — a Chicago lady who 
some years ago assumed the re- 
sponsible position of manager of 
the Lewis Cranberry Company’s 
marsh at Minong, Wis., and whose 
skillful efforts are producing fine 
results. 
Value of Sanding 
I have been trying for some time 
to write about methods and costs of 
sanding. The more I think about 
it the more useless my information 
seems to the others needs unless all 
of the conditions equal ours. Sand- 
ing and re-sanding are most essen- 
tial to proper cranberry culture. 
It builds and strengthens the foun- 
dation for good healthy growth. 
In many instances it is a most ef- 
fective weapon against weeds. The 
wonderful advantage is evidenced 
on the bog at Cranwood. 
We have sanded in the winter 
with sleds and teams, we have 
sanded in the spring Avith wheel 
barrows, both methods met the 
needs at the time. We sanded in 
the winter where the hauls were 
long and the ice was necessary for 
teams. This spring we sanded a 
few bogs which were close to the 
sand pits and wheel barrows could 
be run out on planks. All sand 
must be put on from shovels and 
scattered well. 
Labor conditions here as well as 
with all of us are such as would 
hardly warrant a proper cost basis. 
Whatever the cost the benefit 
proves the desirability. We did 
considerable weeding while we 
were sanding this spring. 
The positive thing I can say is 
to sand and re-sand. If the hauls 
are long do it in the winter when 
sleds can be used, but under any 
conditions scatter the sand well 
and do not put on too much. 
The sanding is done to help the 
new growth and it must not be 
buried ; it must be given an oppor- 
tunity for a good foundation. 
Lydia M. Huyck. 
Bees and Cranberries 
In a 1918 issue of Green’s Am- 
erican Fruit Grower in Gleanings 
in Bee Culture, conducted by E. R. 
Root, we find the following, and 
wonder if any of our Wisconsin 
growers have had any experience 
with “Bees and Cranberries.” 
“In the vicinity of Boston, the 
Cape Cod Cranberry Company are 
growing cranberries in a large way. 
When the cultivated bogs were 
small it was observed that good 
yields of the berries could be se- 
cured; but when the acreage had 
been increased the crop kept get- 
ting smaller and smaller per acre. 
It was finally discovered that there 
were too few bees in the vicinity. 
When enough bees were put around 
the bogs the yield of cranberries 
became normal again. More tes- 
timony of well known orchardists 
and many other instances like this 
given, could be produced to show 
what the bees are able to accom- 
plish when the varieties are sterile, 
or partly sterile by their own pol- 
len. 
It would be too much to say that 
all varieties would receive the same 
amount of benefit from the bees. 
Some kinds of fruit are fertile to 
their own pollen ; that is to say, the 
wind and rain cause pollen from 
the blossoms of the upper limbs to 
drop down on blossoms below and 
so pollinate them. But even then 
re suits have shown that a cross-pol- 
lination makes large and better 
fruit.” 
About People 
Mr. and Mrs. S. N. Whittlesey 
with their granddaughter, Kather- 
iune Whittlesey of Fargo, N. D., 
and Miss B. E. Weeks of Oconto, 
Wis., recently drove to the Mather 
district for a friendly call on the 
growers in that locality. It was 
rather an untimely visit as so many 
they wished to see were out blue- 
berrving. Mrs. F. J. Hoffman 
and daughter, Mrs. Phil. Bennett, 
Mr. and Mrs. E. K. Tuttle and 
brother, II. B. Tuttle, and B. R. 
Mitchell were the only ones found 
at home. The cordial reception 
by these friends was heart warm- 
ing. Health and happiness seem- 
ed to prevail. The good crop pros- 
pects in view were very gratifying. 
May their hopes be realized in the 
carrying through, gathering in, 
and profitable disposition of the 
berries now in evidence. 
A. Scarls and Son are enlarging, 
their water facilities with a 10,000 
gallon a minute pump. They be-, 
lieve that anything that is worth 
doing, is worth doing well. 
