100 
WISCONSIN HORTICULTURE 
CRANBERRY CULTURE 
Edited by Mrs. S. N. Whittlesey, Cranmoor, Secretary Wisconsin 
Cranberry Growers Association 
Before our 1919 annual meeting 
a request was sent the American 
Cranberry Exchange for their ex- 
perience with, and ideas of ven- 
tilated packages in comparison 
with the almost universal use of 
the tight barrel container for ship- 
ping and sale purposes. 
Mr. A. U. Chaney responded 
with a very full and explicit paper 
giving results of a variety of con- 
tainers experimented with by the 
exchange and individual growers, 
from which we make some quota- 
tions. 
“The barrel is still the most 
popular package, and will be for 
a great many years to come. The 
trade are prejudiced in favor of 
the barrel, and it will be many 
years indeed before any other 
package is substituted therefor 
successfully. It is a convenient 
package to handle, and a good 
shipping package, and good, 
sound, healthy cranberries keep 
very well in the barrel when prop- 
erly packed. 
A half-barrel box we have tried 
out to a considerable extent this 
season, and have found it to be 
the most practical package of any 
yet tried, outside of the barrel. It 
is a splendid shipping package, 
and seems to be a good re-sale 
package. It makes a very good 
show in the retail store. It is a 
box that is almost square and is 
ventilated. We have found that 
juicy berries, over-ripe berries, 
and tender berries carry consid- 
erably better in this package, and 
keep dry longer than in the bar- 
rel, and, as far as I could see, 
have carried as well as in any 
smaller box or crate, and it being 
a better re-sale package than any 
other package we have tried, we 
are about to recommend this as 
being generally adopted. This 
box holds 50 lbs. net of cleaned 
berries. A sample box is being 
forwarded for inspection.” * * * 
From this article an impression 
was made on some of the growers 
that the use of this box was ad- 
vocated to take the place of the 
barrel package. In reply to this 
supposition Mr. Chaney writes : 
“There is no idea of ever dis- 
continuing the barrel. The half- 
barrel box was not offered as a 
substitute for the barrel. It was 
only offered for a package in 
which to ship berries that should 
be shipped in the chaff, and par- 
ticularly a package in which to 
ship water-raked berries, or very 
tender and poor keeping berries. 
We have found by experience that 
chaff berries do not keep as well 
in barrels as they do in boxes be- 
cause they do not get the ventila- 
tion and where berries are shipped 
to Chicago or some other point for 
a long hold in storage, it is safer, 
and far better to ship them in ven- 
tilated boxes. This half-barrel 
box has proved an ideal box for 
that proposition. 
“For years to come, there will 
be only a limited demand sold in 
boxes, tho this is a very desirable 
retail package. 75 to 85%, at 
least, will be sold in the barrels. 
Do not think there will be any 
call that is worth mentioning for 
good, sound keeping berries for 
direct shipment in any package 
other than the barrel. There are 
April, 1919 
now a good many berries shipped 
to Chicago in the chaff — a good 
many water-raked or frosted ber- 
ries that are very poor keeping 
berries shipped to Chicago for im- 
mediate sale — these, when shipped 
in barrels sometimes go down very 
quickly, and if shipped in this 
ventilated box they would stand 
up very much better. 
“For any grower who is unfor- 
tunate enough to have that kind 
of berries, or for any grower who 
desires to hold berries, especially 
for late storage, the half-barrel, 
ventilated box would be the prop- 
er package to use. We do not 
want to give up the barrel — 
neither will the trade give up the 
barrel, and I hope the growers did 
not get the idea that we wanted to 
give up the barrel. If the half- 
barrel box with good berries in it 
was used for direct sale, we would 
have to charge enough premium 
to cover the extra cost of labor 
and the extra cost of the package 
itself.” 
With a demand for and where 
obtainable, $30.00 per barrel being 
paid, are any of us wishing we 
had held some of our cranberries 
for this before unattainable fig- 
ure? 
Here is a question from one of 
our New Jersey members. — “Are 
your people troubled by ‘scum’ 
or algae growth in parts of their 
bogs when the water is taken off 
in the spring? Information as to 
how to combat it would be of in- 
terest. Also the use of bees on 
bogs.” 
If any of our readers are 
troubled with same condition on 
bogs in springtime, and have any 
remedy to offer, it would be ap- 
preciated if the> would immedi- 
ately make it known to the secre- 
