Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1900-03-01

Station,
| Washington, u. 4, t'eh 2a-rhe first
actual returns or statistics for the
twelfth census are now coming in.
! They relate 10 cranberry culture and
| give the acreage, tenure quantity ot
| fruit produced, cost al Labor and ferG
Ulcers. area vi new plautngS, value Of
crop ANA lGsSes from disease, insects
or plantation. In January preliminary
! schedules relating to the cranberry
! yield OF 1899 We're sent ont to all the
growers whose names and addresses
could be obtained Zach blank was
accompanied by a list OF the growers,
SO far as aseerta!ncd, in the vicinity of
the person addressed. To be by aim cor
rected and returned to the census office.
| TO any additional growers whose
names We're thus secured, schedules
were forwarded by return mail, and
many have already made their reports,
Although cranberry growing is o ID this
is the first attempt by the government
To gather special and complete stats
| ties in relation to it. The wild cram
berry or craneberry grew in natural
Dogs only, The best boys are laurel
maple, cedar, tamarack, aspen, and bal
sam swamps. Cultivation consists in
clearing away all growth except the
vines and in sanding and preparing TO
flood, The bog is flooded to protect
the fruit from trosts and to kin fire
worms or other parasites Among the
latter are yellowheaded and black
headed fruit worms. which, If left UNI
checked, are liable to destroy the entire
crop.
Growers remove weeds add fertiliz-
ers, retood from time to time and spray
the vines to kill moths, larvae, tip
worms, scale, etc. Where suitable
sand is available, all really tirst-cass
Dogs are sanded regardless Of whelner
or not they can be flooded This rem
ders cultivation and picking easier and
makes the fruit brighter ana cleaner.
In some sections, where flooding is not
accomplished by natural freshets or the
use of artificial dams and slnices, pow
erful pumping works have been erected.
When the weather bureau reports an
impending freeze, the pumps are put to
work and the bog is covered with wa.
| tp In fDu
There are some dry cranberry fields
artiticially planted; but, Wilde produc-
tive they can not be SO certainly pro-
tected as the noodable boys The mum
Der OF commercial growers in the
United States, is over 1000 They are
found mainly in the states OF Massa-
ehusetts, New Jersey, Maine, Connect
cut, Michigan, and Wisconsin, but Min
nesota, Oregon, Rhode Island, Wash
ington and New York reported boys
The number in Michigan and Wisc0n-
sin is on the increase despite a tenn
porary setback by forest fires.
A new field or bog is made by clip
ping and thrusting into the earth
sprouts from vines not more than three
years old.
There are many varieties of cranbpr-
ries. Over 100 Of them. Of good keep.
ing and shipping qualities, were raised
at the state experiment station at Mad
ison, Wis, in 1898, and exhibited at the
succeeding cranberry convention. The
United states consular officers report
about an equal number in the Canad an
provinces the best Of which are being
transplanted to this country
The methods of cultivating. picking,
screening or grading and marketing
eranberrtes are practically the same
everywhere, and more nearly uniform
than those Of any other considerable
branch of agricultural production that
covers widely separated areas
The growers are well organized, the
national association having its head
quarters at Trenton, New Jersey, and
local organizations existing in Massa-
chusetts and possibly elsewhere. They
keep a record OF acreage and produc-
ton and gather for their own use Ger
tain annual statistics. They also are
attempting to secure the adoption and
common use Of barrels and crates o.
uniform size, sanctioned by law. What
Is known as the western barrel" so
fixed by law In Wisconsin, Is 25H
inches high; in inches in diameter al
the heads and Is inches In diameter at
the hilge, inside measure, and must b.
officially branded under severe penalty
for failure. The Massachusetts or Cape
Cod barrel Is slightly different, being
l6xl7 4x2G Is inches, inside measure.
and must contain 100 quarts. The WIS
consln QegaD or eastern crate is 22xl2
All2 inches inside measure, and must
be branded The Cape Cod crate. In use
also in Connecticut. Maine and Ne.
Jersey, Is one OF the same dimensions.