Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1900-01-12
Official Report on Cranberry Culture.

WI. IL w. ONclS, lIlc AiiitI otdllSti-
clan in charge Of the agricultural in
vestigations Of the Twelfth Census, is
making an especial effort to insure the
adequate and complete representation
OF all branches of agricultural indus
try by the statistics which will be col
lected under his direction. At the
same time he has not considered it adj
visablc to place upon the general agri-
cultural schedule which will be placed
in the hands of the enumerators, very
detailed inquiries concerning crops,
the production of which is strictly 10.
Called. Such products will be pro.
vided for in special schedules, which
will be distributed in the localities
only in which the crops to which they
relate are grown.
Among the industries to receive
treatment OF this character, cranberry
culture is one of the most important
The special schedule to be used in this
investigation has been prepared, and
will be distributed early this month
at which time it is believed that nearly
the entire production for the year 1898
will have been marketed.
The main dependence in this inves.
tigation will be upon schedules to be
transmitted and returned by mail, and
therefore its success will depend very
largely upon the interest manifested
by cranberry growers. If they coop.
crate cordially with the census Office,
the Importance and extent of their in
dustry will be fully represented in the
report on agriculture, and its rank
among the special agricultural indus.
tries will receive suitable public recog-
milton. If they fail to do so, however,
their industry cannot but appear un-
favorably, as compared with those
which are more fully represented in
the census statistics.
The inquiries to be made will in
clude questions concerning the owner
ship OF each plantation, or bog, as it is
of course desirable to show what pro-
portion OF the total acreage is cult
waited by those who own the land, and
what proportion by tenants. An at
tempt will be made to segregate the
area in natural vines from that in
planted vines, and an inquiry concern
ing the number of vines planted dur
ing the last three years has been
framed in order to ascertain the num-
Der of young vines, and thus indicate
in some degree the probable future
progress of the industry.
There will also be two inquiries con-
corning the quantity produced during
1899, so as to show separately the pro.
duction from natural and from plant
ed vines. The net value of his cram
berry crop of 1899 will be asked of
each producer, and care will be taken
to exclude from this value the cost of
packing and marketing. 1t is desired
also to ascertain the amount paid for
labor and for fertilizers during the
crop year. and in accordance with the
desire of many of those engaged in
the industry, estimates will be request
ed OF the extent of any reduction in
the crop, below what may be regarded
as the normal production which may
have occurred during 1899 on account
OF blight, early frosts or other causes.
Probably every one understands at
this time that the work of the census
Office is in no way connected with tax
alton or the various agencies for as
sessing taxes, and no one will now hes.
itate on account Of an erroneous inn
preston to the contrary, to furnish
the Information asked. The census
office also emphasizes the fact that
there will be no disclosure OF the pri-
vate business of any individual; that
aggregates only will be shown in its
reports, and that all information re-
ceived in the schedules will, so far as
individual reports are concerned, be
regarded as strictly confidential.
The census Office has had extensive
correspondence with the officers of the
various cranberry growers associa-
tions, with individual producers, and
with Others who have manifested an
interest in this branch of agricultural
industry, and has made every effort to
frame its schedules in accordance with
their desires. 1t is to be hoped that
these efforts will be appreciated by
those who may be directly benefited
by them, and that they in turn will do
all in their power to assist the census
office in conducting its inquiries.
As it is essential, if the industry is
to be completely represented, that the
census Office should have a complete
list of those engaged in it, there will
be inclosed with each schedule a list
of those known to the census Office as
being engaged in cranberry culture
within the locality to which the in
quiry is sent, and the recipient will be
requested to furnish to the Office the
names of any persons not on the list,
who are cranberry growers. In this
way it is hoped to secure the names of
all of those who are not now listed in
the census Office. The Office will then
forward schedules to all such persons,
and if they respond promptly and sat
isfactorily, there can be no reason for
the omission of any important portion