Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1903-01-15

work. The James Gaynor grader is
doing excellent work. 1t grades to
perfection any size and is very easy to
| run.
The windmill at the experimental
station was sold for S51, this being the
| highest bid received, and the rejected
vines or vines not marked for propa-
CATION we sold for SO, this also being
| the highest bid received for them after
| having advertised them.
The statistics of the cranberry crop
! last season were received by our secre-
tary from the east and west and bulle-
tines were sent to the growers of the
condition of the crop. The estimate
| this year was the most correct that we
| have ever had. We have always had
trouble in getting the eastern crop
correct, but we got it this year.
think that the western growers give
us more correct estimates than they
formerly did of their whole crop.
In conclusion, l wish 10 ask the
members not to elect me 10 the office
of president | have been president
now for the past three years and con-
slider that have discharged my duty
in this respect.
thank you for your kind attention.
CHARLES BRIERE.
The efficient secretary and treasurer
made their annual reports which
showed the association to be in a
strong healthy financial condition.
The secretary w. HI. Fitch, of Gran
moor, takes d personal pride in per-
forming his duties accurately and
looks after every detail to a nicely.
The reports will appear itemized in
the published proceedings. The
following memorial to the state leg
lslature was unanimously adopted and
will explain itself:
To the members of the Wisconsin
legislature
Your memorialist, the Wisconsin
Cranberry Association, would respect
fully call the attention OF your
honorable body, to the fact that there
are, in the northern half of Wisconsin,
several hundred thousand acres of
marsh lands. upon which wild cram
berries, of a superior quality, were
produced in large quantities, prior to
the great forest fires of 1893 and 1894;
that more than 50 per cent. of these
wild vines have been destroyed by
those fires.
In the year1S9O, there were gathered
and marketed from these wild marshes,
nearly 100000 barrels of cranberries
that sold for $5 barrel and upwards.
The land upon which they grew is
now covered With Sphagnun moss and
wild coarse grasses, sedgeS and are
practically worthless for any of the
general purposes of agriculture. That
it has been demonstrated in this state
that these lands can be utilized for
the purpose Of growing cultivated
cranberrieS, and that an acre of these
lands planted 10 vines, where proper
supply of water for irrigation can be
controlled, will yield from 200 to 800
dollars worth of cranberrieS a year,
and that it has been practically
demonstrated that the cultivated
cranberries can be grown successfully
where the Wild cranberIieS were found
growing naturally.
The cultivation of cranberrieS in
Wisconsin is an industry that is still
in it's infancy, and very little has been
done to demonstrate, by experiment,
tue best methods of cultivation, or
the best varieties of this fruit for
general cultivation. The industry is
very much in need Of this class of
scientific, experimental work, and
under a scientific guidance, can be
made one of the greatest industries of
Northern Wisconsin, and a large
quantity of comparatively worthless
lands Can be made the source of large
| incomes.
We would therefore respectfully ask
that you appropriate the sum of $4,000
|annually to the Agricultural Depart.
Ement OF our state university to be
used by it to promote the development
of this industry in Wisconsin, and
your memOrialiSt will ever pray.
Dated at the city of Grand Rapid;
this 18th day of JAN, 1903
The election Of Qftice{s resulted as
follows: Charles Rriere, president; S
IN. Whittlesey, vice PRESIDENT; NJ. O
Potter, treasurer; w. II. Fitch, secre
tary; A. F.. Bennett, member Of exec
Htive committee.
Among the strangers present who
took a part in the discussions ant
proceedings were: Prof. E. P. Sand
Sten, of the State University; E. X
Tuttle, of Mather; II. H. Gebhardt
of Black River Falls. Many paper
we're read of interest to cranberr,
growers and then thoroughly dis
cuSSed