Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1907-09-05
STUDYING THE CRANBERRY.
butte to the pry.perl,y of n New
England Euterprise.

from disease The Cape Cod cranberry
growers have an association which
has It's motto ITO bring about the
most scientific methods OF cranberry
culture and make this industry as
high class of farming for this sec
tion as is the cotton growing in the
South" 1t is with the purpose of liv-
Ing up to this motto that the cram
berry growers are securing expert
advice as to how to increase the pro-
ductiveress Of the boEs.
To the ordinary observer 1t would
seem that cranberry culture on Cape
Cod has already been brought to
high state Of development. The inves-
tigator learns for example, that a bog
of five and flve-eights acres has paid
its owner net profit OF $40 day.
year In and year ont for n period OF
10 years. Another bog of As acres paio
for itself seven times over In Is years.
Stockholders in some Of the companies
owning cranberry boys are accustom.
cd to regularly receive dividends
ranging from Is to more than 80 per
cent. annually
The cranberries used in tho Uniteo
states are grown chiefly in Massachu-
sets, New Jersey and Wisconsin The
Pilgrim Fathers found the cranberry
in its wild state but it was not un-
I'll three quarters of n century ago
| that its cultivation was begun with
the new order of things have come
troubles which apparently did not eff
feet the plant before II was cultivat-
ed by man. Thus the wild plant does
not seem to be seriously affected by
fungus parasites but the cultivated
variety is subject to damage by fungi.
| The Cape Cod growers are taking no
chances but are trying In every way
not only to keep tho Dogs as rroduc.
tive as at present but to make them
more so.
This undertaking by the men whose
business is the growing o.. the material
for tho Thanksgiving and Christmas
cranberry sauce Is receiving aid not
only from the national government
through the department Of agriculture
but also from tho George Washington
University In this city. Professor
Shear. who has Just been down to Cape
Cod to talk with the Cranberry grow
crs. has contributed to the universi-
ty publications a paper discussing In
an authoritative manner cranberry
diseases and how they may be pre-
vented. Professor Shears paper is Of
interest to the man who has con-
nection with cranberry growing, be-
cause for ono thing, 1t shows how
similar are the methods employed by
the men who study the disease of
plants to the methods used by inves
| tigators who seek the causes OF the
ills of mankind We flnd, for intancc,
that some Of the parasites Of the cram
berry have been carefully brought UP
by hand. TO speak and records
made of their life histories. AS re-
suit It has been possible to devise
methods for the prevention or control
Of the diseases which these minute
pests set up.
When the scientist starts out to in
vestigatc the troubles of plant. he
enters upon task to which he de-
votes much time. Some of the investi-
cations which are described by Prof
essor Shear have been in progress for
hve years and included careful stud
les made in the field, the laboratory
and the green house. The investtga-
tor in the course of his work goes
into the cranberry raising business on
his own account, growing the plants
in plats side by side. leaving some Of
these plants entirely untreatej and
treating others In various ways. AS a
result of such test covering period
of several years, 1t has been found
that bordeaux mixture Is the most eff
fcctive preventive of fungus diseases.
Having sprayed tho plants In certain
plats with this mixture tho investi-
gator carefully counted the berries
and found that In the sprayed plats
there was an average of only six per
cent OF diseased fruit, while there
was a little more than 81 per cent. in
the unsprayed plats.
The scientist goes beyond a mere
discussion Of the effect of his remedy
and gives the cranberry growers
hints as to Its application. The condi-
lions under which carnberrles are
grown differ so greatly fro mthese un-
der which other fruits are grown that
it has been found necessary to devise
special methods for the handling OF
the spraying machinery. Where large
areas are to be sprayed power
spraying outfit Is necessary. gaso>
lene engine. with It's pump and Access
SOTleS, furnishes tne most Satisfactory
and economical power Such an outfit
mounted upon n truck and provided
with long lines OF hose may be driven
upon a track prepared across the bog
ana the mixture applied from both
sides. thus necessitating as little
tramping and injury to the cranberry
bog as possible.
The results Of Professor Shears In
vestigations were embodied in a the
sis prevented in satisfaction OF the re-
quirements OF degree to the faculty
of graduate studies of George Wash
ington University An abstract of the
thesis was hen included In the uni.
versitys publications. The proceeding
is an indication OF the cooperation
that is possible between the govern
mental departments and the capital
city's leading institution of tho high
| er education Many of the scientific
discussions which are printed by the
graduate department of which Pro-
fessor Charles L. Monroe is dean, are
based upon material gathered by adj
vanced students working In Uncle
Sans laboratories an Libraries.
DREAMING OF HOME.
I've been away from home for years,
I'll prob'ly not get back;