GEEANEERRY @RGWENG REGIONS 9F WESCONSEN Thesis for the Degree of M. A. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY Richard K. Haugen 1959 llllllallllHilzlllllllllfllUHlll!Willi”!IIIIIHJHIHIW 1293 10409 7427 C RAE-{BERRY GR O‘If ILIG REG IONS OF 1'." ISO 033 S IN Y LU g Chara I 4 p. r’x— HI . naugen J AN ESTRACT Submitted to the College of Science and Arts Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment of the requirements, for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS Department of Geography 1959 ,l/I’I‘I/{l I". V / l/ 5/ Approved (/17LJ1C76’D [:1' (Q K’%¥!;) -~. Richard K. Haugen ABSTRACT Wisconsin is second in importance in the national production of cranberries, producing about one-fourth of the total million barrels grown annually in the United tates. Since 1945 the expansion of Wisconsin's cranberry U) ' '1 industry has been greater than that of any other cranberry growing state. The purpose of this thesis is to describe the simi- larities and ‘ifferenoes of Yisconsin cranberry production in the three producing regions of the state. The most im— portant factors affecting the pattern and appearance of cranberry growing establishments in the three regions are age and the physical setting. In the Central region many of the marshes are quite old and are constructed on con- tinuously level land. The type of buildings and the unin- terrupted gridiron pattern of the bogs reflect these facts. The Horthnestern region is intermediate in age and the building types are not distinctive. The scattered pattern of the bogs reflects the undulating morainic topography. Individual marshes in this region are usually constructed in narrow stream valleys and have an irregular pattern. 1 Tne Northcentral region is the newest of the three cranberry _' "r, - ‘ 'r '1' a. - Richard L. pauben producing areas. Buildin s and marshes are of modern con- struction and reflect the leewaiisatioa of the industry in several ways. Iost of the cranberry growing establi.hments ion are constructed on level swampy wroind bor- dering a lake. marshes are Widely scattered, but generally show a unii* orm rectan ;ula r pattern in the producing area. The rate of expazm ion or the aiiount of expansion that can take place in the Jisconsin or eniberry ind ustry does not appear to depend to any great extent upon physical lilita- tions or advantages. Some areas of the state are more favor— able for the commercial production of cranberries than others but usually the commercial cranberry arsh is based on an environment that approximates the conditions of a wild cran- berry marsh. It ias been shown that within the state of ”is consin theie is a variety of environmental circumstances in which cranberries can be and are profitably grown. The amount of future growth of the Hisconsin cranberry industry Will not be determined by limitations of the physi- cal environment. host of the growers in the state could double their eVisting bearing acreage on property they now own if the demand for cranberries would justify this. The principal governing factor in the growth of the industry has been and will continue to be the market for cranberries. CRANBERRY GROWING REGIONS OF WISCONSIN by Richard K. Haugen A TIES IS Submitted to the College of Science and Arts Michigan State University of Agriculture and Applied Science in partial fulfillment the requirements for the degree of I STER OF ARTS Department of Geography 1959 ‘v""' 7‘5 Q -"1 Pilfljll ACE; This thesis is an outgrowth of a field problem in 13 CD 0 CC) I raphy taken under Professor Henry W. Kolka at Wisconsin State College at Eau Claire. It was at that time I came into contact with some of the people in the cranberry business and became interested in this somewhat unique and highly specialized industry. To acknowledge specifically all the help received from individuals during the course of this study would be impossible because of space limitations. Among these people are the growers who returned questionnaires and the many who generously stopped work long enough to show me their cranberry operation and an- swer questions. Individuals of county and state government, the University of Lisconsin, the National Cranberry Association, Indian Trail, Incorporated, and owners of independent cranberry growing establishments all contributed much. Some persons were outstanding in their contribution. Dr. Charles W. boas was my thesis committee chairman, and gave much appreciated help and encouragement throighout the development of the thesis. Dr. George L. Peltier, consultant to Indian Trail, Incorporated, gave generously of his time and knowledge throughout the field work. I am also indebted to Miss Frances Coe Reed for moral and material aid throughout the compilation, Ann butler Reed for editing and typing the final draft, and D. John Eeck, who made available the excellent cartographic facil- U) itie of the Lansing city planners office. R. K. H. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page {I f\" T—TT’firfiw‘ 1'1 ' " LIQT ULU .LJLJHul-Li ALQ‘LSU. o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 V a.“ J_ C -ap U01? —Iy "‘-v\-7vw .1... ’.~‘P I o IATIXUUL‘U [4. .LUI‘I o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o l 4. J. :1 a Statement oi Proulem . . . . . . . . . . 5 Leti lods of Investigation . . . . . . . . 6 m~-r- . ~0- . "w -;-/'1 \ C' . -f-1rv1- u .-'i ‘1 raj-“’71 7" "- 11,“! '\ C} >--~r 1‘1 -. II. .A. .A-ll L-Lib_'_ 11L L331). .L_: K; L... .LaLA b‘LLLJL/A.U-Lin ULL11::- 7')"':fi‘y‘ - “7 *rqu-wwr ULLIILI .Li‘._L)'JL).Lh_L o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 ll Topography and Drainage . . . . . . . . . 11 The effect of topo fir ply on the pattern of cranberry larshes . . . . . . . . . lC Clinate . . . . . . . . . . . . The cranberry weather forecast . . . . Le Ifixpiyt;zu__o;1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2’7 -7'3‘:O‘C£LJCI:.C'11 S'._‘.1‘l“ql‘;id‘I.'.‘i_3 the "‘ogflls. . . . 29 Vegetation within the bogs . . . . . . 50 (10118 0 o o o o o o o o . . o o o o o o o 4.x) Sainary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 III. HIbTCJ” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4a The geélnnin, of theW isconsin Cr‘nberry 45 Iildu S t f:- o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 4; 5 The Berlin Re ‘Ou . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 The Central. Region . . . . . . . . . . . 49 The North 01 ifiegions. . . . . . . . . . . 55 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 IV. REGIONAL LLQCHTIMTQI . . . . . . . . . . . . U! 01 Wisconsin Cranberry Culture-—A General Description . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Regional Differences . . . . . . . . . . 65 The Berlin Region. . . . . . . . . . . 64 T119 Central Region 0 o o o o o o o o o 65 The Northcentral Region. . . . . . . . 72 The Northwestern Region. . . . . . . . 75 Representative Cranberry Growing Establisa ‘.onts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73 The Central Cranberry Company . . . . 78 r1“, 7.: - ~--.-.‘ \ no _L.LlC IAlJlGniafl. ..;d.; SL1. . o o a o o o o o o L"? F. Ho Ho Chapter Page T e Cranber rLF Lake Development 63)}... O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 8 Tie Badger Cranb eriy Company . . . C3 ‘3 h’e C) V. ‘LIJCQIJJT CRATELRif PIZODUC TION: HARKETING ALID i‘IATI ‘iaAL IMP ILTAJ.U r: I o o o o o o o o o 91 ‘ M "'in f‘i‘TCF'IY “Yr 1' ‘I (\l ; (ab-L-LOLI_LJ.- .._._uCui-u--.:1 \JIGJ'IQGI’TLGS. . o o d Growers Associations . . . . . . . . . CB Independent Cr wers . . . . . . . . . 05 Wisconsin's Place in National Cra‘ berry Production... . . . . . . . . 94 VI. LX-LAZT ALB CONCLUSIONS . . . . . . . . . lOO EPLLDIX I: EKL.LMJY C? gLILTINLAIRE.]lENI. . . lOi AiiL DE£ II: hLCIoNnL SULLAEY CF SOIL [d ID ”ALL ACIDIflf; HELD PCP JLAT‘ ' . . . . . . 114 BIBLIOGP‘API‘NQ o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 11.5 Distri Acreage. J-LLUJ. L; 'GUdLl 15 "1T .. L‘i—D— .L ‘ xx.) va ‘1 W 1111133” L—d } I ’3 a p on of Liscons1n Craiocrry O O O O 0 O O O O O I O O O 0 O \ :A q .1.J—,—‘ fl -\ fi .113 acl De ooits 01 WLSCL-3LH. . O (D 5 C. I H i— a U1 0 Cu h ) U) H. 5.. ,_l C O . Swag-Lip of on of L13 The Eableman fiarsh . . . . . . . . . . . . The Central Cr nberrJ Con1pany . . . . . . The Cranberr3 Lake D3ve lopment Comp pany . . The Badger Cranberry Company . . . . . . . Cranberry Acreage by States 1910-1957. . . Cranberry Production by States 1910-1057 . Wisconsin CranW' e11 r3 T1 18 C ran‘o e y- f .‘nl T" .. {I .7 , -/ .4... --)-- I" L’- si 11 nway Si View fron Bog format Production by Counties Pr oto "ra3ns rry plant. . . . . . . . . . . . an in the Cranmoor District. . . :n on a stat3 hi W1h 3. . . . . . towncaip road in the Northcentral a fire tow G; o o o o o o o o o 0 ion in a pothole lake in the Northcentral region. . . . . . . . . . . An old gravel pit in the Northcentral reg; 1011 . t .J D3 U1 H h’5 (3 CO CO [.4 I" I.) 113 \7 CD «'1 :3 O1 0 (n 9 Q3 [0 C13 12. Flood plain of the St. Croix River in the gorthnestern region . . . . . . . . . . . . 13. A cranberry :narsn under construction on the flood plain o: the St. Croix River. . . . . 14. Water pun; bet reen reservoir and main canal . 15. Tne use 01 wate r pipes for frost protection . 1-. 17. Yet land vegetation association in the Loren- central region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18. Hand weeding a recently plant cranberry bed . 19. A motorized knife clipper in action . . . . . 20. A test strip of one of the new cle;uica1 W’eed Sprays o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 21. The latest in or borrJ marsh mechanization, tile "bridg‘e " O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 22. Buildings at the Lcrlin Harsh . . . . . . . . 25. Canal from Iierlin HarQ tor ox River, com- pletely cho Ked by grasses . . . . . . . . . 24. Cranoorry wa1“ ehouse at the Gaynor_ Halsh . . . 25. Cranberry drying sheds at the Gaynor Harsh. . 26. Housing for seasonal laborers in the Cranmoor district. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27. The Cranmoor siding . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28. The Upland Cranberry Company. . . . . . . . . 23. ee nives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30. Hand larves ind, using the Wisconsin scoop. . 31. La1vested berries a1e placed in wooden boxes and loaded into boats . . . . . . . . . . . 52. Harvesting by machine . . . . . . . . . . . . vi DD 01 (5 O I“ DI) ()1 H (N C11 Figure 03 m o 55. (R W ‘3 Q o 0 C! Q o (N O 0 P358 Unloading the boat into the hot air dryer at the warohouse o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 61 Cranberries are stored in the warehouse after the” are dried. o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 62 When berries are ready for packaging they are dumped into these conveyors . . . . . . . . 62 Marginal housing on the Central region . . . 63 Abandoned farmstead on sandy area near Harrens 68 Spreading Sphagnum moss out to dry. . . . . . 71 Bailing the MOSS. o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 71 Bog construction at Thunder Lake, Horthcentral region. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Interior of cranberry processirg plant. . . . 74 New bog construction in the Horthcentral regiorlo o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 O O 77 The sinking of beds is a serious problem. . . 77 Warehouse building at Central Cranberry Con- pany, Cranmoor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 A dike at Central, constructed about seventy liege-(’8 3.00 o o o o o o o o o o o o o o o O O '79 Residence at the Hablenan Harsh near Hillst n 8 Warehouse at the Hablenan Harsh . . . . . . . 85 The Cranberry Lake Development Company. . . . '85 Warehouse and other buildings at Cranberry Large 0 O O O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O 35 Dryer and warehouse at the Shell Lake Harsh . 89 Reservoir and marsh at Shell Lake . . . . . . 89 Table II Tables .A. ~ 'rvu'rn‘ TTV" "‘- " ‘T 1'1",“ "'3' 3 1 ”I"? Ti) 1'." '2‘ ’ I L A ETD 1,-u1s 1111.11 1....11A1'0 1.1.11-1 11:114-111. 1, - 111... , 1 11‘11..1 I'LL: ILL: m'“ SUNSHINE I}? 1-1.13 I‘h’L-IBERKY ALLA?) OF KISCCJSII AID LASSACEUSETTS . . o o o o o (\3 I0 CRANBEhiY YInLDS Psi [CIH “Y STATES 1910-195700000000000ooooo 97 Chapter I INTRODUCTION Cranberry growing is one of the most intensive forms of agriculture in North America. This fruit was first harvested by the North American Indian who used it, together with dried. meat,to make pemmican, a staple food of their diet. Since the First Thanksgiving, cranberries have become a traditional part of holiday feasts and are appearing more frequently in various forms on the American table throughout the year. The cranberry is unique among fruit crops in.many re- spects. Its native habitat is the moist peat bog of the cooler parts of North America. It is an evergreen vine which grows in a thick mat covering the bog surface to a depth of about six inches. Because these bogs are usually quite low in relation to the surrounding land, the cranberry is more subject to un- seasonal frosts than are most fruits. Under cultivation cranberry vines are protected from frost by the application of water to the growing area, and from the winter cold by freezing in ice. The capital investment required to bring one acre of cranberry vines into production may be anywhere from.three to five thousand dollars, and up to five years may elapse before Fig 1 ‘ ° " The c late August, before ifiibfiiiiiilafit- The picture w t 8 ad begun to as alien in ripen. CULTURE For quku no (ht Illd 22.21333 "9-an l1; may no rue "on“! ’1 004- of (run. fiber by Cranmer noulu lltcnlly arm and firm and n uhblumw . "sf mum um, n" dufl'w ulu‘tljm ,Vldvlo CRANBERRY mpplnnlrrl by Ihkh hur glw per a «Mun hand-plum; pr: lnrr Inprmrd nlrl rrplnrd "v colorful family gnu” lcgflhtr -m M!" MGM” ”W" ulna-mt TM.» 17v muhlnc hn rcplmrd MM ubrr la the mpnmcn ~( (M bow and mm) a! M: umph plu‘urn 1m! Inhmllr .uNInlnm nwumpnmlnq lb! lab‘rh Hal! )1 Yb; J'Insz» 5“;- l'r n‘ ' ku' nlnevw! 9! 9h: put! ‘1' SM) v' .1 Fig”2‘"‘— * ~ ” -1 ba ° ° "' Hi hw ' ”‘ ‘ 1* ,,,________~ ckground a cranbegrygzaiigguig thg Cr lm°°;_BiS£rictwk an Producin ° In the 8 boss can be seen. - 5 - the first commercially productive harvest. In addition to the great amount of time and expense involved, profitable cranberry growing requires very specialized knowledge and equipment. The commercial production of cranberries is confined to five states: Massachusetts, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Washington, 1 The eastern states have led the nation in cran- and Oregon. berry production since the beginnings of the industry, but in recent years a greater share of the crop has been grown in the areas away from the east coast. This does not indicate a de- cline of the eastern industry, but rather the rapid expansion of new areas of production in Wisconsin and on the West Coast. In 1957 over one-third of the total United States production came from.Wisconsin, Washington, and Oregon.2 The expansion of the cranberry industry in'Wisconsin has surpassed all other areas since 1945. In 1957 Wisconsin growers reported 4,000 3 acres of bearing vines, about one—fourth of the national total.4 There are about 150 growers in the state. Statement of Problem The purpose of this thesis is to describe the similari- ties and differences of Wisconsin cranberry production in IWisconsin Crop Reporting Service, Cranberries of Wisconsin Special Bulletin No. 70, (Madison: Wisconsin State Department of Agriculture, December 1957) p. 17. 2Ibid., p. 19. 3Bearing vines are generally considered to be those five years old or more which have produced berries in commercial quantities. Wisconsin;Crop.Reporting Service, op.cit., p.19 .[sllllll’ll‘t '1'» :ll.| three producing regions of the state. The geographical pattern of the Wisconsin cranberry in- dustry is examined in relation to its physical and cultural setting. Topography and drainage, climate, vegetation patterns, and soils are presented as being the primary physical factors affecting the geography of Wisconsin Cranberry growing. The . historical development of the present areal arrangement of the industry, characteristics of cranberry growing establish- ments within each region, growers' associations and marketing of Wisconsin's cranberries are presented as the principal considerations of a cultural nature. The three cranberry producing regions of Wisconsin are the areal basis of description. The Central region consists of the concentration of bogs on the lacustrine plain of Glacial Lake Wisconsin and includes Wood, Portage, Jackson, Honroe and Juneau Counties, which together account for about three-fourths of the state production. The Cranmoor district in the south- central part of Wood County produces about one-third of the state's cranberries.' The second ranking area of production is in the North- central part of the state, including Vilas, Oneida and Price Counties. Most of the recent expansion of Wisconsin's cranberry industry has taken place in the Northcentral region, which now produces about one-seventh of the state's total crop. DISTRIBUTION OF WISCONSIN 0.9 ('5’. CRANBERRY ACREAGE 000”! I _ c VILAS PRIC '9 ON I ’0 .9. a). ‘ LINCOLN . ' :5 .____J __I CLARK AU CLN . noon a. name: I . O ucnsou ‘7. . g . - 4"." O o d z. I 9. __r- ,. -.:° gaunt»: as“: mmm Nona: . .' '°':‘.°:‘:‘. ‘5' : {e '3 S E l DOT - IO ACRES h/L 25 50 75 I00 MILES SOURCE: WISCONSIN CROP REPORTING SERVICE RICH. Qfl The Northwestern region, with most of the bogs in Burnett, Washburn and Sawyer counties, and some acreage in Douglas, Barron and Rusk counties, produces about one- tenth of the state's cranberries. The first expansion of the industry into northern.Wisconsin took place in this region. An additional region is treated in the historical sense in that it was the first area of production of the state. It is near Berlin on the bed of Glacial Lake Oshkosh. Although present day production of this region is insignifi- cant, at one time it was the most important of the state. Hethods of Investigation This thesis is based largely on field work conducted during the summer of 1958. During the course of this study, approximately forty individual cranberry marshes represent- \ing the three producing regions of the state were visited. Interviews with the owners and foremen of these marshes were a major source of information, especially that pertaining to problems and variations in cultural practices in the different producing regions of the state. Only one instance was found where commercial cranberry marshes were visible from a highway. This was on State High- way 54 in the southern part of Wood County, where it passes through the Cranmoor district. {ere, in a stretch of about five miles, one can see the buildings and producing area of’ five or six cranberry establishments. Quite often the indi- vidual grower places a sign on the highway indicating the presence of his marsh on a road leading off into the woods, but this is the closest most casual motorists come to seeing a cranberry marsh. The isolation of the producing areas within the state is seen to be a definite disadvantage to the industry, for people are not constantly reminded of its existence , as they are of most agricultural production, Even a tourist rushing through the state at top speed could hardly escape noticing that he is passing through an area noted for dairy- ing and general farming. Only a relatively astute observer would notice that he is passing through a cranberry producing area in'Wisconsin. Kany natives of the state living within an easy Sunday's drive of several cranberry bogs had never seen one, although most said they would like to see such a farm someday. Most people not directly associated with the industry expressed considerable surprise to learn that Wisconsin is the second most important cranberry producing state. Many of the bogs were visited while traveling with Dr. George L. Peltier, consultant to the Indian Trail Growers MN]? III "9' fi-___— .___..____-_ -___~——.—.. — —— a Fig. 4. -- A sign such as this on one of the state highways is usually the only indication of the presence of a cranberry bog ever seen by the passing motorist. f‘; 9“ .“ .. ’3 (“I wt“. Tip-g . , , w. . .4.,’* I ff»! , - ., ‘ k .‘l _ ‘ u: (.‘i‘V-“vm'r $.41. J7. , . r w ‘ , ““HOVIGII M. . Mummy.- l ' Fig. 5. -- Sign erected by a group of cranberry growers on a township road in the Northcentral region. There is no indication of these marshes on the state highway, six miles away. Association. Dr. Peltier generously supplied much of the technical and historical information, based upon his many years of experience with the cranberry industry. Photography was a major tool of description through- out the field work. The forty-seven pictures appearing in this thesis have been edited from a total of more than 200 photographs, and are felt to be the most representative of the geographical setting of the Wisconsin Cranberry industry. happing of individual bogs in both field and office is based on aerial photography of the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Forest Service. Although a few of the photographs were purchased, most were borrowed either from the growers themselves or from agencies of the counties in which the bogs are located. 'Where possible, the photography was field checked and developments which have occurred since the photos were taken,were added. United States Geological Survey topographic mapping does not cover most of the cranberry growing area in.Visconsin, therefore this source was seldom used. Statistical and much of the other factual material was obtained through agencies and individuals connected with the University of Wisconsin. Some unpublished data were also obtained through this source. In February of 1959 a questionnaire was sent to all members of each of the two growers associations in the state. The response to this questionnaire was excellent, with a 55 per cent return. Growers representing approxi~ mately 5,000 acres of the total 4,000 acres of cranberries in the state were contacted either through the question- naire or by personal interview during the course of this Stildy e CHAPTER II THE PdlSICAL ENVIRONJEHT Topography and Drainage The pattern of cranberry growing in‘Jisconsin reflects to a great extent the differences in the glaciated and un- glaciated landscape of the state. The drainage patterns associated with the moraine, outwash deposits, glacial lake beds, and the Driftless Area all have had their effects upon the nature of cranberry growing in the state. Variations in the physical setting from place to place pose special prob- lems to the cranberry grower and have brought about differing agricultural techniques in the various regions. In the northern producing regions most of the hogs are widely scattered and occur on the ground and end moraines of the Cary Substage of the Wisconsin Glaciation. There are hundreds of lakes in these regions formed in shallow depres- sions in the moraine or hollows in small outwash deposits. The drift mantle is quite deep here and there are few, if any, rock basin lakes. The swamps of the northern regions are of two types, those which are formed by the filling in of lakes by vegetation, and those resulting from poorly drained flat areas in the diverse glaciated OUTWASH PRINCIPAL GLACIAL DEPOSITS OF WISCONSIN DRIFTLESS AREA WISCONSIN DRIFT KANSAN DRIFT LACUSTRINE DEPOSITS WISCONSIN END MORAINE ICE CONTACT STRATIFIED DRIFT SOURCE“ GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 50 MILES O 25 RICH I959 _13- landscape. The greater portion of the swampy land appears to owe its existence to the latter cause. Throughout the northern part of the state the pre- dominating underlying material is an unstratified glacial till of Cary age, although in numerous depressions and stream valleys stratified gravels of valley trains are to be found. I The Central Wisconsin cranberry producing region is found mostly on the bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin and con- tinues in a more scattered pattern to the south and west. The glacial lake bed is now the site of the Great Swamp of Central Wisconsin. This is the largest swamp in the state--over 500,000 acres in extent.1 The cranberry in- dustry is the economic-mainstay of the area which is other- wise unproductive except for some forestry and moss gather- ing. To the west of the swamp the bulk of the lake bed is flat to gently rolling sand with dune formation in some parts. The greatest part of the lake bed has a cover of mixed oak-coniferOus forest with occasional swampy openings. The general area occupied by the bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin can be visualized even on a state highway map. ILawrence Martin, The Physical Geography of‘Wisconsin, Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey, Bulletin No. XXXVI, Educational Series No.4 (Madison, Wisconsin, 1916), p. 345. JAcxsgN co. MONROE co h-----------------------.~ ~ T‘mscousm RAPIDS N CITY POINT " : \S 0 § i . ' \ -DE:TEEVI:E ‘ § . a\§\\ .;—.a.."""-:e~":' ' ,.e"e- 5:. \ ;. "‘-"'——e-* \ i“ I .J." ’9' I ' T BABCOCK """I~‘ ' 9.37-- "" ' I m‘_ I - 1. I 3“ . : T i ' __ —- — +— _ anal-nope. I _ » -+= ’ A“- 4:» ---,.r ' jg...“ I .-_L .w 1 was: I _"’_ % ".- . _ -. 4.. | .91..“ ~ , . ' . It. ' l . I " I r ;- ' nrzunu I I none: : I I I I I I -- I NECEDAH ‘ ,I I “- --- I H - - - - — ff "R'ézB-Ql—fé‘f - ' " "' " 'Q CITY OVER 5,000 O TOWN UNDER 5,000 B WATER - -- - COUNTY BOUNDARY A STREAM "— COUNTY HIGHWAY HH-H RAILROAD US. OR STATE HIGHWAY o s L0 \ sounces: LAWRENCE mam mo OFFICIAL m A was \\ mm. '9” xx saw 7 mm or mscousm Fig. '7. L13 " rsa , 11'1") of :1,‘ 3:17;: c e,- " .. Fig. 8. -- The driftless area. The cranberry marsh in the foreground is on the bed of Glacial Lake Wisconsin. In the background castelated bluffs break the monotony of the lake bed. .‘A in ; :70“ ,.'. .-"L .5 A . ‘ I' ' ' “v: ~ ' - , ,',- ~ v- ‘ ‘1' {51.1 _ V ."L ' ., , ’ 5 ______— Fig. 9. -- View from.a fiire tower, looking east to the swampy lacustrine plain of Glacial Lake Wisconsin. One of the few agricultural clearings is nearby. Nowhere in the state can an area be found with so few roads and other cultural features. The seVeral roads that do cross the area, however, are of good quality and are almost completely straight. Probably the most common deposit throughout the lake bed is sand. Lake bottom.sand is a mineral subsoil of mostly peat deposits and may be seen exposed in the northern and western parts of the lacustrine plain. The sand is a white quartzite which came from.the crystalline area directly north of Wisconsin Rapids. The finest material on the lake bed is a calcareous clay. The clay forms a thin impervious layer over the porous Cambrian sandstone substrata, and effectively minimizes subsurface drainage. The stratigraphy of a typical Central region marsh, then, would be peat, sand, a thin layer of clay, and sandstone. The effect of topography on the pattern of cranberry marshes. -- The overall effect of the topography upon cranberry marsh arrangement has already been noted, that is, a compact continuous pattern in the Central region becoming more dis- continuous to the south and west, and a widely dispersed pattern in the northern growing regions. Most of the cranberry growers in the Northcentral region get their water directly from a lake. There are ‘4 - 17 - several advantages to having a lake as a water source, the chief one being that a lake represents a relatively consis- tent and dependable water supply--something many of the growers in the Central region do not have. Individual bogs may be situated so that flooding is accomplished either by gravity or by mechanical means, although the latter situa- tion is more common. The marshes in this region appear in the typical gridiron pattern for there is usually an adequate amount of flat land surrounding the lake to permit a rectangular arrangement of the producing area. The cran- berry beds may be separated from the lake by an area of wild marsh or they may be built up to the margin of the lake. In the Northwestern producing region a somewhat dif- ferent pattern is apparent. Most of the bogs investigated here depend upon rivers as their water source. The bogs are often constructed within the confines of a narrow stream valley, which is then reflected in the irregular arrangement of the producing area. This type of situation also has its advantages,for the grower may use the natural gradient of the stream bed for flooding and.drainage purposes. One such bog visited had no pumping facilities whatsoever, depending entirely upon the natural downhill flow of water through the producing area. A major problem in this region is the gradual increase in both soil and water alkalinity towards the west, \ ‘ . J, \. .4 o x v 3 .0 \ -.J kl \} -18- Fig. 10. -- Bog formation in a _kettle lake in the Northcentral region. There are hundreds of similar lakes in Northern Wisconsin, mostly formed by large chunks of glacial ice melting after they were buried in the drift. .‘v. 2%? ‘ ‘ - ...~' ‘ -.‘ ’. n . U "- " _ . %:‘V-\§1 " ' , .‘q': '0 I)! ;: . ‘ ~ . Fig. 11. -- An old gravel pit in the Northcentral :egion, showing a cross-section of the unstratified glacial ill. o. u-. the import of which will be discussed later in t1is chapter. The Central region, and especially the Cranmoor dis- trict, is the host honogeneous of all the cranberry producing regions. Here there is almost no local relief; no hills or deep stream valleys to interrupt an mllost continuous ar1anfe- ment of the producing areas. To the south and west of Gran- moor the topography is sonewhat dissected and individual marshes become separated by areas of 1aste land. The cranberr;r 1.1ars;1es of the Cra111.1oor district would probably be even more continuous with one another except that each establishment must have access to a large area of Wild marsaland Which serves 's a reservoir ior flood water. Srow- ers in the Central region must depend upon the few small streams which flow into the area, seepage water froa the lilaI‘S hes 01, in some cases (CI’ml‘.1100P), upon a canal which carries tater twelve dilCS fro; the Yisconsin River. In times of peak demand or in perioas o; drought, tee “10a rs senetiies Lind thenselves vitr1out enou 1 water for flooding I‘D and irrigation. 2 The water table of the Great Central Swa1pt of’fiisco has been lowered in recent years by drainage and reels ation projects in the southern areas. T11rt; years a ;o the water supply in the Central re ion mas not a serious proolem. -20.. Fig. 12. -- Flood plain of Northwestern region. One of the deve10pment. the St. Croix River in the sites of cranberry marsh 1‘! i; +’ '- 3" LIN I . 1' ’ u L ‘ u . .,‘ 1' ,t . JR9 3 11" .—\ «3 30': ' 1V V 1' .33" Fig. 13. -- A cranberry marsh under construction on the flood plain of the St. Croix River. Note the dikes and ditches of the new bed. - 21 - Climate The continental short summer climate (Koppen Dbf) which characterizes most of Wisconsin includes all of the state's cranberry growing regions. The summer maximum.of precipitation, a relative winter drought, and the long, cold winters of the Dbf climatic region are assets to the commer- cial production of cranberries. Conversely, some of the aspects of Wisconsin climate are less than ideal for cran- berry growing. Frequency of frosts and the shortness of the growing season are the most important of these factors. Damaging frosts occur always in Kay and September, usually in June and August, but infrequently in July.3 The shortness of the growing season means that some frost pro- tection is always necessary, even in years with above normal temperatures. A comparison of climatic factors in the two principal cranberry producing states better illustrates Wisconsin's climatic situation. Note in Table 1 that Massachusetts has a greater annual precipitation, but the amount received during the growing season from May to September is somewhat less than in'Wisconsin. 'Warmer winter temperatures in 3 Wisconsin Crop Reporting Service, op.cit. p.36. m.m .Asmmav m .02 .HHxx .Ho> .o A Quay .=.:HmsoomH:.GH mUHoHN hphoncwho wcfiocosflmcH mQOpowm= .nofipaom .H owhoow * mmmm Hmmm an.¢w mm.an m.s¢ o.n¢ Hasqq« wma HHH oa.n mH.H ¢.on >.ma pogsooom mwfi mHH mm.n mm.a b.0w m.mm nonfio>oz mad nma wu.n ow.m m.om m.s¢ gonopoo smm omm om.n ma.e ¢.Hw m.mm monsopmom osm mom om.n ms.» m.>o n.sm_ pm5m5< omm Hen Hm.» em.» m.mo o.os ease L mam eon Hm.» os.w H.¢w «.mm mass m pom ppm mH.n ma.e >.mn m.mm has smm mam mm.n Hm.m o.m¢ o.ee Hanm< mam mom mn.¢ «m.H m.mn w.mm noses med mma so.n NH.H H.5m o.ma hassunoa eea mna ma.e HH.H n.sm o.¢H sausage .mmw: .mHB .mmdz .mag .mmds .mHE, Amadomv osfinmndm Amonoch coapwpwgfloonm A.mov mohdpdnogaoa duos £9202 maemmbmo¢wm¢2 92¢ szZoomHB_bo m¢mm¢ Hmmmmzicai of the southern part of the Cent’al producing re ' ~ r ' A ‘3’ “r; r (1 A" 'f 7. l ‘ (‘1 r3 fit—J CI‘lTlDC“l"U weather iOiOCiuc. -- 3,808.1138 Oi) tiie 1.42.40- ! (“ ' L—- "I" 1' . ‘." I ‘ ‘T " "3 " "‘ ’ ~ h (V ‘2‘ , 'P F) C, ’. ' :1 T“ ",' . r , ‘ "Y lute neces it- oi oeihQ iuibrxefi as to mica isosts “ill ocean i; tie harshes, the cranberry grower is a on; the most con— scientious of eathe; Mien. Almost every cranberry naish visT';3 J. the preaises. .Some— go p, (‘3 *0 _J 2:-st one ”mini..13--" thergiozieter on tines regulation weather bureau instrument shelters are used to ihfilSG tin: insinmizeits, 111 llOSt Naunvers ilace tlu3 toer'm)u3ter in a small box at the level of the vines. It has seen Lound that the e can be a ciiicieace of as much as fifteen degrees between tie level oi the vines and the level of an ordliaxf instrument she ter. - 27 - The grower's main protection against frost, however, is the cranberry weather forecast, a service of the United States heather Bureau in cooperation with the'Uisconsin cranberry growers. Predictions of cranberry bog tempera- tures in addition to the usual weather forecasts, are a well- known feature of most radio stations in cranberry growing areas of the state throughout the danger period. This is the only special weather service offered by the Federal government to a private group. The justification is that cranberry growers are among the few people that "do something" about the weather. Because of the combination of the general frost warnings available to them, and their own instruments which give them more specific information, present day cranberry growers are rarely caught unawares by frost. Vegetation The distribution of natural vegetation in the various cranberry producing regions is considered an important element in the description of these areas, for most cran- berry bogs_are isolated within forested areas and seldom are they in close proximity to towns or good agricultural land. The vegetation pattern associated with the cranberry industry will be discussed in two major categories: that .9 NATIVE VEGETATION OF WISCONSIN PRAIRIE % WHITE OAK, BLACK OAK, HICKORY JACK PINE, SCRUB OAK MAPLE, WHITE PINE - - SPRUCE FIR HEMLdCK ’ BLACK SPRUCE, TAMARACK MAPLE, BIRCH, PINE, o 25 so 75 o HEMLOCK, BALSAM $9 MILES SOURCE: SOILS DIV.. WIS. GEOL. AND NAT. HIST. SURV. R.K.H. '95. Fin. 16. Lative Vegetation of Wisconsin. L) - 29 _ surrounding the bog areas, mostly in upland situations; and that occurring within the bog itself, along with the cranberries, and falling into the general category of weeds. Vegetation surrounding the bogs. -- host cranberry bogs are surrounded by a wet land forest association. Common to most cranberry-producing areas in Wisconsin is a tamaraCk-black spruce association with a considerable ad- mixture of aspen and white birch in the northern areas. host of the forested regions are cut-over lands, predomi- nantly the second growth after the cutting of the pine forest in the late 1800's. many remnants of this original forest can be found scattered in patches among the second growth and more often near old settlements and farmsteads. The vegetational setting of bogs in the Northcentral region is predominantly coniferous. Black spruce and tamarack are the usual occupants of the wetter areas, while aspen and white birch can be found in both wet and dry environments. Jack pine, scrub oak, maple, hemlock, and balsam are also quite common in this region, particularly in the drier sites. The Northcentral cranberry region is‘ in the heart of Wisconsin's resort country, and efforts have been made to preserve much of the original forest. The Manitowish.Waters section of this region is within the Northern _ 50 - Highland State Forest, and the Thunder Lake marshes in northeast Oneida county are within a few miles of Nicolet National Forest. The pattern of vegetation in the Northwestern region differs from the Northcentral region in that it is predomi- nantly deciduous, with scrub oak and jack pine being the most common trees. In the marshy areas black spruce, aspen, and white birch are dominant. In the Central producing region, the pattern of vegeta- tion is somewhat more diversified, mostly due to its greater area extent. Various kinds of scrub oak are the dominant species in the area, although small patches of Conifers, often white pine, are found. Some areas of considerable size near the Wisconsin River have been planted by paper companies with red pine. Jack pine, black Spruce, fir, and hemlock are also found within the region. Vegetation within the bogs. -- The cranberry plant is a low-lying, small-leafed, grayish-green vine which grows out in all directions over the surface of the bog until it forms a dense mat about six inches in height. It principal method of reproduction is the sending out of runners over the surface of the bog. .The cranberries grow on “uprights" about six inches long, each upright usually producing from two to four berries. - 51 _ Fig. 17. -- bet land vegetation association in the Horthcentral region. Leather-leaf, black spruce, and white birch are seen here. The cranberry is a g1eneer 01 the heath fa1ily (Sricaceae) which als incl -c1e s such 1a1iliar bog dwellers as leather-leaf (Chaueadaphne calyculat1), and beg rosenary (Androgeda glauco- ‘ ‘1' v-" 'I 3» 5 '°" .1 " '~".' ‘ J“‘ ', 1' *- ---r- 1 - \ phylla). Tue genus VaCCiniiu to whicn the cranberry oelongs J» O 0 include the blueberry (Va einiun spp.), another cogn- rc’ally LG important fruit. The cranberry, originally known as the craneberry, is said to have gotten its name fr01 the appear- ance of the cud just 1gde ore it expands into a flower. The graceful curve of the bud and stem of the cranberry give the appearance of the head and neck of the crane. The crane was at one tine a common inhabitant of marshes where cranberries were found, hence the comparison. The cranberry plant is an evergreen and has the special ability to survive long periods with very little oxygen dur- ing its winter dormancy. Of great importance to the cranberry industry is the matter of weeds. “Need" is defined by Dansereau as being "a plant that grows where it is not wanted (by man); 8.5., weeds are usually exotic, but not always.”5 Host of the weeds occurring in cultivated cranberry bogs are not exotic but rather are as ..11cn a native to the env1ron1ent as is the cranberry plant itself. This fact considerably complicates the matter of control, for methods of controlling weed popula- tion without injuring the cranberry vines growing in the saie area m1st be used. .r‘ ‘ ' i a. 0‘ T' , o v o ofierre Dansereau, ciog eo raphy: An ecological PerspeCtive, (Jew York: T1- Ronald guess.‘luo/TT 0.550. Fig. 18. -- Hand weeding a recently planted erafiberry bed. Hand weeding is feasible during the first season of growth. (Central region). Fig.19. -- A motorised knife clipper in action. dresses and other weeds growing above the level of the vines can be controlled by this machine. (Northern part of Central region). _ 54 - The extent of the weed problem in any given bog is attributable to not one but many factors. The major con- siderations are the age of the bog, the source and acidity of the flooding water, the type of soil and its general geographical location. The kinds of weeds that infest bogs are different from region to region, but in all regions it is generally agreed that the control of weeds is the single greatest cultural problem connected with the raising of cranberries.6 Visitors from the eastern cranberry producing areas are usually amazed at the amount of weeds on some Wisconsin bogs. Although weeds are common to eastern bogs they are not nearly so abundant. The greater mnount of water applied to the bogs in.Wisconsin during the growing season is probably the main reason for the great abundance of weeds. No more than three or four bogs in'Wisconsin were ob- served to be actually free of weeds. Very often weeds were in evidence as much as the cranberry plants, and in a few instances were so thick that the cranberry vines could not be seen without pushing the weeds aside. It should be noted, however, that the last case was observed on bogs producing almost two hundred barrels per acre. A high.weed population does not necessarily indicate a low Cranberry yield. The effect of the presence of weeds on the cranberry yield has not been determined, but it is generally agreed 6 Appendix I. - 55 - Fig. 20. -- A test strip of one of the new chemical weed sprays. Note the tremendous difference between the sprayed strip in center and the untreated strip to the right. O I '1 9| I 1" ’ Iv ' M ""f‘a'l’ Q) : 1 {VI «it. if?» ‘1 1 : n _. . , . I . . M J"! .4?” ——_~. *___. ""T"'"" Fig. 21. -- The latest in cranberry marsh.mechanization, the "bridge." Trucks on each end.move forward as carriage moves back and forth, clipping or spraying. Need for beds of uniform.size and levelness is obvious for a modern marsh. - 55 - that controlling the weed population does result in increased yields. Certainly the uncontrolled growth of weeds would soon ruin a bog for commercial cranberry production. Most new marshes in any part of the state are relatively free from weeds. During the first few years after cuttings are planted in a new bog, it is feasible to weed the bog by pulling up the offending plants by hand. After the cranberry vines have formed a thick mat over the surface of the bog, however, other methods of control must be used. These will be discussed later. Certain generalizations can be made about the weed prob- lem in each of the cranberry producing regions. In the North- central region, most of the bogs are new (constructed since the Second'World‘War) and most growers get their flood water from lakes rather than streams. Both factors, together with the fact that the soils and water here are among the most highly acid in the state have resulted in a small weed popu- lation. Sedges and grasses are the most common weeds here, but they are quite easily controlled and do not present a serious problem. Some poorly drained marshes in this area have considerable weed growth, however. darshes in the Northwestern region have a greater weed problem than the other northern marshes and in a few instances it is quite severe. Both the water and soil in this region 7Malcolm N. Dana, "Small Fruits, Their Improvement, Culture and Handling," Annual Research Report,_Department of Horticulture (fiadison: University of Wisconsin, December, 1955). Unpublished. - 57 - tend to become more alkaline to the west, and more weed species are present. The usual water source here is a reservoir made by a dammed-up stream, a good carrier of weed seeds. This is the oldest producing region in north- ern‘Wisconsin, with some bogs as much as fifty years old. Age of bogs, water source, and acidity of the water, then, are seen to be the major factors contributing to the quite serious weed problem in this area. The most common weeds here are grasses, sedges, and several broad-leaved species.8 There is a great diversity in the weed population in the Central region, both in number of Species and in amount of plants. The bogs in this region are among the oldest and the youngest of the state. Flood water in the region is supplied by three major sources: reservoirs made by dammed- up creeks, reservoirs created by dredging and damming seepage water from the swamp, and water carried by canal from the Wisconsin River, about twelve miles away. Hany of these bogs use more than one of these sources for their water, some use all of them. Soils vary considerably here also. Peat and muck are quite common and usually furnish the base for the bogs, but most of the older bogs are now producing mainly on sand, resulting from the successive applications through two or three generations of growers. No accurate generalization of the weed problem can or should be made. The average situation is intermediate between 8 Ibid., p.7. the two northern regions, but one may point out bogs in the Central region that have a very serious weed problem, and other bogs that have no problem at all. Certainly the seriousness of the problem.will vary, not only according to the natural factors listed above, but also to the cultural methods employed by the individual grower. Weeds are generally controlled by any or all of the following methods: clipping, weeding by hand, sanding, or applying chemical weed killers. Clipping is probably the most commonly used weed con- trol method and is especially effective on sedges and grasses. A rotary bladed clipper is used, the cutting height of which must be constantly varied by the operator. Any weeds which project above the height of the vines can be clipped by this method. There are two major reasons for clipping: the first is that the tall weeds which prevent sunlight from reaching the vines are disposed of at least temporarily; and the second, certain grass sedge species can be prevented from reproducing if they are clipped before they are able to disperse their seeds. Clipping is generally done two or three times during the growing season by practically all growers. Weeding by hand is, of course, a very effective method of weed control but it is not economically feasible unless the weed population is very small or the bog has recently been planted. Year-old bogs are usually weeded by hand. 'V. iscussed in the following Q Heed control by sanding is section on soils (p.42.). Chemical weed killers are built around three types of materials: petroleum products, 2,4-D, and various mineral salts.9 Th. materials applied by the spraying method must be carefully timed so as not to injure the vines which are especially susceptible to injury during certain stages of growth. Herbicides such as 2,4-D are applied by swabbing the individual weed plants. The usual applicator is a device carried by two people through the bog from.which a canvas applicator moistened with the herbicide hangs. The swab must be carefully held so that it does not touch the cranbe°ry plants. 91b1d., p.9 Soils Cranberries are re".n on a variety of soils. The three types found in Kisconsin are peat, sand, and muck. There appears to be no direct relationship between the soil type and the degree of success of the cranberry wrow operation, although methods and problems associated with the various soils will diii er somewhat. The 50118 in die o.fie”ene cra:1berr* growing regions 10 'H‘ v --.I f 9'— - r “1 ar- "1 -‘ ‘1 a" 1 "r -.-.. l. $415,113.01? Dedb’ 80.3"; ‘flICgL a. (l bEl‘lu, S 01.161.111.103 underlain by clay. The p1 avera es near 6.0 while the flood waters a;e 7 or aeove. 3. Peat of variable'depth intermixed with muck with little sand. The p3 of the 8 i1 and flood waters are optinum for cranberries (pi 4.5—5.5). -‘ 1t up through the ates an” o. Spha ,n‘ J i a very acid (a? 5.5-5.0). Ihile the dept11 of the peat varies; us1ally it is underlain oy sand (Tillston). 4. nde001vo sed wood peat of some depth and of an acid nature (ph 5. 0-5.5) ' Iany of die commercial cranberry bogs in’ isconsin Operate on two or more of the above men tiene» soil types. In the northern part of the state, the soils are younger, usually a slightly decomposed peat. Although peat is the most common soil in the Central region also, its state of decompOSit ion is isually more advancel “*-—--‘IH~--u- —— -.--—.—o..—.-——_.—-. - —- q—o— .v‘ ..._.._.... *--_ ‘I01 , 11 . .. 1 . , L-eorge h. rOlthP "Indian Trail Letter to Growers, In En ian wrail r_nc. (Wisconsin dapids, Yiscensin, January, 1352 ( l 160 raiaee) - 41 - and in many cases it has turned to muck. In the western and southern part of the Central region it is not unusual to find large areas of sand with no muck or peat at all. There is no such thing as a uniform bog soil in Visconsin. The wood peat bogs in the Northcentral region are the closest to being uniform, but even these vary in depth and composition. The soil types to be found in the various regions are described in general, however, as follows: The Central Region. -- l. The Wisconsin River valley area is characterized by shallow peat, occasionally muck and sand, sometimes under- lain by clay. The soil pH averages about 6.0, the water is usually alkaline although it varies somewhat according to the discharge of the paper mills along the river. 2. Cranmoor is a flat, poorly drained area where the depth of the peat is somewhat variable but does not contain muck or sand. There are some "islands" of sand that rise above the general level of the bog. The pH of both soil and water here is Optimum.for cranberry growing, ranging from 4.5 to 5.5. 3. The Warrens area has been developed on Sphagnum bogs, which are naturally quite acid. The depth of peat varies considerably and is underlain by a white (Millston) sand. -42.. 4. The western and southern parts (near hillston and Tomah) of the Central region are almost entirely sand. The pH of the soil ranges from 5.0 to 6.0 The Northwestern Region. -- The soil here is mostly a wood peat, but the depth may vary considerably. Deep and shallow pockets of peat and sometimes patches of sand char- acterize most of the region. Several of the bogs here are -subject to sinking in spots as the deep pockets of peat are not stable. This usually necessitates releveling and re- planting of the affected bog, an expensive process. The Northcentral Region. -- The soils here are the most homogeneous of the cranberry growing regions of Wis- consin. They are generally a highly acid wood peat with a few pockets of sand. The soil acidity ranges from pH 5.5 to 6.0, but the average is about 4.5. One of the most important aspects of the soil for the growing of cranberries is that it be on the acid side of the pH scale. Cranberries can be grown on neutral and some- times even alkaline soils, but the rate of abandonment of begs is roughly proportional to the higher pH numbers. Sanding. -- Sanding is a common practice on almost all Wisconsin bogs. The sand is applied during the winter when trucks are able to drive on the ice of the winter flood and do not injure the vines. The sand is spread over the ice and sinks to the surface of the marsh with the spring thaw. Sanding is said to accomplish several things. A layer of sand over the vines causes the runners to root in new places, thus sending up new uprights and increasing produc- tion. The sand is also credited with killing some weeds by smothering them. A layer of sand over a peat bog may in- crease the temperature on cold nights by several degrees due to increased radiation of heat. Some of the older bogs may have up to a foot of sand over the original peat soil. and thus have a sand soil for all practical purposes. host bogs in.Wisconsin are within a reasonable distance of a good source of sand. Were this not true the source of sand could be an important locational factor since much is used by each grower. Summary The physical setting of the Wisconsin Cranberry indus- try is generally quite favorable, although regional variations create special problems in each of the three regions. The vegetation surrounding the cranberry marshes is seen to be an important element of regional description here, but weeds that occur within the marshes are of greater significance as they directly affect cranberry production. There appears to \1 .‘ I ‘1 A u . . . . . L ;- 7 .1 . o o . . . . . . . .1 a . . _ u . . I I x l . a K a .. . . ¢ . . . I! _ 4 . l 7 . r 4\ I . . .L . L . , rm . ., T‘ _ C ,. F l I) x I .l y .t . I I \ . I. . K r. , n t 4 I) . . y. c J _ . . . I 5‘ .- 's V .. o L v Q. It! be no direct relationship between soil type and the degree of success of the cranberry growing operation, although methods and problems associated with the various soils will differ somewhat. CHAPTER III The widespread distribution of the Wisconsin cran- berry industry today can be better understood by reviewing its historical development. Four stages or periodsin the areal development of the industry to the present can be dis- tinguished. The first period is the harvest of the wild berries by the Indians and at a later time by both Indians and white settlers. The rise and fall of the Berlin produc- ing area comprises the second period. The third stage in the industry's development was the movement into the area southweSt of Wisconsin Rapids which remains to this day the chief producing area of the state. The last phase of move- ment in the industry is the develOpment of the northern producing areas which began about forty years ago and con- tinues to the present. The Beginnings of the Wisconsin Cranberry Industry The earliest records of the use of cranberries in Wis- consin are the journals of the early French explorers and later of the fur traders who were familiar with the use of cranberries by the Indians.1 The first record of a movement of cranberries to market is in a journal kept by D. Whitney Personal notes of Dr. George L. Peltier on the history of the Wisconsin cranberry industry. - 45 - who noted a consignment of several boatloads of the berries from the mouth of the Yellow River to Galena, Illinois where they were exchanged for supplies.2 These cranberries probably came from the Cranmoor area in Central Wisconsin. That the harvest of wild berries became at least fairly im- portant is evidenced by a‘Wisconsin law which imposed a fifty dollar fine for the picking or possession of unripe cranber- ries before the 20th of September.:5 The earliest reCord of an arrest under this law was September 8, 1859.4 The first develoiment of the wild marsh land for com- mercial cranberry production involved only a small amount of improvement. Ditches were dug and dams were built for the draining and flooding of the bogs, but other than this, the marshes were essentially in their native state. Imp provements of this nature first occurred in the Berlin area, on the poorly drained bed of Glacial Lake Oshkosh and shortly thereafter in the Cranmoor area. The developments of the marshland in the Berlin area began in the 1850's and by 1865 about 1000 acres of cranberry vines could be considered in the'fimproved" category. 21bid. 3 George L. Stevens and Jean Hash, "The History of the Wisconsin Cranberry Industry," Wisconsin Historical Magazine, Wisconsin State Historical Society, Vol.3v1( LarCh ‘1945) p. 277. 4 Ibid. p. 277. The Berlin Region. The early commercial cranberry production in the Berlin area was a "boom" type of development. High prices received in Chicago for the first commercial crop in 1385 and the years following attracted more growers into the business and by 1870 production in this area was well ~ 5 o 1 ‘ estaolished. Based on tax records in the town of Aurora, the following figures indicate the rapid development and later decline of the Berlin: cranberry producing region. Cranberry Production in the Berlin Area.6 1870 ........... 10,000 barrels 18,7]- ...COIOOOO. 20,000 " 1:372 00.00.0000. 50,000 " 1874 00.00.00... 30,000 " 16379 O...OOOOOOO~'16,000 " 18F3l 0.0.00.0... 6,000 n 1882 0.0.0.00... 5,000 n 1883 ........... a very poor crop 1884 ........... 5,000 barrels The cranberry industry surrounded Aurora (about ten miles north of the town of Berlin, which is usually called the center of the region) and expanded rapidly until 1874. Land values in the area also increased, with formerly worth- less land bringing from $100 to $500 an acre.7 Years of good crops and high prices inspired many people to go into the cranberry business, some of whom developed holdings of ‘5 Ibid. 6 7 p. 2 {)0 Ibid. p. 279. Ibid. p. 279. - 48 - Fig. 22. -- Buildings at the Berlin marsh, the only one remaining in this region. Much of thejproduce is sold at this roadside warehouse. .- Fig. 23. -- Canal from Berlin marsh to Fox River, completely choked by grasses. The alkaline water of the FOX is chiefly responsible for the serious growth of weeds. bearing acreage larger than any of today's. The boom in Berlin cranberries was relatively short-lived, however. A series of bad years for growing, with droughts, floods, and fires discouraged many and after 1874 the producing acreage dropped rapidly. The first of the major disasters occurred in 1871, the year of the Chicago and Peshtigo fires. This was a very dry year and marsh fires were common through- out the growing region. Some growers sustained heavy losses because of stored cranberries that were burned in the Chicago fire. In 1881 flood waters covered the growing area, inflict- ing heavy losses by causing the decay of the partially ripened fruit. The following year there was only half a crop, and in 1885 flood waters again covered the area. host berries not ruined by the water were damaged by a frost that September, and som marshes were not harvested at all.8 The final blow to the area was the tapping of the Fox River in 1885. It is now believed by most authorities that the alkaline nature of this water was the chief contributing factor in the virtual extinction of the cranberry industry of Berlin. The Central Region. The development of cranberry growing in the Central region was to a certain extent contemporaneous widd that of the Berlin marshes. As in the Berlin. area, the first 8 Ibid., passin. - 59 - Fig. 24.--Cranberry warehouse at the Gaynor marsh, one of the oldest in the state. (Central Region). Fig. 25.::Cranberry drying sheds at—the Gaynor harsh. They are now used for equipment storage. Lew bed is in foreground. ' ' -1-) f, :., -, 4, '7 -...-- x-“ -‘,'J..‘ .-l ,, 4. ..O V r CLfiLtixnitlILI "LNufllVINL o Lid InIe L Its LL»_, 0: 1,1111 C_kL1)ornar . - _ ‘ J- o ,4 A" _‘ t _ _ a ‘1 u: _-n ‘ _ ‘ _o Ia_“ules I11-I II cs 13¢, oi VAC) 0011°1CLJ. Its {,1e “,eIlnia . i .. ‘. ,. .2 ‘ .° I_ 0 . -. - J. , -_‘ -3 .N .._. . .4 1 A) .‘ ,. 5,, _, “ .' J. 3391 LpCllnGQ in importance, one UI’LLIIOOI’ ar~a lflclcaboa LUS ~. ' _ J_ _l_. I _ 7' ." __ 1 _ ’1 o a _ IgI . Tie *oyeledt to tIis aiea actaallb star en in tn w r "‘ '1‘ " - ‘ A 4 I '1 ‘r —. earlr l‘Zu's ‘.01 3 I0 0. UIe JOWAQ .e1 10 ca.e LIlln, 1 r) n v- . ’1 I n ‘ ‘P '2 . !‘ f] “" ‘. J. I] l J— “ ' ' ' “‘ l" «r 1’)“ ('1 . f) (“1“ 1 'W _ l' 3’) *“VlblrJ-\ Labial. iCLCLl Cc.._‘)l-bc,~ uO .J -0 I, 1-0L! 6-- D‘ L.) LVD 0410. 11091.4. .1 Lari}. _, ‘I.rou;,'ht acreagas of the inexpensive lan» in the C1“LD1-.IOOI‘ area. finch of tais land was available for the payient of each taxes as it had bee: settled previously by peeple iItere sted ill UOl'lv; LAl I 3111' flu; or)" 10:18 saildy " " of the area. These islands 0 farm failed soon after they were Started for the host part. Expansion in the CraILIoor dist ct COIt nued, as did i proveIents in tecaniques and equionent. In 1800 approxi- mately 1800 acres were under cultivation 01 the former bed 0; ulacial Lake Tiscensin. Disaster struck the area during the Years 18es-1805 when a succession of dr ou ht, frost and fire caused ;.‘Ianv of the I'sea;;er-hearted. r-‘rowers to cui‘. a lar e narsn fire occurring in 1‘ W‘Tled mos t 01 the pros uctive a rea e of the re" all bad, however, for Ci‘ Tie eiI ects of this fire were no then the bovs were rebuilt a here orderly arran30nent was estaelished and a new and better variety of cranberry re- Georee L. Peltier, op. ci t. ., passix. ——.—.-.—.———_ - 52 - Fig. 26. -- Housing for seasonal laborers in the Cranmoor district. Most such structures are now vacant all year because of mechanization. ~— Fig. 27. -- Tfié‘ér555o65’3£aifigi"xt one.time this was a major cranberry shipping center. Buildings are now gone, The produce is taken to market mostly by truck. The Central Aegien and the Cranmoor district in particular, became and remained to this day, the most important cranberry producing region in the state. Many of the marshes are very old, in fact,some of the profitably bearing beds of today contain the sanehnatives“ wnicn sur- vived tne Vreat fires of 1895, and nave existed for over seventy years. As the acreage in the Cranmoor district expanded, the demands for water at peax seasons became greater than tne supply. In 1955 the growers of the Cranmoor area con- structed a 850,000 canal from the Wisconsin River to the . . I. . 10 I Cranmoor district, as distance of twelve miles. The canal has alleviated the water problem for most growers in the Cranmoor area, but to the south and west in the Kather— Warrens district the water supply is still a serious prob- lem in dry years. The Northern Regions The expansion of the industry into the northern areas began following the First Horld War. These new bogs were constructed on a "modern" basis, that is, the bog was scalped of vegetation and leveled, and dikes wide enough for the passage of machinery between the beds were built loijisconsin Crop Reporting Service, 'sconsin Cranberries, Bulletin $0.522, iscoasia stale Depart‘eat of Agriculture, (Noveuber-Deceiber 1855), p.5. _ 54 _ instead of the narrow type only wide enough for feet travel. These bogs were not deve10ped from.wi1d vines, but rather were planted with new varieties that had been developed by that time. The first begs to be constructed were in the Shell Lake-Spooner area in Burnett and Hashburn counties, but soon after the producing areas were expanded to include parts of Barron, Burnett and Rusk counties. The bogs of the Northcentral region are the newest in the state, most, if not all, having been constructed after World War II. The expansion in this area was inspired by inflated prices of cranberries during the war, when they reached thirty-five dollars a barrel. This area is now one of the most prosperous in the state. Summary J The historical develOpment of the present areal arrange- ment of the Wisconsin cranberry industry has occurred in four stages: first, the harvesting of wild berries by the Indians and early white settlers; second, the rise and fall of the Berlin producing area; third, the development of the Central region to the most important in the state; and, finally, the recent expansion of the industry into northern Wisconsin. Periods of high prices were the greatest stimulants to areal expansion of the industry although the rate of expansion through the years has been quite constant. CHAPTER IV R33 CHAL DLSCRIPTION Wisconsin Cranberry Culture--A General Description The characteristics of cranberry culture in Wisconsin vary in some respects from region to region. The following general description of Wisconsin cranberry culture serves as a basis for the regional variation. . Cranberry vines are planted on prepared beds which vary from less than one hundred square feet to over four acres. The usual size is from two to four acres. The area to be planted is first scalped of the original bog vegetation and is then carefully leveled, for it is im- portant that the height of the flood water in relation to the vines be constant. A dike is constructed around each bed, about two or three feet high and wide enough for the passage of heavy machinery and vehicles. Dikes are con- structed mainly from the materials obtained by the leveling and ditching of the bog. Most dikes are surfaced with sand or gravel. The cranberry bed is constructed so that the bog level will be slightly higher than the level of the water supply to allow for efficient drainage. Planting involves the broadcasting of vine clinnings .LJ. obtained from old beds over the scalped and leveled surface of the new bed. The clippings are impacted into the moist bOg surface by a dishing machine or by a caterpillar type _ 55 - - 55 - Fig. 28. r- The Upland Cranberry Company. This was an experiment in growing cranberries in dry, upland sand. Water was pumped from the river below. Winter protection was provided by a straw cover. Several owners all failed to make a profitable return. (Central region, near Black River Falls; . ‘9 ‘ f ' . .l I - _, . . ‘ “p ‘ a ' a I ' g ‘ ' "' 53' - -,~ ‘ ‘7 .l r .r’. . ‘ s :. ' ‘ - ' D. ‘ :3 9" I. I. II ”N?" WMFM'M' -m .._L~" *M , V ~L L "“ Fig. 29. -- Bee hives. Most cranberry growers maintain a colony of bees to aid pollination. Cranberry bed and flood- ing ditch in foreground. (Northcentral region). tractor with special wide treads. hanual tampers are sometimes used. The vine clippings begin to sprout soon after plant- ing. During the first two years of their growth they send out horizontal vegetative runners, which soon cover the growing area quite thoroughly. Three years after planting the vines have formed a dense mat about six inches deep on the surface of the bed. During the third and fourth years some berries appear but commercial quantities do not appear until the fifth year. The cranberry plant blooms for about ten days in the middle of July, usually with four blossoms on each upright. The flowers, and therefor the berries, appear on each up- right every other year. Of course not all the uprights bloom at the same time, and the harvest is equaled from year to year. Most growers maintain a colony of bees near the growing area to assure adequate pollination. During the growing season the operators'main concerns are frost protection, the control of weeds and insects, and the maintenance of canals, dikes and equipment. The first harvest takes place five years after the bog is planted and every year thereafter until the bed is approximately seventy-five years old. By that time it has become so crowded with plants that they tend to choke each - 5g - other out and become unproductive. At this time the bed is cut and replanted. The beds are thinned each spring with a motorized knife rake. This operation gives the vines more room to produce and combs them in one direction to facilitate harvesting in the fall. Flooding is one of the most interesting of cranberry cultural practices. The application of water to the cran- berry bed is precisely controlled to serve one of four purposes: frost protection, irrigation, floating the ber- ries at harvest, and for winter protection. Water flows into the marsh area from its source by gravity or pumping, depending upon the situation of the particular bog. The water flows into canals within the hog and is released from there through bulkheads as needed into ditches within the producing area. Drainage as well as flooding is accomplished by gravity flow or pumping, accord- ing to the bog's situation. Frost protection is achieved by flooding the bed two or three inches deep. The tops of the vines and most of the berries are protected by radiant heat from the water rather than by direct contact. During most of the growing season the beds must be irrigated to maintain the water table about twelve inches below the surface of the bed. Only the ditches are flooded for this purpose. The harvest flood must be deep enough to float the berries. The picking machine removes the floating fruit from the vine by means of a revolving drum.with project— ing teeth. The teeth come up from beneath the berries, strip them from the vine and transfer them to a conveyor belt within the machine. After the harvest and the arrival of cold weather the winter flood is applied. This is a deep flood vhich covers the tops of the vines. The water is allowed to freeze until a thick layer of ice has been formed . The excess water is then drawn off. The vines are either frozen into the layer of ice or are directly covered by it . They remain in this condition until spring. The winter flood water is drained soon after the spring thaw, for during the winter the oxygen content of the water becomes quite low and will injure the vines if allowed to remain. The marshes are reflooded during the spring when the temperature drops below 20°F. After the new growth starts the bogs must be reflooded whenever the temperature drops below freezing. The three major cranberry varieties grown in Wisconsin are the Searles, KcFarlin and Natives. Searles and Natives are Wisconsin varieties, the KcFarlin was imported from the eastern marshes. l~--'0 " — O ‘ I I -v. o hlSCOHSln Crop deporting SerVice. Cranberries of hisconSin Special Bulletin No.70, hadison: Wisconsin State Department of agriculture, December, 1957, p.g3, ‘ Fig. 50. -- Hand harvesting, using the Tisconsin scoop. Once a common sight on all Wisconsin bogs, now very rare. These bogs are off level making the use of machines impractical. (Central region, Cranmoor). Fig. 31. -- Harvested berries are placed in wooden boxes and loaded into boats. Boats are towed on the ditch to end of bed where they are stacked and taken to warehouse by truck. {Central Cranberry Company, Cranmoor). Fig. 32. -- Harvesting by machine._ Boat is pulled by machine, lifted on a truck when full. Water must be deep enough to float the boats. ya ‘ ’. Fig. 33. -- Unloading the boat into the hot air dryer at the warehouse. The entire process is mechanized. Fig. 34. -- Cranberries are stored in boxes in the warehouse after they are dried. Dump truck is used for winter sanding. Fig. 35. -- When berries are ready for packaging they are dumped into these conveyors. From here the berries are selected for quality by a machine and then by hand. Cran- berries are now packaged mostly in cellOphane bags. All the varieties of cranberries grown in Wisconsin are the result of selection of the wild vine. The Searles is the most important, occupying more than 60 percent of the total acreage in the state. It is the highest yielding variety, averaging over 100 barrels per acre. However, its keeping qualities are not as good as the others. Natives are the original wild cranberry and have not been selected, at least not significantly. At present the Iatives comprise about 14 percent of the total acreage with an average yield of 63 barrels per acre. The amount of Natives raised in Wisconsin marshes is steadily declining as they are replaced with newer, higher yielding varieties. The Natives are of course the oldest of Wisconsin varieties, some beds being over seventy years old but still producing yields as high as 80 barrels per acre. Regional Differences Although each cranberry marsh in the state is different, there are some characteristics of each that remain constant on a regional level. The most dependable regional charac- teristic is the pattern of construction of the bogs. The outline of the producing area, and to some extent that pat- tern of the individual beds within, reflects the nature of the local topography and therefore serves as the chief dis- tinguishing factor. Another readily observable characteristic is the age of the producing area and associated structures. The pres- ent widespread use of machinery has outmoded many structures which were essential to cranberry growing twenty years ago, and has necessitated greater uniformity of construction within the producing area. For example, the presence of drying sheds, housing for seasonal laborers, or a horse barn at a marsh will indicate construction before various kinds of mechanization took place. Similarly, a dike within the producing area wide enough only for foot travel is an indication of an old bog. A description of the three cranberry growing regions follows. This characterization is based principally on differences and similarities of the patterns and relative age of the marshes. Also included in the descriptions are the physical and cultural phenomena that provide a regional background for the cranberry marshes. Four individual cran- berry growing establishments, two from the Central and one from each of the northern regions, complete the regional description of the Kisconsin cranberry industry. The Berlin Region. -- Many years have passed since the marshland north of Berlin was the most important cranberry producing region of the state. Almost all of the producing area has either been converted to truck farming or has been allowed to return to the wild state. One commercial cran- berry growing establishment remains in the region at the present time. This farm is located several miles north of the town of Berlin on the Fox River. Thirty-five acres of producing vines give a profitable yield most years, but the owner. does not depend upon the sale of cranberries for his entire income. The grower markets his produce independently, which includes apples and truck crops in addition to cran- berries. The Berlin cranberry marsh has a serious weed problem. The canal which runs from the Fox River to the marsh is virtually choked by cattails and other tall grasses. The ditches within the bog are similarly filled with grasses, some to the point where the water is no longervisible. The abundance of weeds on this marsh and its connecting ditches stand in mute evidence of the effect of the alkaline water of the Fox River upon this and other cranberry marshes of the Berlin region. Perhaps, with modern weed control tech- niques, many parts of the Berlin region could again be brought into commercial cranberry production. It is unlikely that this will happen, however, for there are many undeveloped marsh areas within the state that are more favorable for cranberry growing. The Central Region. -- The Central region is the most extensive cranberry producing region of the state. It has - 55 - been the principal region in production since the 1890's and presently contains three-quarters of the state cran- berry acreage. Several districts within this region are recognized by most people of the cranberry industry. The oldest and most important of these is the Cranmoor district, which includes Cranmoor township, in southcentral Wood County.3 This district is entirely w thin the confines of the lacus- trine plain and the pattern of the marshes is the most con- tinuous of any in the state. ‘The second district of this . region is hather-Uarrens, named from the two small towns located here. The marshes of the Hather-Warrens district are much more scattered and discontinuous than in Cranmoor. The district is situated on the western margin of the lacus- trine plain which shows some variation of topography because of sand dune formation. To the south, in Monroe and Juneau counties, another district extending from Camp KcCoy to Wyeville is sometimes recognized. Billy terrain and bogs of a riverine pattern is the usual situation here. There are some marshes located in the flood plain of the Wisconsin River to the east and south of Tisconsin Rapids. The pattern here is quite similar to that of the Cranmoor district with the exception that the major water source is from the Wisconsin River. 2 Wisconsin Crop Reporting Service, op. cit.,p.6. 3 See Figure 2, p.2. Most of the districts of the Central region are within the area once covered by Glacial Lake Wisconsin. Only on the western and southern portions of the lacustrine plain do breaks occur. Most of the irregularities are caused by vegetationcovered sand dunes, but a few small sandstone out- crops were observed. In striking contrast to the lake bed, which is practically devoid of relief, the buttes of the driftless area form an interesting backdrop for the bogs of the‘tarrens area. Water sources in the Central region are not all of the same type but most growers obtain their flood water from seepage in the swamp or from a reservoir made by damming a small stream. In the Cranmoor and hather-Warrens districts streams are the principal water source, although seepage water supplements the supply. Reservoirs in this area are sometimes difficult to identify on air photos and usually cannot be distinguished from the ground. They appear as undisturbed marshland, with trees and other vegetation cover- ing the water from View. The only indication of the presence of a reservoir in such a situation is the widely spaced canals which eventually lead to a producing cranberry marsh. 4The buttes are well known features of the driftless area. They are outliers of the Lower Magnesian questa, which has retreated to the west and south. anrence Martin describes these buttes in detail in his The Physical Geography of Wisconsin, Wisconsin Geiogical and Natural—History Survey, Bulletin No. XXXVI, Educational Series No.4, (Madison: State Publication), 1916., p.500. Fig . 56. 4- harginal housing in the Central Region. These people, both Indian and white, make their living by harvesting Sphagnum moss, cranberries and pulpweed. r'- ". _ -.' ”J...” u . -..,. g .- r . baa...” . ' . l1;:~- _ ‘ . x.- ‘JA~F ' ;\“ ' m... .2. i. .. . . “W .- -r ifimu, . ,, _ , 1 75.9.“? ‘ ' '\‘,‘\R5 5 " “ -o ‘ . \. . .‘ i ' . ‘ “70“ (~‘; “| aha-Uh" I I_._ ,___ Fig. 57. -- Abandoned farmstead on Sandy area near a Warrens. many such unsuccessful farms can be found in the Central Region. The motorist acquainted with the usual curving and hilly character of Wisconsin hignways would not feel at home here. There is an almost complete absence of variation in the roads for stretches of over twenty miles as they cross the swampy lake plain. Traffic is very light. There are only a few county and township roads on the lake bed, but all are black- tOpped and are in excellent repair. The Central region contains the oldest producing marshes of the state as well as some of the newest. The newer marshes in this region are not significantly different in building types or bog construction from the more recently constructed cranberry establishment of the northern regions. It is the older marshes of the Central region, then, that form the basis of cultural differentiation between this and the northern regions. The old cranberry establishments are usually easily identified, for most of them have special-purpose structures that are now abandoned or have been put to other uses. The most common of these structures are the cottages which form- erly housed seasonal laborers. Others are the drying sheds, stores, dance halls and horse barns. I Before the widespread mechanization of the cranberry industry, growers had to furnish shelter, food, and sometimes entertainment for the many laborers needed in the cranberry -70.. growing operation. This was particularly true at harvest time for the cranberry harvest was the major social event of the year in the area. PeOple from nearby towns and farms came to work in the bOgs during harvest as well as Indians Who would set up tepee villages on the premises. In many respects the grower was host to his workers for he was expected to provide the evening entertainment for these people as well as basic needs. Consequently, dance halls and stores were common buildings at many of the larger marshes and some remain to the present. The drying shed is another frequently occurring but outdated structure of the Central region cranberry marshes. The first of these were built shortly after the turn of the century when the flooding method of harvest was intro- duced, and the last were constructed in the 1940's when mechanical dryers were perfected. The sheds may be any length, are about twenty feet high and have open sides. Although these sheds are no longer used for cranberry drying, they make excellent equipment shelters and are generally maintained for this purpose. V '3”:sz Ed... Fig. 68. -- Spreading sphagnum.moss out to dry. Several cranberrygrowere in the Central region collect Sphagnum.moss as a sideline. \ .1‘ '.*‘-V-‘h _‘3' IR? “5“”? 6!”! < . . *q‘ Fig. 39. -- Baling the moss. Sphagnum.moss is valued by florists for its water-retaining ability. It is worth about seventy cents a bale. -72.. The Northcentral Region. -— The Northcentral Region is the newest in the state. Host of the cranberry growing establishments in this region have been constructed since the Second World'fiar. The hi h prices growers were receiv- 8 ing at that time were largely responsible for the expansion of the industry into this region. About one-seventh of the bearing acreage of the state, roughly 600 acres, is located here. The marshes of the Northcentral Region are quite widely separated from each other. There are three major groupings of bearing acreage. One of them is in central Price County, another in northwestern Vilas County near Kanitowish'fiaters, and the third is in northeastern Oneida County. Several small marshes in Oneida and Lincoln counties comprise the remaining acreage in this region. All of these marshes are located near smalllakes occurring on the Cary moraine which entirely covers this region. The topography surrounding the marshes is hilly and densely forested in most instances. The marshes are located on flat, swampy areas bordering lakes, except for two marshes which are located near streams. There are no continuously flat areas of great extent such as in the Central Region. Lakes are by far the most important water source in the Northcentral Region. Only two of the marshes here - 75 depend on a stream.water source. Generally speaking, lakes are a better water source than are streams or swamp seepage because the water supply and pH character are more constant. Some growers pump water from the lake into a secondary reservoir on the other side of the producing area so that gravity flow may be utilized for quick flooding. The part of the state occupied by the Northcentral cranberry growing region is primarily noted for its resort industry. General farming conditions within the region are mostly of a marginal nature. The most prosperous agricul- tural activities here are dairy farming and the growing of Specialized crops-—particularly potatoes and cranberries. There are few cultural features in the vicinity of the cranberry bogs. Much of the region is within state or national forests and consequently settlement is somewhat limited. The state and county roads traversing the region are blacktopped and are in excellent condition. Traffic is quite heavy during the tourist season. The cranberry marshes of the Northcentral region ex- hibit characteristics of modern construction. Within the producing areas dikes are evenly spaced and can be driven upon by heavy machinery. The typical marsh in this region has fewer buildings than its counterpart in the Central region. Drying sheds and housing for seasonal laborers are almost non-existent. The usual complement of buildings - 74 - Fig. 40. -- Bog construction at Thunder Lake, North- central region. The peat soil is only partially decomposed. _ ,, ,1 .l_ _ -___, _kh. .— -4 ._ __ ,7 7 A. ,7 _ ,_ _, 7 . 7(7__,, 7,, h l, .-r __ h _ Fig. 41. -- Interior of cranberry processing plant. Cranberry Products, Incorporated, Eagle River. Production continues the year-round, using frozen cranberries. consists of a residence, a warehouse, and sometimes a small shed or two. Seasonal labor in the Northcentral region is mostly supplied by Indians who earn their livelihood from forest occupations and various seasonal type labor. The Horthwestern Region. -- The first development of the cranberry industry in the Northwestern region took place after the First World War. Presently, about one-tenth of the state's bearing acreage is located here, primarily in Burnett, Kashb "n, and Sawyer counties. The topographic setting of this region is entirely morainic. Recessional moraines of Cary age form parallel ridges and valleys with an east-west axis to the north of Spooner. There are no rock outcrops as the ground moraine covers the bedrock to a considerable depth‘over the entire a. region. The landscape is dotted witn hundreds of small lakes and marshy areas. There are also numerous streams. Host of the cranberry marshes in the Northwestern region are located in stream valleys, although there are several bogs that are constructed on the borders of lakes near Hayward and Iinong. The northern—most marsh in the Northwestern region as well as in the state, is located on the flood plain of the St. Croix River, just north of Gordon. This bog is still under construction. - 75 - The principal source of incoae inthis part of the state is the resort industry. The general economic level within the Northwestern region as reflected by the quality of roads, farms, and resorts, appears to be lower than that of the Northcentral region. The towns appear to be largely dependent upon tourism for their major income. The riverine setting of most bogs in this region per- mits the growers to flood and drain the producing area without the aid of mechanical pumps. The flood water is stored in a reservoir at the high end of the marsh, and is released as needed. The patterns of dikes and the outline of the producing area is quite irregular. The dikes must be placed to make the best use of the gradient of the valley floor, and the width of the producing area is limited by the sides of the valley. The depth of peat in the marshes also is quite irregular. Parts of the producing area over: deep pockets of peat often sink below the surrounding area which makes it necessary to relevel and replant the affected bed. The greatest problem to cranberry growers in this region is the alkalinity of the water and soil. The situation kna- comes progressively worse toward the west, especially in Burnett County. As the alkalinity increases, yields tend to drop off, and the weed population becomes such that profitable operation of a cranberry marsh is almost impossible. Fig. 42. -- New bog construction in the Northwestern region. The peat here is more decomposed than in the North- central region. Fig. 45. -- The sinking of beds is a serious problem. Note dip in the dike,which was once completely level. (Northwestern region.) ,0 V depresentative Cranberry Growing Establishments i 3 rJJ (D C) CD ntral Cranberry Compaly. -- The Central Cran- berry Company is one of the oldest and largest cranberry growing establishments in the Cranmoor district. Some of the producing beds are over seventy years old. The company is owned by five individuals, all of whom have other sources of income and live elsewhere. The foreman and his assist- ant, together with their families, have permanent residences at the marsh. The buildings at Central are well constructed and are in good condition. The warehouse is the largest structure here and contains facilities for drying, storing, and pack- aging cranberries. The main cluster of buildings includes the two residences, the warehouse already mentioned, a horse barn now used for storage, and a well equipped machine shop. To the north and south of the main group of buildings are six cottages for seasonal laborers, only two of which were occupied during the last harvest season. In addition. to the foreman and his assistant who are employed on a year—round basis, other help is hired during the growing season and especially during the harvest. Forty people are employed here at harvest, which is partly a hand peration at this marSh. Seasonal laborers come from several sources. Some are steady employees at the paper mills in -79.. \ . l _ l _ Fig. 44. -- Warehouse building at Central Cranberry Company, Cranmoor. The buildings here are very substantial and well cared for. Fig. 45. -- A dike at Central, constructed about seventy years ago. It is too narrow for machinery, and-will be replaced. Wisconsin Rapids who take their vacation in the fall in order to earn extra money by harvesting cranberries. Others are general farmers from the vicinity. hany of the workers, both Indian and white, are a part of a subsistence level group which makes its living gathering Sphagnum moss in the summer, harvesting cranberries in the fall, and cut- ting pulpwood during the winter. They live in shacks along 0 reads throughout the Central region.5 host of the beds at Central have been producing for a great many years, and this factor alone presents certain problems in their management. Some of the dikes are too narrow for the passage of machinery, as they were constructed when cranberry growing was entirely a hand Operation. A few of the beds contain "Natives" which are still growing much as they did when this was a wild marsh. Ditching and weed control have maintained the Natives as excellent producers to this day, but the beds are not level and.must be harvested. with the hand scoop.6 Central has about 120 acres of vines. Central's floodwater comes from several sources. The water from Hemlock Creek, together with seepage water from the large swampy reservoir area, is the major source. When more water is needed it is obtained from the Wisconsin River via the twelve mile canal which runs from.the river to the Cranmoor district. ’5 6 See Fig. 56, p068. See Fig. 50, p.50. l [1‘14" “:17'1T1'11‘H1'1 .1 1111?“; I" I'a‘: . I. Il‘1'1':IIU11H:m 11:1“ .11: ‘5 gag“)? RJWfiWO 31 1’23; . s . ., HII'W W IIWW 1. I.WII W fi‘q.§ --- ' -* I.7ITf'-‘: {I qu ' >- "II: 'I 11 HI "'I " ' III 11111111111 .1. , ' - -_ ~ 2 I'I'l 1LWIIIIWWI'II1'III FI'I 'W'W W'W:I 1111111111: 11"WIWLWII 11'I'I 'WIIIIWIIWIjII I'WII'WII II'W'Wi'Il'WI I' I I . I _l I . 11171111 I'II'I ' I'I s % “.1111 II I I III III II II - "II III ,' ~ . F- 8 1:11.14 1W1I II‘I'II' 'IWI‘I 1W :W1WI1IWW1 ’ I I. W11“ 1.116! 1115115111311 2 I “II 1"1111 ”11M “I11L'WI'I1'IW‘ ”1:11:13“ 'I'1"ILII 1111111 IIIIEII I'W1I' “1:111“ 1:1'1'11Wll.1'1“' LU 1111,1111'11‘: |l111111".I'WI WW 1“1:11:11? l1” N|1,1 II. 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'11I1I:WI"'|I| |1|l"1"14'| “'1:quth WW I gfié’jéfi'fi :.2.3..;.5.? 1111|W1fll11uk 11:11ng HI“ #1:qu I"1‘11“.111 1 11 [WW :11“I 14:11“: I 11|1||l111111j i111 ”I’VE. III II'. "WI'I'IIITISEEI IIIIWIWIIII 'l'I ' I1'1IE'1'I' II'Il WW II M 'IIIIIII"I-IW11';1I1I!I % " “fig .. "IIIW.'WL1:IWIIW:IWIHI'I:I'I 'I' 'E'WI'W1'II 'I'I' IIW'I II :I III WW II '11L1'II11‘1IIIIIQI'I 5:": I1I1'15'1§::W:Il I- in... "21.1111111111'1 IIIIII'IIIII'I'IIIII1 W11 11L 1H1 :HI'I1 ' I111: ghfififi} 3 now“ -I% fi%§£?8 a g 33.33.- I1:.:| I a?" V LW'hW .IW'H '1:.I:1W“'l' I WII'11II1I I'I'II:I'| ': LW'WiI' WW I1:II|II I z 'I..'I' ' ------------------- . .II- . 4?%fi%§' :égWWIIIIIIw”:I lwl WIWHIL'H ”ult'WWWW ”he Central Cranberry Company. Fig. 47. The Hableman harsh 46. Fig. _ 82 _ The Hahleman Iarsh. -- This marsh is located about five miles west of Iillston, just ff Highway 12 on the Jestern edge of the Central region. It is one of three marshes owned and Operated by the Iableman brothers, who do their own marketing. The Hableman marsh is of more recent construction than most of the larger marshes in the Central region. There are only four major buildings at the marsh, a ware- house, a drying shed, and two residences--one for the owner and the other for the foreman. The warehouse is a long, one-story cement block structure of recent construction. It contains a dryer, packaging facilities, and storage space. The long open drying shed is now used for machinery storage. The producing area is divided by a reservoir and swampy ground. The largest section of beds occupies a long stretch of level ground with a continuous pattern similar to that of the Cranmoor district. A smaller section of the producing area is constructed within the confines of a small stream valley, and consequently shows a more irregular pattern. Two small streams furnish the water supply to this marsh, Clear Creek and Robinson Creek. Clear Creek comes in from the southeast, furnishes water for the bulk of the producing area. The stream is dammed to create a reservoir from which water is pumped into the producing area as needed. , . {v- ---‘_:‘F"-;; ”an. n . Q ::::: ' " ‘ ' n. a. r ‘ . . ‘2' ' A.‘ . . ' V‘. . " ’ — ' Y' '.- "~ \ ‘ . , ‘I . v _ I .'.~ -‘ _ . ‘x‘ rt) 2% . .: -., 3: Fig. 48. -- Residence at the Hableman marsh, near Millston. Note that the producing area is within a few feet of the house. (Central region). Fig. 40. -- Warehouse at the Hableman marsh. Drying storage, sorting and packaging are all done in this new building. -84.. Robinson Creek furnishes water to the smaller producing area built in its valley. The dammed water of Robinson Creek is fed into the producing area and .is released from the producing area by gravity flow. No pump is needed for this section of the marsh. The Hableman marsh is one of the few in the state constructed entirely on sand soil. There is no muck or peat present in any part of the producing area.7 Although the sand is quite sterile the Hablemans have been able to produce some of the highest yields in the state through fertilization and other modern growing techniques. The Cranberry Lake Development Compgny. -- The Cran- berry Lake Development Company is located on Cranberry Lake just south of Phillips in central Price County. This marsh is on the'Western edge of the Northcentral region. Cranberry Lake is one of the older cranberry marshes in northern Wisconsin, being about 35 years old. It is owned by several individuals, none of whom live at the marsh . The Company is a member of the National Cranberry Association which handles all of its marketing. The labor supply does not appear to be a problem.at Cranberry Lake, for the marsh is completely mechanized. At one time over 200 workers were hired during harvest, but now only about forty are needed. A foreman and his family, 7 See Fig. 15 ,p. 28. - - 85 - Fig. 50. - The Cranberry Lake Development Company. This is one of the largest marshes in the state. It is completely mechanized. Structure in the foreground is un outbouse. Fig. 51. oo‘Warehouse and other buildings at Cranberry Lake. Cement block warehouse was constructed using sand trom.the property. It is the largest in the state. Note weather instrument shelter. l C”) O) I including a son who also works at the marsh, are in per- manent residence at Cranberry Lake. The structures at Cranberry Lake include three small cottages for seasonal laborers, a large house where the foreman lives, a machine shop, an old horse barn, and a warehouse. The warehouse deserves special mention. It is a two story cement block structure, one of the largest and most modern in the state. tithin the warehouse is storage space for machinery, vehicles and cranberries. Also in this warehouse is a dryer, packaging facilities and an office. There are about 160 acres of vines at Cranberry Lake, making it one of the larger establishments in the state. The marsh is of modern construction, hat is, the dikes are uniform distances from one another, and all have good roads. The harvesting is entirely mechanized. Cranberry Lake is the sole water source here. Water is transferred from the lake into the marsh by means of two pumps of 70,000 gallonsper minute capacity. A 100 acre reservoir on the other side of the marsh services a detached group of beds. This also must be filled with.water pumped from the lake. The water supply is somewhat of a problem here, largly because of an inadequate pump capacity. Two more pumps will be added in the near future. THE BADGER CRANBERRY COMPANY . : '1. 5. " “ i " I . . Q‘s ‘é. ‘ V ' ‘4! - at?- f tenses. . y 8 | r . ' F ‘ ' ' ‘ . a \ . . 52"; .‘_-.: .égjr .’ ' '.;‘;)- a £43.53. “- fo?:§,fij8!05‘g$~) 41‘)? J}\( '5 'w.‘ . . m ,. i. 4593??" . . .8 We .. .2 4 . . - - - '. _'. .;' ' . 3"!) '1' 3m b’o . ‘ - J ,o J . «I: ‘ n‘ ;- - if" ' ‘-_ J J ' f if: .8“: 1‘ we as L. ‘F D- v ' out) :4...“ . X. (I «"3 . - 0f ' " J's. . . > J I v , - . ’ ,.A ‘U I; J: '. ‘ '4’ ’3' ‘s’g’ .4 a ) ) ' u. fi“ 5913;53'a’55fi)” s .sis’J’s tyfiigib" . . ‘--’,J'- .J'r' ”31-h 1J3”. - '-‘" ‘Z 3" ' ‘- Jm’ 1"st1. 5’;.),~_’.J,J’})a: . . . cu. .3359", 3.9.4“ 453,390 g .- -) ~ ‘ . ‘ 4~ '4 ’- ‘ . A '3‘wifie-wk: *- 1*“? so -. - ) . ‘ ;. ._ -" ““le "J HII f‘*)’l‘§..f r p {a ‘ 9 l I ' -‘ “rag-'11: ".\;-‘ . .._'-_._ . . . ‘ §Q$ \_K . i. ’i'g..u. Til. . ' if. .“.' : ; °‘~ ' fih‘k' ‘-' ,’~ '3! ! I: I“ 55-12;: .i z . K a .. ... ' ' - I.-- 'I' _ u 3:‘ x. e r .: ‘I‘ ' 3 3. {I . n ,' e ' J l ¢ " .08 to u‘ S 1'. , 2*... 3': Q? . S; "D flied? s -. _. ‘) 4);.- . ' .3954 ,1; ‘r 6 8 5‘ s1 4% \. i' '.:\)‘);I‘.',"S J . f i' .; . “fl” .[ 1’ Wall? 1“ . 25% . 4‘1 3 'z‘i«‘ 3g {'7 *3 hi ""1? :. 9.:|;‘li # é'. STRUCTURE J .51., J .9 \ 3I J ,2 1,1,5: . ~“- ’1‘, 2"}; :5, LL, {38$ "-3.803. — CANAL NOT DRAWN TO SCALE 51" — ROAD EN; ..= 4. *8 as | -.—~: ear-8* i .ru E‘ . ! MIXED FOREST 1\/‘ 1.1 THE CRANBERRY LAKE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY ’1!) J. 381" C ran T1”,— " -1; lie many 3. C 01’: .. J. ,‘ICIZC - 88 - The Badger Cranberry Company. -- This marsh is located five miles northeast of Shell Lake, on the east central boundary of Burnett County. The Badger Cranberry Company is owned and operated by C. E. Lewis, who is also the mayor of Shell Lake. The company is a member of the National Cranberry Association, which handles the marketing for this establishment. The Lewis marsh is probably the oldest in the North- west region and all northern Wisconsin. The age is not reflected by the buildings at the marsh, however, for they are mostly of recent construction. Only a few shacks re- main of the original buildings. The major buildings are a warehouse of moderate size and two small residences. The foreman is a permanent resident at the marsh. The owner lives in the town of Shell Lake. There are forty acres producing and twenty acres in new vines. The producing area of this marsh shows an irregular pattern with beds of various sizes constructed within the con- fines of a small valley. The water source is the dammed Beaver Brook. Water flow from the reservoir is entirely by gravity. There are two major problems at this marsh--sinking bogs and weeds. The depth of the peat base in the valley varies considerably--from twenty feet in some places to less than one foot in others. Sinking occurs in the deep : -' :'_' ’ “-. ' I- , .‘.'. .‘. ‘41.... a. ‘ ,, dark-2;” - - -.. s «‘3- 4.? -’ . -' ‘ ”I." - V . 7 “raw ‘- 7 - l*:’ p ‘- 6 ‘~ g ‘1 ~ a“. *8 ‘ 2". '( . ‘ e ‘ r - - _ ‘ rs ~-_..~" ‘2" __. , ~‘ - J'Kr“ " f‘;.-\::Jk:"fi.3 ii}: ‘ . i; v.\§;'_' _T'.\: £916.". figfi‘; 43-: a‘é‘ifi“ -94.; T " . j'fi;i8:;.‘-..}:.‘ .1. Fig. 54. Marsh. ' (Jortnwest re ion) -- Dryer and warehouse at the Shell Lake ThlS 13 an old marsh but these buildings are new. Fig. 55. house is ViSible in tne distance. -- Reservoir and marsh at Shell Lake. portion of a stream; waterflow is entirely by gravity. Ware- The reservoir is a dammed _ 90 _ pockets of peat and the affected cranberry bed must be releveled and replanted, a costly and time consuming operation. The other problem is the superabundance of weeds. The westward increase in alkalinity of both water and soil in northern‘Wisconsin has already been noted. This marsh is one of the most western in the state, and the effects of alkalinity in the form of weeds has almost put his grower out of business. The physical environment for cranberry growing at ‘this marsh is certainly less than ideal, but with the aid of chemical weed Sprays and much patience a profitable yield is produced in most years. CHAPTER V WISCO SI1~1C11A113 QRRY P101 .DUCTIC LfifllLW ING AND HAIIOHAL IhDCmTl t5! .. N 1C harketin; Wisconsin Cranberries The marketing of cranberries is done on a very seasonal basis, as can well be imagined. At least 90% of the fresh berries are marketed during thernonths of October, November, and December. The marketing of processed, which usually in- volves aoou 1t SW of the crop, is somewhat more evenly distri- buted over the year. The en1iphasis is on early marketing in Wisconsin, for the majority of the berries are of the Searles variety, which are poor keepers. The later marketing involves mostly the LcFarlin, Howes and Native varieties. Wisconsin cranberries are marketed in most of the major cities from the east to the west coast of the United States. The cities receiving the largest shipments are in the Midwest, however. Chicapo, hinneapolis-St. Paul, K nsas City and St. Louis receive the larg est ship:nents of‘ Tisconsin cranberries. host of the berries are taken to market by truck, although shipments over very long distances often go by rail. The northcentral states are the most important single 1 regional market, according to the Hmerican Cranberry Exchange. It is also reported that 555 of the total sales in the country 1 Department of A"ricultural Economics, University of HSCOHSin, "Economic Analysis of Cranberry Indx .‘try, " Uune, 1355). Dittoed. - 91 - I r) K) I were made in the northcentral states (twelve states) in 1951. This is further supported by a national survey taken by Booz, . . 2 Allen, and Ham1lton Bu31ness Surveys: The survey revealed that despite wide national sales promotion in recent years, certain "historical opinions" are still current in the trade as to the location of the cranberry market; namely, 1. The market is felt to be concentrated in the northern states and particularly among people of northern European ancestry. 2. The middlewest is believed to be the best single regional market for two main reasons. First, a high percentage of home cooking is done in those states. Second, people of German and Scandinavian descent are numerous there, and considered to have an educated taste for cranberries due to the wide use in their native countries of lingenberries which are similarly flavored. Growers Associations Of the approximately 150 individual cranberry growers in Wisconsin, 104 belong to the National Cranberry Association. The Association handles the marketing for all its growers through its regional office in'Uisconsin Rapids. The UCA is a coopera- tive type organization, handling supplies and consulting service for its growers besides the marketing function. The brand under which most of the Association's products are marketed is "Ocean Spray," although some are sold under the "Snoboy" brand. 'he processing plants are located in North Chicago. The only other growers! association in Uisconsin is Indian Trail, Incorporated, which is not a co-op but a merchandising ‘4 Ibid. and selling organization. Freezing and processing for Indian Trail is done at Ripon, while most of the fresh packaging is done at the Central Cranberry Company in the Cranmoor district. The main office is lccated in Wisconsin Rapids. Independent Growers There are only two independent growers of major impor- tance within the state. One is The Hableman Brothers who have marshes near Millston and Camp IcCoy, also on the western margin of the Central region. The other independent grower is Vernon Coldsworthy who is the major stockholder and president of Cranberry Products, Inc., at Eagle River. Goldsworthy's bo;s are located at Thunder Lane, in the eastern corner of Cneida County in the Northcentral region. The hableman Srothers market their fresh berries in Kinneapolis by means of several large trailer trucks. Their processing berries are sold to another of the Wisconsin associa- tions, since they do not have their own processing facilities. Vernon Goldsworthy of Eagle River markets both fresh and processed berries under the "Eagle River" brand. Cranberry Products.. Inc., of Pagle River, is the larger of the two cran- berry processin; plants in the state. A variety of cranberry products are made there utilizing berries from the Thunder Lane marshes and va ions other marshes in the state. 1'.’ . J ‘>v ’, sconsin's Place in national Cranberry Production H- Cranberry production from year to year shows a con- siderable fluctuation, primarily due to weather conditions at crucial points during the growing season, but a steady increase in production has been the general trend in most growing areas. The United States production has increased quite steadily from 513,000 barrels in 1900, to over one million barrels in the last few years.5 The only large area of commercial production that has shown a significant decline is New Jersey. Formerly New Jersey ranked second to Kassa- chusetts iv national production but was surpassed by Wisconsin in 1958 and has been in third position since then. Figure 6a indicates a general decline of bog acreage in New Jersey, be- ginning in the middle 1950's which has continued to the present although the production level has remained about the same dur- ing this period. Figure 56 indicates that all producing areas, including New Jersey, have greatly increased yields since the Second World War, a fact that accounts for the maintenance of prewar production levels in New Jersey despite decreasing total acreage o 5 The unit measure of cranberries is a standard barrel established by an act of Congress effective July 1, 1916. The dimensions of the barrel are fixed by law to a content of 5,826 cubic inches. This anounts to about 100 pounds of cranberries, which is the usual definition of "barrel" at the present. The actual barrels are no longer used in the industry, as they have been replaced by more efficient containers for drying and ship- ping. The unit measure, "barrel" as used in this paper means 100 pounds of cranberries. (Bulletin 1882, United 3 ated Depart- ment of Agriculture, 1942, p. 21). ‘ CHAPTER VI SUIHARY AND CONCLUSIONS Wisconsin is second in importance in the national pro- duction of cranberries, producing about one-fourth of the total million barrels grown annually in the United States. Since 1945 the expansion of‘Jisconsin's cranberry industry . . has been greater than in any other cranberry growing state. There are three producing regions within the state. First in importance is the Central region which is located mostly on the Lacustrine plain of Glacial Lake Kisconsin. Both the northern regions, Northwest and Horthcentral, are situated on ground moraines of Cary age. BOgs are widely scattered in both regions, but reflect differences in the regional drainage patterns. The climatic setting of Wisconsin's cranberry industry poses certain problems not as prevalent in other states. Frequency of frosts and the shortness of the growing season are the major problems. The more extreme coldness of the winter months, the greater number of hours of sunshine, and the larger amount of precipitation during the summer months than in other cranberry producing states are the chief climatic assets. - lOO - I5 " ‘ I4 "" - — - _ a N ‘ — ‘----- db-‘ ' \ ‘k | ,2 CRANBERRY ACREAGE BY STATESJ9I0-I957 G p MASS. .4 ’~. 4? \ THOUSANDS OF ACRES O 4 I‘v— WIS. ' I I9I0 I9I5 I920 I925 I9 0 I935 I940 I94 I950 I955 I960 O n - q H “‘ (A“"q"q: C)-l'.‘)~' \ 531/7." "’\ “-'vT‘ " "r J" \I {-3 'I‘ {Er-9' -ng 'I‘VJ.--~J.LW—LLLDKII.IL.;7 Lgulbpl. K.) A); \JIg-dUUS ldld—lu‘J)? 700 TION BY STATE I9I0-I95 600 500 ’ O O 300 THOUSANDS OF BARRELS 200 I00 SOURCE: WISCONSIN CROP REPORTING SERVICE R.K.H. I959 In the United States the general increase of yields in recent years is principally due to improved cultural methoas. Since 1945 many important developments have taken place. New chemicals for weed killing, better fertilizers, more widepread mechanization of growing and harvesting operations, and in general, more scientific growing practices have all had their effect on increased bog production and the improvement of the product. Table 2 indicates tremendously greater yields occurring in.Hisconsin than in the other producing areas.4 There are many factors hat contribute to the high yield in Kisconsin. The two most apparent ones are the use of hi? J her yielding varieties of cranberries, and improved methods of growing and harvesting. The Searles Jumbo is the leading variety grown J'l in Risconsin, comprising over 60$ of the total acreage in 1956.” The average yield per acre of this variety in 1956 was 105 barrels per acre. The IcFarlin variety, which is the second most important in the state with about 20% of the total acre- age, yielded an average of 82.1 barrels per acre. The highest yielding variety in Massachusetts is the Early Black, averaging 42.5 barrels per acre in 1955. The Howes variety is the only Washington and Oregon have produced yields similar to those in Wisconsin in recent years. Although discussion of these states is omitted here, the factors responsible for the high yields on the west coast are, generally speaking, the same ones covered by the discussion of Visconsin yields. 5 Wisconsin Crop Reporting Service, op.cit. p.8. TAJLE 2 CARIBERRY YIJLDS % g uflgwgg STAThS, 1910-1957 Year 1.3acu*se ts New Jersey ‘Jisconsin 1910 22.5 25.6 9.4 1911 21.1 14.1 17.6 1912 25.1 10.9 25.0 1915 25.8 9.6 16.7 1914 55.2 15.1 18. 1915 18.1 17.2 19.4 1916 25.8 15.6 21.1 1917 9.7 11.8 15.0 1918 15.5 11.5 13.7 1919 28.2 15.8 22.2 1920 22.1 11.6 18.5 1921 14.9 14.7 12.6 1922 24.1 18.5 28.9 192 52.2 18.2 17.5 1924 24.4 19.5 21.0 1925 52.2 10.6 12.5 1926 51.5 19.7 40.5 1927 27.7 6.9 11.9 928 25.2 12.7 20.5 1929 50.5 8.5 19.1 1950 28.6 15.5 15.7 951 55.5 12.5 20.0 952 50.5 7.5 52.6 1955 56.9 15.7 19.1 1954 21.2 7.1 28.1 1955 24.2 8.7 56.7 1956 25.5 7.9 27.0 1957 40.9 19.0 47.9 1958 25.6 7.0 26.7 1959 55.5 10.4 45.0 1940 25.2 11.0 48.4 1941 55.7 10.0 58.1 1942 40.6 12.2 59.6 1945 54.6 8.1 57.8 1944 11.1 7.8 42.6 1945 55.0 6.4 50.4 1946' 57.6 15.1 55.7 1947 52.9 10.5 59.6 1948 40.5 8.8 85.0 1949 54.7 8. 64.5 1950 41.2 14.7 65.4 1951 59.4 11.7 54.4 1952 51.1 17.9 54.9 1955 49.6 22.4 77.6 1954 45.4 20.7 64.1 1955 40.7 25.0 0.8 1956 54.2 24.5 91.8 1957 45.0 27.5 65.0 Ibid., excerpt from pp.18,19. -‘ -98.. one grown to any great extent in both states. In Iassachusetts this variety yielded 91.8 barrels per acre. Although the different varieties used in each of the growing areas are mostly responsible for the greater yields in Wisconsin, there are many other factors to be considered. Mechanization, the flooding method of harvest, weed and insect control, and general bog management all have been touched upon in preceding chapters but are mentioned again here because of the important contribution they make to the production of any bog. 0'9 DOUGLAS C-I'I-I-I-I'I-I' HA SH. URN 1 T nu gun; _ 150-250 WISCONSIN CRANBERRY PRODUCTION BY COUNTIES mun some musunATTT:;_ . -: 3 'J -- _. EC:- §_-1.:_'::::'_§; 3;: :1. ;j:_:ii_;:§ f g .;'1: jg g-g é:- - 500-650 - nzso-nsso ‘SOURCEZ WISCONSIN CROP REPORTING SERVICE 25 so 75 IOO uufis RKH. l959 Fig. 53.-énisconsin Cranberry Production oy Counties Most cranberry growing establishments are isolated within forested areas, consequently the vegetational pattern of the area becomes an important factor in areal differentiation. Vegetational patterns within the producing areas areequally important for the control of weeds is one of the greatest problems in the industry. Cranberries are grown on a variety of soils. The three types found in Wisconsin bogs are peat, sand, and muck. There appears to be no correlation between the degree of success of the growing operation and the soil type. The present day geography of the Wisconsin cranberry industry can be better understood by reviewing its historical development. There are four distinct stagesof areal develop- ment. The first stage was the harvest of wild berries in many parts of the state by the Indians and early white settlers. The rise and fall of the Berlin area as a major producing region was the second-stage of development. The center of the industry then moved to the lacustrine plain of Glacial Lake Wisconsin which has remained the most important region of the state. The latest area of development is in the northwest and northcentral part of the state. This expansion has taken place since the First World Ear. The most important factors affecting the patterns and appearance of cranberry growing establishments in the three regions are age and the physical setting. In the Central region many of the marshes are quite old and are con- structed on continuously level land. The type of buildings and the uninterrupted gridiron pattern of the bogs reflect these facts. The Northwestern region is intermediate in age and the building types are not distinctive. The scat- tered pattern of the bogs reflects the undulating morainic topography. Individual marshes in this region are usually constructed in narrow stream valleys and have an irregular pattern. The Northcentral region is the newest of the three cranberry producing areas. Buildings and marshes are of modern construction, and reflect the mechanization of the industry in several ways. host of the cranberry growing establishments in this region are constructed on level swampy ground bordering a lake. harshes are widely scatter- ed, but generally show a uniform rectangular pattern in the producing area. The rate of eXpansion or the amount of expansion that can take place in the Wisconsin cranberry industry does not appear to depend to any great extent upon physical limita- tions or advantages. ‘Some areas of the state are more favor- able to the commercial production of cranberries than others, but usually the commercial cranberry marsh is based on an - 103 - environment that approximates the conditions of a wild cran- berry marsh. It has been shown, however, that within the state of Hisconsin there are a variety of environmental cir- cumstances in which cranberries can be and are profitably grown. The amount of future growth of the Wisconsin cranberry industry will not be determined by limitations of the physical environment. host of the growers in the state could double their existing bearing acreage on property they now own if the demand for cranberries would justify this. The principal gov- erning factor in the growth of the industry has been and will continue to be the market for cranberries. The condition of the market for cranberries is based upon many factors, most of which are outside the scope of this thesis. Product quality, distribution to markets, and con- sumer demand are the most apparent of these factors. The Wisconsin cranberry industry will continue to ex- pand more rapidly than other producing areas. The physical and cultural conditions which have made higher and more profit- able yields possible, and the proximity to the greatest market-- the Midwest, are Wisconsin's principal cranberry growing assets. APPEIIDIX I COVERING BETTER, QUESTIOI‘I1=IAIRE,AI\ID SUEARY OF DATA - 1:34. - ( COPY OF ) (COVERING LETTER) Department of Geography hichigan State University East Lansing, Michigan 14 February 1959 Although this letter is mimeographed for reasons of economy, I hope you will regard it as a personal appeal for information. Last summer I visited about forty different cranberry marshes, perhaps yours was one of them. The enclosed questionnaire is my only way of contacting those of you whovI didn't get a chance to interview, and also to ask a few more questions of those I did talk to last summer. The results of the enclosed question- naire are to be used in the preparation of a Master's Degree Thesis in Geography at Michigan State University. It is my pur- pose to describe the Wisconsin cranberry industry and particularly to point out special problems connected with cranberry growing in different parts of the state. I hope that this study will prove to be a valuable addition to information available on the Wisconsin cranberry industry. Please return the questionnaire in the enclosed self-addressed and stamped envelOp by Harch 1, if at all possible. All replies will be regarded as strictly confidential. Any published material resulting from this study will concern areas, not individual pro- ducers unless I have contacted you personally regarding this. I received your address from the grower's association to which you belong or by visiting your marsh. Thank you for your cooperation. Sincerely, Richard K. Haugen l. 5. CO 0 10. Describe 'he location of your marsh (distance and direction from the nearest town and name of road). How many acres of producing ines do you have? . Acres of vines not yet in production? . Acres of abandoned vines? . 'Jhat is the total acreage of your cranberry operation, including reservoir area, etc.? ‘Jhat is the source of your flood water? ( ) Lek ( ) Stream ( ) Other ’1 What kind Oi soils do you have? ( ) MuCk ( ) Peat ( ) Sand Combination What is the acidity of your soil (expressed in pH, if possible)? Is there a residence at the marsh? ( )Yes ( )NO If 38, who lives thn re? ( ) Owner _ ( ) Foreman ( ) Other Is cranberry nvoduction your main source of income? ( )Yes ( )30 If not, is yeui main income ( )farm or ( ) non—farm? How many years have you been raising cranberries? Are or were other members oi your family in the cranberry business? What Special problems do you have connected witll the particular location of your marsh? (for \x- mple, water supply, acidity of soil and water, sinking bogs, weeds, etc.) Any additional comments are welcome. 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KOHE aweapm wII NO O N on mOHmwn chGoomHH on MK peed Edehpm OOOH mm O O mm OOHQO: QHmCoomHE heHo rH®>O mob OK been escape OOOH OO O HH ow mOHmwr CquoomHH Hugo» pmeawecv eEoocH eocepHmem mHHom popes OoOHH ewmeaow Hdpoe verOQOnd 3oz wQHoSOoam gnaw: Ho SHOE Ho ooazcm Hence mesH> Ho meao¢ QoprooH ZOHwflm HfimBZMO fine Eonb «Eda HfiH¢HmOHBmflb3 flo Nfidfifibm Hemseaseoov n mqmee APPQIDIX II L AID II'ATJR AC IDITY, ATIOH ‘ IUGIOZEAL 331.23.; 1H OF 150 V‘I-JQJH'D POJJU t‘H—I - 114 - TIL? L3; 4 REGIONAL SUHHARY OR SOIL AND WATJR .CIDITY, T',‘ ' - n . 'u. “JnD POPULATION" Region Central Northcentral Northwest No. of samples 22 10 6 Water pH 6.53 6.60 7.55 Soil pH 5.11 4.65 4.88 Weeds** 5.50 2.60 5.00 ** Weed pepulatIon based on a scale of 5. 1 indicates no weeds, 5 indicates serious weed problem. “Based on unpublished research paper by halcoln N. Dana, "Small Fruits, Their Tnprovement Culture and Handling," Department of Horticulture, University of Liseousin, hadison (December 1955). BIBLIOGRAPHY Books Dansereau, Pierre. Biogeography: An Ecological Perspective. New York: The Ronald Press Company, 1957. Bulletins .‘ Franklin, Henry J. and Stevens, Neil E. Heather and‘fater as Factors in Cranberry Production. Massachusetts Aéricultural Station, Sulletin Ho.455. Adherst: lassachusetts State College, June, 1946. Hole, Francis D. and Lee, Gerhard B. Introduction to the Soils of Hisconsin. fiisconsin GeOlogical and Natural Iistory Survey, Soil Survey Division, Bulletin 30.79, dducational Series Ho. 10, Iadison: University of fiisconsin, 1955. Lalde, 0- F. Cranberry Bo; Construction for‘Iisconsin. The University Of EiSCOQSin ASriCultural fixperiment Sta- tion Bulletin No. 215, fiadison: published by the State, June, 1911. hartin, Lawrence. The Physical Geography of Wisconsin. The Wisconsin Geological and Natural history Survey, Bulletin No. XXXVI, Educational Series No.4, hadison: published by the State, 1916. Stevens, C. D., Cross, 0.3., and Piper, W.E., The Cranberry Industry in Lassachusetts. hassachusetts Department of Agriculture, Bulletin No. 157. Boston: Massachusetts Department of Agriculture, Lay, 1957. United States Department of Agriculture, Harvesting and Handling Cultivated Cranberries. Farmers' BulIetin No.1882 TaShington, D.C.: United States Department of Agri- culture, January, 1942. ‘Shitson, A. R., et al. A Report on Cranberry Investigations. The University of fiisconsin Adricultural fixperinent—_ Station, Bulletin No. 119. Kadison: published by the State, February, 1905. BISLIOSRAPIY (continued) Bulletins Wisconsin Crop Reporting Service. Cranberries of Visconsin, Special Bulletin No.70, Madison: Misc nsin State De- partnent of Agriculture, December, 1 ‘Jisconsin Crop Reporting Service. Wisconsin Cranberries. Bulletin No.522, hadison: fiisconsin State Department of Agriculture, November-December, 1955. . Cranberry Bog Lanagenent for'flisconsin. The University ofIUlsconsin Agricultural Experiment Station, Bulletin No. 219, Madison: published by the State, April, 1912. Reports The Natural Resources Committee of State Agencies. The Natural Resources of Wisconsin. An Inventory byuthe Natural desources Committee of State Agencies. Madison: published by the State, December, 1956. cals H- Articles in Period Peltier, George L. "Factors Affecting Cranberry Yield in Wisconsin,” Cranberries: the National Cranber y Zagazine, Vol. XXII, 30.8 (Deceuber,41957). Hall, Clarence J. "Uisconsin--An Increasing Production Challenge to East," Part I, Cranberries: The National Cranberry Lagazine, Vol. XXIII, No.5 (July, 1957). Ball, Clarence J. "Wisconsin-—Grasses Growing on Iany Marshes Being Reduced," Part II, Cranberries-~the Kational Cranberry hagazine, Vol. XXII, X0. 5 (September, 1957). "Wisconsin Production to be Hatching Iassachusetts in Ten Years," Cranberries: the National Cranberry Magazine, Vol. XXII, No. 6’T00tober,l957). - 116 - BIBLIOGRAPHY (continued) Articles in Periodicals Durand, Loyal Jr. ‘Aiscoas uCranb erry 1 Scene 0 Ceo graphy, T’vol. XVIII, 942. Misconsin Cra oerrr I;1d rv ,"7fiscons»n *fstorical Last azine, hiSCOHS “ St historicaI Society, “vb "I. ' "KIWI , I=.Iarch 19 :5 . Stevens, George L. and Joan Nash, "The history of the S'x v Aerial PhotOgraphy United States Department of Agriculture Commodity Stabilization Service, Phot03raphy of Jackson, One'da, Price, Vilas and wood Counties at a scale of 1:20, 000. 1950. Maps United States eolc 3ical Surv e., Xertel Quadra ' e, Visconsin, 15 Iinute Sc ries (Planiietiid), “--.- . x— , I:4B,OUD. asnintton 25, D.C.194 - 117 - gnaw IImmun"ImmmmuummumW 427