N,,. t5. iJlCl-.MilMKNT OP AOUICULTURK. 9 



!!.- ,;ilh-l ai licit I'lm-c :iii(l <I:ilr. .\( lliis iiic'tiii;^ t!w viiicyai-disiH 

 who •/.( Ti prcsi'iil |j:;iv(' i\f full ;» description ol I lie (liHcas<'8 aiul iii- 

 sccls tliat were tlic cause of i lu-lr loss aa they were able to give, 

 111)111 which the y[)ccialisls 1 liad with me had no ilillicully in'dcterni- 

 iniii.i;- the nalure of the trouble. Vvol'. SiirXace at once underiook 

 lo lottk after the desiruitive insects, av.d an arran;;f'nu'nt was subse- 

 (juently made with Dr. U. P. Armsby, Director of the Peuusylvauia 

 lixperlment Station, whereby it was a;;-reed that the work of reli<-f 

 ^i'.en to the grape grower.s sliouid be divided between the Experi- 

 ment Station and this Depart men I, the statioji taking charge of the 

 fungous diseases, and the Economic Zoologist of this Department, 

 the insect pests. Fortunately for this Department the insects did 

 not appear in such quantities as to make any very serious trouble, 

 hi order to satisfy myself as to the result of the treatment given 

 the vineyards, I visited them during the seasou when the grapes 

 were being gathered and found the ti'eatmeut to h:\ve been most 

 successful. A very great saving was secured to tla^ vineyardists 

 for the present year, and at the same time such an object lesson 

 was given iri methods of treatment as will enables them, in th<' 

 futurt", to successfully combat the adversaries with which they 

 must contend. Following is a letter from Prof. But/., giving a full 

 account of the work that was done: 



"State College, Pa., November 13, 1903. 

 "Hon. N. B. Critchfield, Secretary of Agricultvire, Harrisburg, Pa.: 



"Dear Sir: The spraying operations in the vineyards of Erie county, v.hioh 

 were the outcome of the conference you arranged for at North East, Pa., on 

 May 5, 1903, have been concluded with the most satisfactory results. The 

 problem of the injurious insects was assi.gned by you to the Economic Zoologist, 

 but as the insects did nut appear in threatening numbers this season, nothing 

 was called for along that line. The spraying operations proposed to protect 

 grapes against the destructive attack of fungous diseases were under my direc- 

 tion and were carried on in several vineyards. I can now report that the vine- 

 yardists are well pleased with practical benefits which may be derived from 

 the proper use of fungicides upon grapes. In the sprayed vineyards of 25 

 acres of Mr. Z. Rogers^, not a single rotted berry could be found at the time 

 of harvesting, while in a neighboring vineyard, not sprayed, from 2.5 per cent, 

 to :]0 per cent, of the crop was ruined. Messrs. Crawford Bros., of North East, 

 Pa., who sprayed their 50 acres of vineyard, as well as other fruits, have 

 placed the value of their spraying operations of the past season at $0,000.00. 

 Many vineyardists who had no faith in spraying last May are now making 

 prepaiations to spray ne.xt season. 



"The detailed report of the operations will ai),'.;,.!- in a;i raiiv huilft-n ..f th^^ 

 Experiment Station. 



"Very truly, 



"GEO. C. BUTZ." 



DISCOURAGING FEATURES OF THE TEAR. 



Amonj^ the discouraging features with whidi the farmers of the 

 State had to contend during the past year, I may nu-ntion. first, 

 2 



