10 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



an unusunlly cold snimnei-, with conditions nnfavorable to cro]) 

 ])rodnction. Tlie season was especially unfavorable for corn. Im- 

 mediately after tin? planting season there was in most parts of 

 the Statexa long continued period of drouth, that prevented the 

 prompt germination of the seed. In many places corn did not come 

 up until this dry period was past, when it was too late to mature 

 in lime to be harvested before tlie winter set in, and, as a result, 

 a great deal of corn remained in the field during the first months 

 of winter, and even now in mid-winter, tliere is much still stand- 

 ing out. In some localities the wet weather, which set in later, in- 

 terfered with the cultivation of corn, thus causing the crop to fall 

 short of what it otherwise would have been. The continued precipi- 

 tation during the season for harvesting wheat and making hay was, 

 in many sections, the cause of great loss, and it is a matter of sur- 

 prise that with these conditions prevailing, the crop reports are as 

 favorable as they are. 



The second discouraging feature worthy of mention was the 

 failure in so many localities of orchard fruits. While in some sec- 

 tions of the k^tate, esj)ecialh' in the southeastern counties, the apple 

 crop was abundant, in other localities the late spring frosts de- 

 stroyed the crop entirely, and the peach crop, w'hich, in recent 

 years, has become quite impoitant, was much below tlie average 

 all over the State. 



Another source of great discouragement to our fruit growers, 

 and one that needs to be met with resolute and persistent treat- 

 ment is the presence of the Ran Josi^ Scale in almost every locality 

 of the State. It is unfortunate that this Dejjartment does not 

 have the means to render the fruit growers of the State the aid 

 they need in comliatting this fo(\ Without united action on the 

 ])art of the laud owners upon whose premises shrubs or trees 

 that are infested, or that are liable to be infested, with this de- 

 structive pest are growing, the fruit producing industry of the 

 State is destined to be greatly injured. It is gratifying to know 

 that in some localities farmers and orchardists are organizing for 

 systematic warfare against this dangerous enemy, and it is to. 

 be hoped that the example of such will be followed by others, until 

 such organizations may cover the entire State. The Economic 

 Zoologist of this Department is doing all in his power to assist 

 in this conflict in localities where the people have taken up the 

 fight and to lead it in other places where fruit growers have not 

 been aroused to a sense of the danger to wdiich they are exposed; 

 but without the assistance that we trust the next General As- 

 sembly will give us, we cannot hope even to hold our ow^n in the 

 struggle, and much less may we hope for permanent success. 



