14 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Tlie soil of all the counties, west of the mouiiialu ranges, is of 

 excellent quality, producing fine crops of grass for j»as(nrage and 

 hay. as well as large jdelds of the chief cereal crops grown in this 

 latitude. Except in sections around JMttsburg, and some of the 

 other leading manufacturing towns in the western part of the 

 State, general farming is usually i)racticed. AVhile this is the rule, 

 like-all general rules, it has its exceptions, and a number of farmers 

 in these western counties are beginning to specialize. Prominent 

 among the specialties receiving attention is the dairy industry. 

 Many line herds of dairy cows may be found in these western coun- 

 ties, 3'ielding a profitable income to their owners. Many cattle, 

 sheep, hogs and horses are raised in tliis section that find a ready 

 market in the manufacturing and coal towns that abound in the 

 western and southwestern portions of the State. The extreme 

 northwestern part of the State possesses special advantages as a 

 fruit-growing section. The influence of the hike upon tlie climate is 

 such that the fruit crops grown are rarely injured by the late frosts 

 of spring or the early frosts of autumn so common in other portions 

 of the State. The largest vinejairds in the State are to be found" 

 here, and the grape-growing industry is a source of great profit to 

 those who are engaged in it. Many carloads of grapes are shipped 

 from this section every year. Peaches, plums, apples and other or- 

 chard and small fruits are produced here in great abimdance and are 

 sold for good prices at the city of Erie and other points near home. 

 J^''r<un Erie county eastward along the New York boundary, con- 

 ditions are much the same that are found in the western part of the 

 State, except that the countr}- is somewhat more elevated and por- 

 (ioiis of it quite mountainous. But even u})on the mountains in 

 this part of the State the soil is of good quality and seems to be 

 especially adapt(>d to the growth of grass. The leading farm indus- 

 tries in this northern tier of counties are dairying and stock raising. 

 Large quantities of milk are shipj)ed from these counties in refrig- 

 erator cars to the cities of New York and Philadelphia, while a 

 number of creameries and many cheese factories are engaged in 

 l»reparing the }»roducts of the dairy for market in a more condensed 

 form. The valleys near the center of this northern boundary are 

 well adapted to the growth of tobacco, and wherever planted ex- 

 cellent fields of this valuable crop are produced. 



The eastern border counties of the State are not so uniform in 

 their natural features and soil products as those last named. The 

 surface of the noi'theastern counties is somewhat broken and mount- 

 ainous, while the southeastern counties are comparatively level. In 

 the northeastern section fine cro{)S of grass, oats and barley are 

 l)ro(luced, as well as a considerable (piantity of inaiz-e or Indian 

 corn. Except in the \ alleys of this section Indian corn does not re- 



