236 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



are the best for quinces; but the trees also thrive well on damp, 

 gravelly drifts, although they do not stock up so well. 



CHERRIES. 



The cherry crop was excellent throughout the State. The early 

 varieties, such as the Richmond, did particularly well. The late 

 varieties were damaged by excessive moisture. The greatest de- 

 mand is for sour cherries, and these are being the most extensively 

 grown. They are less subject to rot than the sweet kind. Cherry 

 trees were in healthy foliage all summer, there having been less 

 leaf rust than usual. While the Early Kichmond is regarded as 

 the most profitable cherry, some growers lay ^great store by the 

 Montmorency, which is larger and better than the Early Richmond, 

 although a little later than the latter variety. Other favorite kinds 

 are the Governor AVood, Napoleon Bigarreau, May Duke, Yellow 

 Spanish and liilack Tartarian. 



GRAPES. 



The season as a whole was favorable for the grape crop. Al- 

 though July was rather wet, there were plenty of hot days in August 

 and September to properly develop the fruit, and fine bunches were 

 plenty, especially such as had been bagged. In fact, spraying and 

 bagging was essential to assure success in grape growing. The 

 finest display of grapes in Pennsylvania last year was, beyond doubt, 

 that which was made at the Lehigh County Fair, held in Allen- 

 town in September. One grower had 147 plates of grapes on exhi- 

 bition, and in one collection had 82 varieties. In this collection 

 there was not an imperfect bunch, and every variety was true to its 

 name. Every bunch had been bagged, and perfection was thus 

 obtained. It was a hard matter for some persons to believe that 

 these grapes had not been raised under glass. Other grapes on 

 exhibition, of the same varieties, were decidedly inferior, because 

 proper attention and care had not been given them. Here were 

 fittingly exemplified the correct and incorrect methods of growing 

 grapes. 



It is scarcely necessary to refer to varieties, inasmuch, as of the 

 many in the list, there are only a few that succeed everywhere, and 

 they are well known. The Concord, for instance, is nearly every- 

 body's first choice, on a-ccount of its size, productiveness and hardi- 

 ness. Not choicest in flavor, nevertheless, it has that natural 

 piquancy inherited from the wild fox grape, from which it origin- 

 ated, that is liked by most people. The sweetest grapes, such as 

 the Delaware, have not the same bouquet. With the Concord may 

 be classed Moore's Early and Worden as among the best black 

 grapes. Of the white varieties, the four best are possibly the Ni- 



