No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 781 



should have been at work and the rnateiial was washed off as fast 

 as we could put it on. Between showers the sun came out hot raak- 

 ing conditions ideal for the growtli of fungi. Weeds grew so rapidly 

 on cultivated ground that we were obliged to let the spraying go 

 and fight weeds or they would have smothered everything. In spite 

 of all this and the unusual scarcity of help, we were able to keep our 

 grapes free from rot and mildew, but considerable leaf blight made 

 its appearance on the apples and pears, and we had more cloudy 

 fruit than usual. Fall apples colored up nicely and sold well; but 

 a heavy storm blew off three-fourths of the Baldwins and York Im- 

 perials about October 13, just as we were getting ready to pick and 

 store for winter. We gathered up all that did not show injury from 

 bruising and stored them in cellar from which they were sold a lit- 

 tle earlier than they otherwise would have been and, consequently 

 at a lower price. There was also some lost from rot, as many 

 bruised apples were picked up in spite of all the care that could be 

 exercised. Scarcity of barrels prevented our reaching some of our 

 best markets at a time when good prices prevailed. York Imperial 

 should be marketed now (December 10), but dealers do not want them 

 while Baldwins are in the market. Our markets are still full of 

 second-class fruit that has been shipped in bulk and is selling very 

 low from wagons on the streets which has a depressing effect on the 

 price of first-class fruit. It is hard to sell a yellow apple at any 

 I-rice. Even Yellow Belleflowers are a drug. Baldwin, King and 

 Rambo are the only apples that will command more than one dollar 

 per bushel at retail at this writing, December 10. 



''I am more than ever impressed with the uncertainty of the fruit 

 business and Avith the importance of proper climatic conditions. I 

 do not mean the above as a complaint, notwithstanding all the draw- 

 backs mentioned, and the loss of my entire peach crop which should 

 liave amounted to eight thousand baskets at least. I find I shall 

 come out 'ahead of the game' and see no reason for the Pennsylvania 

 fruit grower to be discouraged." 



L. G. YOUNGS, North East, Erie Co.; "We had a good year except 

 grapes, this being the lightest crop in twenty years. A severe sleet 

 storm late in the spring froze three-fourths of the grape buds and 

 also destroyed the fruit buds of the currants and gooseberries 

 Peaches were good where sprayed early for the curl and those not 

 sprayed were a failure. Spraying also controlled the plum rot. We 

 sprayed three times and had something over a thousand bushels. 

 We use the J. B. Johnson curculio catcher, of Geneva, N. Y. We 

 have found spraying too uncertain so far to destroy the curculio. I 

 drafted the black knot law of the State, and we see that it is en- 

 forced here so that we hav'nt scarcely any trouble with this dis- 

 ease." 



