114 ANNUAL. REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Thomas Rakestraw, of Chester county, reports a light and in- 

 ferior crop of apples. Pears grown but little, except Kieffer, which 

 were large and fine. The orchards at Atglen produced 35 carloads 

 of SUO baskets each. Peaches a heav}' crop. No peach stands 

 higher in general estimation than Elberta. Picked 110 baskets from 

 22 trees, three years old, and two old trees yielded 25 baskets. 

 Plums grown are principally the Japan varieties. Abundance the 

 leader, with Ked Jones, Chabot and Wickson promising well. Tend- 

 ency to rot the great drawback to plum culture. Of cherries, the 

 ^Montmorency the most popular. Good crop of gooseberries and cur- 

 rants. Downing preferred to all others. Of ten kinds of currants, 

 North Star proved the best for growth of bush and heavy yield. Cul- 

 ture under glass on the increase. Mushroom culture receives more 

 attention, and thousand of tons of manure used in raising them. 

 Comparatively few practice spraying, though when properly done 

 results prove beneficial. 



Gabriel Hiester, of Dauphin county, says that apples and pears 

 set a full crop, but due to drought ripened too early and pears re- 

 mained small. Peaches, trees overloaded, fruit small. Grape crop, 

 light on unsprayed vines; mildew and rot bad. Sprayed vines pro- 

 duced fine fruit. Thinks the codling moth worse than usual. In 

 spite of careful spraj'ing had more wormy fruit than for a number 

 of years. Believes in late spraying to protect the foliage of the 

 apple and pear from leaf blight, and for this purpose prefers the 

 ammoniacal solution of carbonate of copper. 



E. C. Brinser, of Dauphin county, had best success with Ben Davis, 

 York Imperial, Pound and Dominie apples. Peaches, an immense 

 crop; early varieties under size, but by continuous thinning late 

 fruit was No. 1 and obtained fair prices. Is inclined to think the 

 practice of spraying is growing less because if not done thoroughly 

 results proved unsatisfactory. 



Jos. W. Paschall, of Delaware county, reports a light yield of 

 apples, due to the drouth. Japan plums set full crops but not on 

 the trees. A disposition to plant more shrubbery and flowers. Cul- 

 tivated chestnuts, a good crop, but natural fruit a failure. 



Frank Simpson, of Elk county, reports a fair yield of apples of 

 good quality, and keeping well. Strawberries, excellent yield. Glen 

 Mary very good. Other fruits not reported or a failure. 



L. G. Young, of Erie county, reports a large portion of the apple 

 crop harvested by the Galveston gale and balance not keeping well. 

 Pears, a good yield. Outside the Elberta. the Crawfords and those 

 of the Melocaton type, the crop was good and prices fair. Off year 

 for plums. Fair croj) of German prunes. Lombards and Moore's 

 Arties. Large crop of quinces. Cherries, a light crop, but good 

 yield of Montmorency and English Morells. Grapes, tlip largest 



