486 ANNUAL REPORT OP THE Off. Doc. 



Plums. 



The crop was light, only uisie persons giving a favorable reply and 

 in most cases the frost and rainy weather were the causes assigned 

 for this failure. 



Curculio, Black Knot, Scale and Brown Rot are the most serious 

 enemies to plum culture in the State. A few reports show loss from 

 yellows. 



German Prune is given first place as a profitable variety, followed 

 in order by Burbank, Damson, Abundance, Lombard, Green Gage, 

 Wickson, Red June and a long list mentioned only once or twice. 



Eight persons recommend the one-half bushel basket for market- 

 ing plums, five prefer quart boxes and four use a five-pound basket. 



Cherries. 



Most correspondents report the successful growing of cherries 

 and thirty out of forty-five answers indicate that the crop is profit- 

 able. 



Distance from market, rot and birds are the chief adverse condi- 

 tions reported. Sour cherries are most favored as desirable shippers. 

 Montmorency and Early Richmond receiving nearly all the votes. 



Grapes. 



Grap'(^s grow successfully in most sections of the State and are so 

 easily grown and with a little care, are so generally satisfactory that 

 no country, home should be without several vines. Rot and rose 

 bugs, both easily controlled by spraying, are the chief difficulties re- 

 ported. Commercial grape growing has been very profitable in some 

 of the northern counties, particularly Erie, and in a few other sec- 

 tions favorably situated as to soil and market. It is by no means 

 general, however. Concord takes the lead as a variety recommended 

 for home use, with fifty-one votes, followed closely by Niagara, Wor- 

 den and Moore's Early. Brighton, another excellent variety, is 

 named eight times, Delaware and Salem five times, and Campbell's 

 Early four times, with fifteen varieties mentioned once or twice. 



Small Fruits. 



Comparatively few correspondents had experience sufficient to 

 warrant their reporting on most profitable varieties of strawberries. 

 A large part of the State, north and west, reports "No strawberries 

 grown." The vote on varieties follows: Bubach, 12; Haverland, 11; 

 Glen Mary, 10; Sharpless, Senator Dunlap, and Sample, 7; Brandy- 

 wine and Wm. Belt, 5; Gandy and Cumberland, 4 each. 



In raspberries, Cuthbert takes the lead, followed by Gregg, Cum- 

 berland and Kansas. Two correspondents recommed Black Dia- 

 mond raspberry very highly. 



"Name some of the hardiest and best blackberries." The answers 

 to this question brought out the interesting fact that in more than 

 half the State wild blackberries grow so plentifully that but few 

 tame ones are cultivated. 



