508 ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



est and best orchards are menaced by total destruction. In many 

 cases the owners are unaware of the actual conditions until too 

 late. 



GABRIEL HIESTER, Harrisburg, Dauphin Co.— In my opinion 

 the severe winter of 1903-4 injured the older peach trees — that is 

 those that had produced several crops. Many of the fruit buds 

 were frozen and the balance appeared rather weak and a great many 

 peaches dropped off when about the size of peas. When the peaches 

 ripened up they lacked size and color. Young trees that had never 

 born a crop before produced fine peaches and plenty of them. Sum- 

 mer and fall apples did very well, but the severe frost on September 

 22, seemed to loosen the stems of the Baldwin and York Imperial — 

 the small apples did not grow after that, and a great many more 

 dropped sooner than usual at that season — even those that re- 

 mained on the tree did not keep as well as usual, but had to be sold 

 while the market was full of second class fruit. 



Keiffer pears came in the first of October and stopped the sale 

 of good pears entirely. The market has not yet recovered, and I 

 doubt if Duchesse and Lawrence will bring as good prices this win- 

 ter as Duchesse were bringing at that time. 



DR. J. H. FUNK, Boyertown, Berks Co. — I have planted quite 

 extensively of southern varieties of apples and these are doing 

 better than northern varieties, proving good bearers, hanging well 

 to trees, and proving late keepers. Stayman's Winesap takes first 

 place. I am top working many varieties, such as Stark, etc., to 

 Stayman's Winesap, Rome Beauty is a heavy bearer. Early Win- 

 ter is of excellent quality and one of the most showy apples we have. 

 Collins Red is an enormous bearer, late keeper and quality medium 

 and a good seller. Mammoth Black Twig, tree a strong grower, 

 medium early bearer, fruit large, dark red, quality excellent, a very 

 late keeper. Black Ben Davis, early and a heavy bearer, fruit very 

 showy, solid red, quality little better than Ben Davis. Gilbert 

 closely resembles Mammoth Black Twig. Salome is not proving 

 satisfactory. 



Notwithstanding the condemnation of the public, the Keiffer pear 

 is holding its own and where understood and properly treated it is 

 rivalling the Bartlett in every respect. It is beautiful in appear- 

 ance, large, guality good, smooth at core, having lost all that rough 

 sandiness for which it is noted when improperly grown and on un- 

 congenial stock they make me more money than ony other pear 1 

 have tried. 



Sour cherries are a good crop, bringing big returns. 



Peaches are better than Standard Oil stock, when attention is 

 given, well fed, well pruned and clean culture, they will turn out 

 more dollars than anything you can plant. I have had plenty of 

 trees that have given me from five to twenty dollars per tree. Last 

 season from 100 eight year old trees occupying one-half acre I sold 

 |1,280 worth. This season from one block of 1,073 trees, covering 

 three years old next spring, they averaged me nearly one and one- 

 half baskets per tree, netting me over one dollar per tree or |200 

 per acre and only two and one-half years from planting. 



I am getting more fully convinced every year there is no such 



