426 ANNUAL REPORT OF TUE Off. Doc. 



eight years. JonatLan apple has given three bushels per tree the 

 sixth year. 



The fruit crop of Peunsylvania in 1910 was not large, and good 

 prices prevailed ; prices of apples last fall ranged from seventy-five 

 cents to one dollar and a quarter per bushel. Peaches from sixty 

 cents to one dollar and a half a basket. The kinds of apples most 

 favored for planting are principally. Northern Spy, Baldwin, Rhode 

 Island (jreening, Staynian Winesap, (irimo's (iolden, York Imeprial, 

 Winter Banana, Stark, Delicious and Jonathan. There is a grow- 

 ing demand for currants and gooseberries and a ready market for 

 small fruits. The market calls for quality. The small things of 

 earth confound the wise, and still there is room. 



REPORT ON FORESTS AND FORESTRY 



By ROBERT CONKLIN, Harrisbiirg, Pa. 



It is the duty of a government to perpetuate itself, and in per- 

 petuating itself there is a further duty to provide for the common 

 welfare of its citizens. With these objects in view, it is wise for a 

 state to see to it that every square foot of soil, the source of wealth, 

 be made to produce its highest revenue. Whenever elements of pro- 

 duction are allowed to be wasted, the whole moral fiber of those in 

 connection with the waste is lowered and general dissatisfaction 

 follows. The state in turn suffers from undesirable citizens, loss of 

 industry, income, and at the same time outlay for remedial meas- 

 ures, and a host of economic conditions which can hardh' be followed. 



Pennsylvania stands high in the list of states, agriculturally, and 

 we are all proud of her record, but as long as it remains true that 

 at least 8,000,000 acres of productive soil are not paying interest 

 on a low investment in them, to say nothing of taxes, and other 

 millions of acres are not producing more than half of what they are 

 capable, we can still bow our heads in shame and think on the matter 

 seriously. When we grasp the enormity of this blot on our records 

 we should be stirred to redoubled efforts to put Pennsylvania where 

 she belongs — not high in the list, but the Keystone of the Arch, 



The fact is sometimes overlooked that trees grow on soil and that 

 a wood crop is just as truly a crop as a crop of wheat. It is this fact 

 that I want to recall to your minds today. Trees will grow on soil 

 whicli is too rocky or too poor to grow any agricultural crop, be- 

 cause only a very small percentage of their make-up is taken from 

 the soil. But it is also true that some trees will grow much more 

 rapidly on moderately good soil than they will on poor soil. They 

 will jrow on hillsides too steep to farm, where erosion is taking 

 place or is hard to prevent, along streams, roads and in undesirable 

 corners. They require practically no attention after planting and are 

 all the time growing into value finnncinlly and otherwise. 



Fifty years ago a farmer in Eastern Pennsylvania planted Norway 

 spruce and European larch along his fence rows. Today the trees 



