572 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



Eighty 1)01- cen(. reply in the allii'iiiative to the question, "Is the 

 crop protitiihle in yonr connty?" and only (> ])er cent, in the negative, 

 and llies^e explain in the next answer that the failure to make the 

 crop pay is due to lack of care, neglect, and indifference on the part 

 of the owner. ^N'e have liere an ekxpient commentary on the possi- 

 Idlities of fruit growing in this Stale. Conniiercial planting is re- 

 l)orted on the increase from sixty counties, the varieties most })lant- 

 ed being Stayman Winesap, York Imperial, Jonathan, Rome Beauty, 

 Grimes' Golden, Summer Kambo, and Smokehouse, in order named 

 for the southeastern section of the State, while the Baldwin, Spy, 

 (h-eening. Wealthy, Duchess, Stayman Winesap, IMcIntosh and York 

 Impeedial ai>pear to be the favorite varieties of the State. 



In sharp contrast to the report of a year ago the yield of pears 

 has been good, with exceptions, all over the State. The few counties 

 reporting poor yields or failures are included in the section visited 

 by late frosts, and such failure is attributed to this cause. The 

 price and quality was good, except in some cases for Kieffers. Only 

 15 per cent, of replies report commercial pear growing on the increase, 

 pear blight is without doubt the leading pest of this class of fruit 

 trees, and may be a factor in preventing conmiercial planting. San 

 Jose scale, codling moth, borers, and leaf blight, are other destructive 

 pests mentioned. 



The peach crop of 1910 was without doubt one of the heaviest ever 

 grown in this State, many counties reporting 100 per cent, of a full 

 yield. There was a combination of favorable conditions in nearly 

 all sections where peach trees thrive in this State for the production 

 of a full crop of fine fruit, the quality being reported good from 

 all such sections, while the prices received were somewhat lower 

 this season than the preceeding, ranging from 50 cents to |1.25 per 

 basket, and averaging 80 cents. The crop is said to have been profit- 

 able in all sections of the State, except the northern tier of counties, 

 in addition to Cameron, Elk and Forest. 



The most destructive pests of the peach are said to be yellows, 

 San Jose scale, borers, manilia rot, curculio; while under this head 

 are mentioned winter-killing, vagabonds and neglect. No better 

 evidence is needed to prove that the Pennsylvania peach grower 

 knows the best methods of combating the pests common to this fruit 

 than the uniformity with which these answers agree upon their 

 treatment. Cutting out of trees infected wdth yellows, removing the 

 borers, and spraying infested trees with lime-sulphur solution for 

 scale insects, and as a ])rotection against rot, is universally reported 

 as giving the best results. The control of brown rot is, as yet, a 

 problem only partially solved, since 00 per cent, report that this 

 disease is not being controlled, a number having failed in their 

 efforts to save their fruit, even by the use of the lime-sulphur washes. 

 There is no doubt that most thorough going treatment must be ap- 

 plied to eradicate manilia rot from the orchard when it has once 

 gotten a foothold, and pruning, gathering and destroying mummied 

 fruits, as well as thinning, are giving liest results in connection with 

 the use of lime-sulphur sprays. All sections, except those already 

 mentioned as not well adajtted to the growing of peaches, report an 

 increase in the planting of commercial peach orchards. 



The yield of plums is given as fair to good over the State gen- 

 erally, with quality medium to very good, and the price averaged 



