No. 7, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 623 



ing it to be of attractive color and a good keeper, he got Mi\ Jonathan 

 Jessop, a nurseryman, to propagate it. Mr. Jessop thought well 

 of the variety and named it Johnson's Fine Winter. He sent a 

 basket of the fruit to the late A. J. Downing, who pronounced it 

 ^'the imperial of late keepers," and as it originated in York county, 

 Mr. Downing suggested the name of "York Imperial," an appropriate 

 cognomen for this valuable commercially variet3\ It is now one 

 of the leading varieties in many sections of the country where it 

 brings large returns to the grower. 



Mr. J. N. Craig of Kose Clitf Orchard at Waynesboro, Virginia, 

 and Commissioner Koiner of the Department of Agriculture, Rich- 

 mond, Va., report aii orchard of York Imperial, ten years old, 4 

 acres, that yielded the comfortable return of |2,0U0 the past season. 



The Stayman Winesap is one of the most promising varieties 

 now being planted in commercial orchards. It has been found to 

 succeed over a very wide area of country extending from the Atlan- 

 tic to the Pacific. It originated in Kansas from where it spread 

 first eastward and then westward. The tree is a vigorous grower, 

 very productive of large fine fruit of good quality and it is justly 

 entitled to the reputation it has gained. 



Jonathan and Grimes' Golden stand at the head of the list of 

 choice varieties, especially for quality, for which they always com- 

 mand the highest market price. 



There are several varieties that might be mentioned that are 

 well adapted to soil and climate conditions of many of the counties 

 in Pennsylvania. 



I fail to find any mention of Rome Beauty on your fruit lists. 

 Just why you have omitted this is a question I cannot solve. In my 

 estimation it should rank with Y^ork Imperial, and though not so 

 prolific, it comes into bearing early and its quality is better than 

 York Imperial ; and it is the ideal apple tree for sandy soils. 



The question of varieties to plant is one of paramount import- 

 ance. In times past little attention was paid to this matter, but 

 in recent years it has been the subject of very careful investigation. 

 It was partly for this object that the American Pomological Society 

 was organized. And for this purpose, by means of extensive cor- 

 respondence with fruit growers all over the United States and Can- 

 ada, data has been obtained upon which the Pomologist of the De- 

 partment of Agriculture at Washington has been enabled to publish 

 in pamphlet form, a list of varieties of fruit adapted to the various 

 sections of the United States and Canada. It is known as the Re- 

 vised Catalogue of Fruits and the publication is revised from time 

 to time in order to keep pace with the progress in Pomological In- 

 vestigations. 



I cannot urge upon your growers too strongly the necessity of 

 planting varieties adapted to your soil and climate. If mistakes are 

 made in cultivation, spraying, pruning and such things, they can be 

 corrected the following year, but if mistakes are made in the selec- 

 tion of varieties it means a loss of seven or eight years' time which 

 no one can afford to lose in the short space of a life-time. 



A mistake very often made is in planting too many varieties. 

 Four or five of the very best sorts that have been tried and known 

 to succeed in the locality where the planting is to be made, are suf- 

 ficient for a commercial orchard. 



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