No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 625 



To go back to the exhibit over here. I have not had time to 

 make the notes I would like. M}' time was so taken np judging the 

 fruit that 1 did not have the time to make the notes I wanted. In 

 looking over the county displays, Perry, Adams and iAizerne have 

 wonderful displays of almost perfect fruit— especially Adams. I 

 trust you will pardon me if I make any personal allusions. Adams 

 county makes the best display of any county. There is scarcely an 

 imperfect specimen there in the way of the codling moth. 



Lewis Brothers, of Luzerne county, have one of the most re- 

 markable exhibits in the hall. Every one can see the fruit for him- 

 self, and know what it is bv the label. This exhibit was not in 

 competition with the others, but it is a noteworthy exhibit. 



In some of the exhibits I find the Spitzenberg, which used to be 

 grown years ago, but has lately been dropped almost entirely. It 

 is a high qualit}', aud very valuable. There are four boxes of apples 

 over in the hall that come nearer perfection in grading and pack- 

 ing than anything else there. I tind some varieties that, perhaps, 

 have not been tried, but of the tried varieties there is the Kome 

 Beauty, growing in many parts of the country. In (.hio, where it 

 originated, it has become nearly perfection, and judging from the 

 specimens 1 see over here, it will become one of the leading varieties 

 of this state. Next comes the York Imperial. 



By the way, I must not pass by a very fine exhibit of pears, sent 

 in by your worthy President. He says it is due to cross-pollenation. 

 That is something that he never seen fully established before, but 

 if this is the eifect, it is something to know and make use of. 



The Banana apple, which is coming into notice, originated in 

 Indiana, from there into Michigan, and from there into the North- 

 west, seems to be doing as well here as out there. It is quite a 

 choice variety, and I hope to hear further reports from it. 



There is one thing 1 wish to call .your attention to in regard to 

 the Jonathan. There is a disease which has lately shown itself 

 in the way of spots on the skin; they are only skin deep, but it de- 

 tracts from the market price of the apple. They do not know yet 

 exactly what it is. The first time my attention was called to it was 

 when a man came clear on to the city of Washington from the 

 state of Washington. He had sent a carload of fruit there. It 

 was sent by the way of Pittsburg and distributed through a com- 

 mission house at Washington, and he received complaint of these 

 spots, which it was supposed had developed while in storage. They 

 showed me some of the specimens, and my impression was arsen- 

 ical poison, which did not show itself at the time, but developed 

 while the fruit was in cold storage. I find among your apples quite 

 a number of specimens atfected in this way. 



Now, you are aware that there has been a tremendous impetus 

 given to fruit-growing throughout the country. I think that Penn- 

 sylvania is to-day quite close up with other states. I have been 

 watching this impetus, especially in connection with Virginia and 

 West Virginia, and I suppose you, in your state, are doing the same 

 thing. Now, I don't want to hurt your feelings any, as fruit grow- 

 ers, but I want to tell you that you have not yet attained to the 

 high water mark in fruit growing. Now, if you will look over the 

 display you will find a number of specimens that could have been 

 40—7—1910 



