4 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



It is very gratifyinj,' to note that as the apparent importance 

 of the crop increases, farmers are seekiiisz; to increase their knowl- 

 edge of the conditions most favorable to its prodnction. Reference 

 was made to this matter in my last report— particularly to a new 

 departure inaugurated by the introduction of the "Corn Show" in 

 our State. Arranginnents are now being made for a corn exhibit 

 at the State Capital during the fourth week of January that prom- 

 ises to surpass anything of the kind ever attempted before. It is 

 to be hoped that the Annual Corn Show of Pennsylvania has come 

 to stay and that this and every other means for increasing interest 

 in this valuable crop will receive at the hands of Pennsylvania 

 farmers, the attention they merit. 



DIVERSITY OF CROP PRODUCTION. 



Pennsylvania possesses an advantage over many of her sister 

 states in the fact that owing to the diversity of her soils and the 

 difference in the altitudes of the various sections of the State, 

 resulting in great variety of climatic conditions, there are but few^ 

 of the farm crof>s adapted to the Temperate Zone that may not be 

 grown with profit within her borders. This, with the fact that no 

 state in the Union can boast of a home market, such as our people 

 enjoy, makes our State especially attractive to enterprising and 

 intelligent farmers, who are not satisfied to continue year after 

 year in the production of crops and the pursuit of methods that have 

 little more than their antiquity to recommend them. New crops, 

 new methods and new systems of cultivation are brought into use. 

 The aid of Science is being invoked, new plants are being introduced 

 and new farm industries are being developed. This does not by 

 any means imply that the old industries that made the Pennsyl- 

 vania farmer of generations past famous for his thrift and pros- 

 I)erity have been abandoned, but by the application of scientific 

 principles, old methods have been improved so j-hat the margin of 

 l>rofit has been increased. The enormous wastes of the past have 

 been diminishod and the success that it is possible to secure even 

 from small profits, has been achieved. 



4 



FRUIT CULTURE. 



The ijitcrest in fruit culture continues, and fruit ]>roduction in 

 some sections of the State may be regarded as a leading industry. 

 More attention is being given to the investigation of the subjects 

 of storing and marketing fruits than was formerly the case. With 

 the favorable climatic conditions for fruit production that our State 

 possesses and the increased attention that is being given to the 

 preservation of the health of fruit trees and the destruction of in- 

 jurious pests, Pennsylvania is bidding fair to take high rank in the 

 fntui-e as an imy)ortant fruit groAving state. 



P>nt while in some sections of the State large commercial orchards 

 of the very choicest varieties of fruit are being planted and the 

 planting is being followed by systematic fertilization and cultiva- 

 tion, it is to bo regretted that in other sections the farm orchard is 

 being neglected and the home sup])ly of one of Nature's most valu- 

 able and healtful gifts to mankind is growing less every year. 



The fruit industry continues to receive very valuable help from 

 the State Horticultural Association. The annual meeting of this 



