aO ANNUAL REPORT OF THE OCf. Doc. 



and small fruits will snocced, but intelli<fGnt effort must be put forth 

 ill e\t'iy diiecliou: xsaniely soil Iucatii)ii, variety, cultivation, pruu- 

 in<i-, marketing', and, last that 1 shall mention, spraying. We live in 

 an age of bacteria and multi[)lied insect life, the armies of which 

 seem to have marshalled their forces for a general onslaught upon 

 the orchards of Tennsylvania. in order to meet these enemies, we 

 have endeavored to equip our institute force with men actually 

 engaged in fruit growing, who have had experience and years of 

 practice in the business and work of testing the diifereiit spraying 

 materials for subduing that most deadly foe to the orchard, the San 

 Jose Scale. Some have used one method, some another and found in 

 each a valuable remedy, thus developing the encouraging fact th.it 

 the chemist and scientist, whether he works with lime and sulphur 

 or the different oil mixtures, is accomplishing much to aid the 

 orchardist to preserve his trees and grow fruit. It is encouraging 

 to learn that adjoining states through their Experimental Stations, 

 as well as our own, ha\e carried on exhaustive experiments with the 

 dilferent spraying materials, giving useful information for our guid- 

 ance. These materials include the leading commercial brands 

 ]>lac('d on the market, as well as the lime and sulphur wash, which 

 is now prepared in a commercial way ready for use. The states that 

 have accomplished the most exhaustive experiments with the 

 dilferent brands are New York, Maryland, New Jersey, and West 

 Virginia, all of which report good results from the use of Oil Emul- 

 sions. Many of the old family orchards of our State are passing out 

 of existence for want of a little care in fertilization, pruning and 

 spraying for the control of the San Josd Scale, hence the manufac- 

 turer or compounder, who places within the reach of the farmer 

 effective material (ready for immediate use), may properly be called 

 a benefactor, since no greater calamity could befall farm life than 

 the passing away of the family orchard. 



POULTRY. 



Increased demands have been made for instructors in the different 

 branches of ])Oultrv interests. We were com])(dle(l to make efforts 

 to supply demands for instruction: First in successful egg produc- 

 tion. Second, the best manner of housing — In this particular I may 

 say the progressive poultryman has learned that his hen house must 

 be so const ructed as to admit of an intake of fresh air at all seasons. 

 Third, necessity of a distinct breed, carefully fed with a ration suited 

 to the object for which the flock is kept is of great importance. I 

 may say that by the adoption of such improved methods for the 

 handling of jvoultry, as have been demonstrated by our Institute 

 Lecturers, we have increased the value of egg production more than 

 50 per cent, within the last decade or from around |9, 000,000 to 

 120,000,000 for the past year. Also poultry for the market has re- 

 ceived close attention, so that there are hundreds of farmers devoting 

 their entire time and energy to growing poultry for the market. 

 From reports at hand, we learn that fair profits are being derived 

 therefrom. Indeed I feel (luite safe in saying that in no line of live- 

 stock industry is their better promise of ]irofit for money invested 

 than in the approved methods of handling poultry for either market 

 or egg production. 



