No. 5. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 267 



pies. Upon investigation I found that these persons must each year 

 hunt new buyers for their fruit. It is with some effort that I make 

 these conditions public, but they are nevertheless facts. 



PESTS 



In many sections of the State the San Jose scale is held in check, 

 in others it has practically destroyed the orchards and very little or 

 no eflfort was made to prevent their destruction. The Aphis, during 

 the past year have done a great deal of damage in the State. These 

 can be kept under control by spraying just as the buds open. The 

 Codling moth is the one that is causing the careful grower a great 

 deal of concern. For the man who can put up the 100% clean box 

 or barrel is the man who gets the premium. We have found that in 

 many cases the spraying is done by the "get done quick" method. 

 This is a waste of time and material. If you do not want to do it 

 thorough, you better not do it at all. 



OVERPRODUCTION 



The cry of overproduction is still ringing loud over the country. 

 From a report given me it is estimated that there were 40,000,000 

 less trees in the United States in 1910 than in 1900, against an in- 

 crease of 20,000,000 in population in the same length of time. As our 

 population increases just in such proportion will the consumption 

 increase, provided we give them clean and straight fruit. Fruit 

 tree planting in Pennsylvania is growing less. There will not be as 

 many planted this year (1915) as there were last year (1914). From 

 what I can gather if the present rate continues in the year 1920, 

 50% of the present farmers' fruit trees will be dead. In the State 

 there are many places where whole orchards are bad from lack of 

 proper care. So it behooves us to control the scale, codling moth, 

 aphis and all the rest of the enemies of the fruit grower. 



It is always the one that sticks to it that wins in the end. I know 

 that the practical, up to date and efficient orchardist is the one that 

 will win. From what I have learned I believe that in every estab- 

 lished fruit county there should be an information bureau, whose 

 business it would be to ascertain where apples, or other fruits, can 

 be handled to best advantage, and to keep the growers informed as 

 to the prices and to assist in establishing a standard for the county, 

 and then maintain that standard by being honest. There were only 

 a few counties reported less than 100% and some as much as 500%. 

 100% indicates last year's crop. 



The peach crop was heaviest in the southeastern part of the State, 

 Montgomery reporting 2.000,000 baskets. In many of the other coun- 

 ties the crop was a total failure. In some places peaches sold from 

 $1.25 to 11.60 per basket, but in some orchards they were as low as 

 25 cents per basket. This confirms me that this Board ought to de- 

 vise some means whereby the over supply could be sent to other 

 counties where the supply is not sufficient for the demand and sold 

 at a reasonable price to the consumer and at a profit for the grower. 

 Mr. L. W. Lighty quoted October 17th. that he saw peaches sell at 

 $1,50 per basket 54 miles from the orchard where they were bought 

 for 30 cents per basket. I believe we would be of much benefit to the 



