COUNTY REPORTS. 355 



culture by reading, leads me to conclude that the best results are obtained by graft- 

 ing on the pear-roots, instead of the quince. I believe that like produces like, and 

 the roots affect the quality of the fruit. If this is so. care should be taken to 

 secure seed from the best varieties to produce roots for grafting. 



Reports from the Experimental Station at Washington give account of 60 

 varieties of pears being grafted on both quince and pear-roots. The experiment 

 proved that a large number of the standards came into bearing as early as the 

 dwarfs. Among these were the Buftam, Howell, Bartlett, and others. 



In harvesting this fruit, especially the Keiffer, it should be gathered as soon 

 as matured, but not allowed to ripen on the tree. After picking carefully and stor- 

 ing in a cool, dark place a few weeks— probably two— will produce a well-ripened 

 and highly colored fruit. 



If trees are heavily loaded, they cm be thinned out before fully maturing and 

 treated in the same manner as stated ^before. This thinning is an advantage to 

 the remaining pears, and makes fair fruit for canning. 



LINl!f COUNTY. 



Below I make a brief report of the frait crop of this county for 

 the past season : 



Apples, the nearest a failure in 20 years. The fruit set on so 

 scarce that spraying was resorted to only in a very few cases, conse- 

 quently what few apples we have are knotty and inferior, and are not 

 keeping well. 



In pears, Keiffer and Duchess yielded half a crop. Nearly all 

 other varieties were a failure. 



Peaches, seedlings yielded an average crop ; the finer budded vari- 

 eties not more than one-fourth of an average crop. If I should under- 

 take to grow peaches in this latitude, I should discard most of the 

 budded varieties and select seed from the choicest and hardiest seed- 

 lings, taking care, of course, to select from trees that come somewhere 

 near reproducing themselves. 



The curculio were as numerous as ever, consequently few plums- 



Cherries, hardly enough for the birds. 



Grapes, about one-half an average crop. 



This county was visited by a severe hail-stor n about the time 

 grapes were opening their bloom, and as the shoots were young and 

 tender they were badly broken off. By spraying every 10 days up to 

 the time of beginning to ripen, we were able to grow to perfection 

 such varieties as Pocklington, Martha and Elvira, which were only a 

 disappointment before. 



Gooseberries, one-fourth of an average crop. 



Currants, an average crop. 



