546 ANNUAL REPORT OP THE Off. Doc. 



build no tent, bu1 let themselves down by a web or thread. I wish 

 to trv, with a little help from others, to spread this disease next 

 summer, where such worms are getting destructive, and also learn 

 if it will destroy a few other kinds of leaf-eating insects, that spin 

 webs for any purpose. 



D. C. YOUNG, McKean Co. — The past two winters in this county 

 have been something frightful. Two years ago we had exceedingly 

 cold weather and many of the apple trees were injured and nearly 

 all the pear trees were killed. Last winter was very cold and steady 

 and nearly completed the work on orchards done the year before. I 

 think they might have withstood the winter, but in May we had two 

 or three very hard freezes just as the trees were beginning to blos- 

 som. The blossoms were nearly all killed and many of the leaves 

 were killed and the trees did not put forth new leaves. Hundreds of 

 trees have been cut down during the past year in this county, and if 

 we have another winter like the past two, apple growing will be a 

 thing of the past so far as McKean county is concerned. Hereto- 

 fore it has been very profitable and the fruit has been of very fine 

 quality. Tears have also been a profitable crop, but until new trees 

 are planted and commence to bear we shall have no pears here. 



The common sour cherries have done well and the winters did 

 not seem to injure the trees. Fine strawberries are grown here and 

 the flavor the best I have ever seen any place. The winter seems to 

 have no effect on the strawberry plants. Raspberries and blackber- 

 ries are not cultivated as wild ones grow here in profusion and there 

 would be no sale for the cultivated berries. Currants do well here 

 and if hellebore is used on the bushes, and kept free of worms, the 

 crop of currants is always very good. Where Bordeaux Mixture has 

 been used in spraying, especially upon potato vines, it has been very 

 successful. In fact, it is almost necessary to use it in order to get a 

 paying crop of potatoes. 



We raise fine vegetables in this county, and of excellent flavor. In 

 fact, have never seen nicer celery grown in any place than we get in 

 our own gardens here. 



GABRIEL HIESTER, Dauphin Co.— Your questions cover the 

 ground so thoroughly that I have nothing to add. We have no com- 

 mercial fruit growers in the county, except Mr. Simon and myself. 

 Owing to the wet weather in June the leaf blight fungus got a hold 

 on the foliage of the apple trees and neither liquid nor dust spray 

 could dislodge it after it cleared up. So the apple trees lost their 

 foliage prematurely, which left the fall apple smaller than usual and 

 lacking in flavor. York Imperial seemed to be more resistant, and 

 the foliage remained green until frost and the apples were flue. The 

 trees were loaded to the ground. 



J. NEWTON GLOVER, Union Co.— We had too much rain when 

 cherries w r ere ripe for them to keep. Either wet weather or blight 

 caused plums and peaches to dry on trees before they were ripe. On 

 peaches it was due in part to the yellows. 



This is not a great fruit growing county, except for peach or- 

 chards of which a number have been planted on the thin soil, where 

 they do well. 



