490 ANNUAL REFORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



creased the yield in some eonnHes, while diseases and insects were 

 more generally responsible for the light crop. The consensns of 

 opinion is that the curculio is the most destructive insect pest to 

 plums and the San Jose Scale takes second place among the foe.s. 

 Abundance, P>urbank, Lombard and German Prune are the most 

 popular and prohtable varieties grown in the State. But there 

 seems to be very little interest in commercial plum growing and very^ 

 few trees are being planted with a view to supplying fruit for market 

 purposes. 



QUINCES. _ 



According to reports of our correspondents the outlook for quince 

 culture is no more promising than a few years ago. Our Lancaster 

 county correspondent thinks the outlook is encouraging in that 

 county, but no other grower takes an optomistic view of the question. 

 The most serious obstacle to quince culture is twig blight. 



CHERRIES. 



Cherries are quite universally grown in Pennsylvania and a large 

 majority of the correspondents state that the crop is grown profit- 

 ably in their respective counties. It is especially successful in most 

 of the more hilly counties where the climate is not too severe, and 

 the industry should be developed in these favored localities. The 

 sour cherries, such as the Early Richmond, may be produced and is 

 produced under a great variety of soil and climatic conditions but 

 this is not true of the varieties producing the largest and finest sweet 

 cherries; The finest large sweet cherry requires a peculiar fitness 

 of soil and climate and the area of our State where such a combina- 

 tion is afforded is rather limited. The industry deserves special at- 

 tention in these communities. A neighbor in Cambria county grows 

 as fine ^Mndsor cherries as were ever grown in California, and the 

 quality or flavor surpasses the California fancy cherries. The follow- 

 ing varieties are most largely grown in our State: Early Richmond, 

 Black Tartarian, Gov. Wood, Montmorency Large, English Morello, 

 Dyehouse, Yellow Spanish and May Duke. 



GRAPES. 



Commercial grape culture in Pennsylvania, is confined almost 

 entirely to Erie county. There are isolated growers here and there 

 in various parts of the State who grow considerable quantities of 

 grapes for market, but most of our farmers and horticulturists are 

 interested in the production of this fruit for home consumption. 

 The grape is certainly one of the most delicious and refreshing of 

 all our fruits and every farm should contain at least a few vines. 

 Concord will give fair results in almost any soil, while there is an 

 extensive list of varieties which will do well over a large part of our 

 State. The following varieties are especially desirable, according to 

 the views of the correspondents: Concord, Niagara, Brighton, Dela- 

 ware, Moores Early, Worden and Brilliant. The Chairman of this 

 committee, who has fruited the Brilliant, is particularly impressed 

 with the fine quality of this grape. It is a cross between the Dela- 

 ware and Brigliton with the size of the Brighton and the quality of 

 the Delaware. 



