No. 7. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 491 



SMALL, FRUITS. 



Over halt the con-esiiondeiits report tliat small fruit culture is on 

 the decrease io Pennsylvania. This is a deplorable fact and it is 

 hoped that now interest will be taken in small fruit culture during 

 ]i)(J7. The following- varieties of strawberries are mentioned the 

 most frequently as being the best: Bubach, Gandy, A\'m. Belt, Sharp- 

 less, Brandywine, Warfield, Haverland, Glen Marr, Tennessee Proli- 

 fic, Sample and Senator Dunlap. Cuthbert stands very much in the 

 lead as the best red raspberry and Gregg occupies first place among 

 the black caps. Cumberland is coming to the front rapidly and is 

 now quite generally grown in the State. Kansas, which was so pop- 

 ular a few years ago is mentioned by only three correspondents. 

 Snyder is regarded as the most profitable blackberry, followed by 

 Erie, Kittatinnv, Tavlor and Ancient Briton. 



VEGETABLES. 



Trucking or market gardening is profitable in Pennsylvania, 

 wherever desirable markets can be found. The crops which may be 

 grown on the greatest variety of soils are generally recognized as 

 the most profitable. The following vegetables are favorably men- 

 tioned the most frequently: Cabbage, tomatoes, potatoes, onions and 

 celery. A distinctly sandy soil, which is necessary to follow a 

 general line of trucking, is not required to grow any of the foregoing 

 vegetables, and it is surprising that scores of our markets are poorly 

 supplied with home grown produce. Almost every correspondent 

 speaks of the opportunities in his county for market gardening. 



SPRAYING. 



At least 80 per cent, of the correspondents report that spraying 

 for insects and fungous diseases is on the increase. This is the most 

 encouraging part of the communications which the Chairman of this 

 committee has received. It is an assurance of better days in the 

 future, for those who have been spraying with care, thoroughness 

 and intelligence have been well rewarded for their work. In reply 

 to the question -'What are the results of spraying?" we note these 

 answers: ^'good", "very good", "fine", "satisfactory", "excellent", 

 "holding scale in check", etc., etc. Of course some have been disap- 

 pointed, but failure in mosit instances has been due to improper in- 

 secticides OP fungicides or faulty methods in their application. 



THE SAN JOSE SCALE. 



There is no doubt about the San Jose Scale being spread quite 

 generally over the State. Some growers report that they do not 

 know of its presence in their counties but the investigations of Prof. 

 Surface and his assistants show that there are comparatively few 

 sections where this pest does not exist. That it is very much more 

 prevalent in some counties than others is well known by the immense 

 losses which have been sustained in these scale swept counties. 



Very little is being done to control the scale where the damages 

 have not been especially noticeable. These localities need a warning 

 that the fruit growers or farmers will not forget, for certainly pre- 

 ventive measures should be taken before the scale gains a strong 



