214 
AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 
principal peach soils. In the South Mountain region, what are known as 
* ‘ironstone” soils predominate in the orchards. These are generally of a sandy 
porous nature containing soft sandstones, flint or gravel. .Chemical analysis 
shows the predominance of much potash and carbonate of iron. The original 
growth on these soils was largely chestnuts, so that peach growers plant 
without much question where chestnuts have grown. Apples succeed upon a 
greater variety of soils than do the peaches, but preference is given to the 
limestone soils. 
3. There is considerable range in the varieties of fruits grown in Pennsyl- 
vania. The following are for commercial planting: Apples — Baldwin**, 
Northern Spy**, York Imperial**, York Stripe*, Smokehouse**, Ben Davis*, 
Lehigh Greeningf, Stark*, Maiden Blush*, Red Astrachan*. Pears — Bart- 
lett**, Clapp Favorite**, Seckel**, Howell*, Angouleme**, Clairgeau*, Law- 
rence*, Ivieffer**, Winter Nelis*, Flemish Beauty*. Peaches— Elberta**, Mt. 
Rose**, Crawford Late**, Wonderful*, Albright*, Globe*. Stump*, Oldmixon*, 
Salway*, Smock*. Plums— Bavay Green Gage**, Bradshaw*, German 
Prune**, Lombard**, Peach***. Cherries— Downer**, Tartarian**, Montmor- 
ency**, English Morello**, Richmond*. Grapes — Concord**, Niagara**, 
Worden*. Brighton*, Pocklington*. Strawberries — Haverland**, Bubach**, 
Crescent**, Greenville*, Brandywine**, Warfield**, Sharpless*, Woolverton*. 
Glen Mary*, Parker Earle**. Raspberries— Columbian*. Shaffer*, Gregg**, 
Ohio**, Cuthbert**, Loudon**. Blackberries — Erie**, Kittatinny**, Snyder**, 
Eldorado*, Wilson Jr.*. 
4. Most orchards are cultivated in crops until they are three or four years 
old. The “crop” may be corn, potatoes, strawberries, or peas. The success- 
ful peach growers and vineyardists continue the cultivation among their 
fruits, but apple and pear orchards are run into grass, or subjected to the 
ordinary rotation of farm crops as with other fields. 
5. A few progressive fruit growers are cultivating, fertilizing and growing 
crimson clover or rye to be plowed under, but it cannot be said to be general 
enough to be considered a fixed practice in this State. 
6. Barnyard manure is occasionally applied to orchards, but most fruit 
growers realize that the plant food they most need is potash, and are using 
Canada wood ashes, muriate of potash or kainit. Phosphoric acid in S. C. 
rock is also applied, usually in connection with potash. 
8. Insects and fungous diseases are attracting the attention of horticultur- 
ists, and each year some new cases of destruction occur within the State. 
The canker worm had not been known in Pennsylvania previous to 1898. 
This season it is reported from several counties. It is best treated with Paris 
green. Peach curl has caused considerable alarm the past two years because 
of its prevalence, but this season there is little evidence of it. The success- 
ful remedy for this disease is the early use of Bordeaux mixture. The 
rose chafer is very destructive in the western part of Erie county upon grapes. 
It is difficult to find a satisfactory remedy for this beetle. The frequent 
jarring of vines and catching the beetles by hand is practiced by the vine- 
yardists. We suffer from the common enemies of fruits just as our neigh- 
boring states do; that is, from the codling moth, peach and apple borers, 
curculio, peach root aphis, apple scab, pear blight and stone fruit rot 
{Monilia fructigena). Farmers are slow" to adopt the practice of spraying with 
insecticides and fungicides, but the more successful fruit growers are spray- 
ing with more or less faith and regularity. 
9. Irrigation is not practiced in this State. 
