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p E N N S Y L V A N I Four-inch Geraniums of high quality can be produced from stem cuttings in a comparable period of time. T- terminal cutting; S- single eye stem cutting; D- double eye stem cutting. (See story on Geranium Research at Penn State.) A FLOWER GROWERS BULLETIN 166 DECEMBER, 1964
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Page 1: A FLOWER - Nc State University€¦ · AT PENN STATE Darell E. Walker Head, Department of Horticulture Penn State University The Agricultural Experiment Station of The Penn sylvania

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Four-inch Geraniums of high quality can be produced from stem cuttings in acomparable period of time. T - terminal cutting; S - single eye stem cutting;D - double eye stem cutting. (See story on Geranium Research at Penn State.)

A FLOWER GROWERS

BULLETIN 166 DECEMBER, 1964

Page 2: A FLOWER - Nc State University€¦ · AT PENN STATE Darell E. Walker Head, Department of Horticulture Penn State University The Agricultural Experiment Station of The Penn sylvania

PENNSYLVANIA FLOWER GROWERS

BULLETIN

50 North Main Street

CONTENTS

Page

GERANIUM RESEARCH 1

EASTER LILY DISEASE CONTROL 3

EASTER LILY SCHEDULE 3

PLANT DISEASES 4

SOIL MIXTURES 4

WAGNER, VICE PRESIDENT 5

AFRICAN VIOLET RESEARCH 7

PA. BUSINESS IN BRIEF 8

NEWS FROM S. A. F 9

MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE Back Cover

PENNSYLVANIA FLOWER GROWERS

Bulletin 166 December, 1964

Published monthly at 907 Glenn Circle South, StateCollege, Pennsylvania, by the Pennsylvania FlowerGrowers. 50 North Main Street, Chalfont, Pennsylvania Entered as second class matter, postage paid•it State College, Pennsylvania. Subscription rates:active members - $5.00 per year; all other subscriptions - SI0.00 per year. Send all communications tothe Publications Office or to the Executive Secretary,50 North Main Street, Chalfont. Pennsylvania.

OFFICERS

PRESIDENT LEWIS REINIGERWm. D. Reiniger & Sons, Hatboro, Pa.

V. PRESIDENT HERMAN HELLBERGPeter Hcllberg Co., Chalfont, Pa.

TREASURER AND EXECUTIVESECRETARY HOWARD G. KRUPP

50 North Main Streeet, Chalfont, Pa.

EDITOR JOHN W. MASTALERZ907 Glenn Circle South, State College, Pa.

Second Class Postage Paid at State College, Pa

Chalfont, Pennsylvania

<J~toliday

G-reetings

TO ALL

PFG MEMBERSfrom

PRESIDENT LEWIS REINIGER

THE PFG DIRECTORS

HOWARD KRUPP, Executive Secretary

and

THE PENN STATE

FLORICULTURE

STAFF

Page 3: A FLOWER - Nc State University€¦ · AT PENN STATE Darell E. Walker Head, Department of Horticulture Penn State University The Agricultural Experiment Station of The Penn sylvania

GERANIUM RESEARCH

AT PENN STATEDarell E. Walker

Head, Department of HorticulturePenn State University

The Agricultural Experiment Station of The Pennsylvania State University is supporting an extensiveresearch program on the many phases of geraniumproduction and breeding. The floriculture and plantbreeding .sections of the Department of Horticulture.are collaborating with the Department of Entomologyand the Department of Plant Pathology to study thecultural aspects including methods of propagation,.soil mixes, watering methods, nutrition and diseaseand insect control as well as varietal improvementthrough genetics and breeding.

This research may be cited as an example of howmuch more can be accomplished when several scientists with different but related specialties work together than any one working alone. The work described here is the combined efforts of Dr. J. W. Mas-talerz and Dr. J. W. White in floriculture; Dr. J. Tam-men and Mr. J. F. Knauss in plant pathology; Dr.R. J. Snetsinger in entomology; Dr. R. Craig, Mr.W. W. Knicely and Dr. D. E. Walker in plant breeding.

Pennsylvania feels a definite responsibility to dothis work since it produces almost ten per cent of the40 million geranium plants produced annually in theUnited States. Sales of these plants make a significantcontribution to the economy of the state. These statistics refer to plants of the genus Pelargonium, commonly called geraniums, and are not to be confusedwith the large genus Geranium which has representatives distributed over many parts of the world. Further, most geraniums in commerce are included underPelargonium hortorum, the common zonal geranium.However, the Regal or Martha Washington types,Pelargonium domesticum, are also important. Thereare several of somewhat lesser commercial significancesuch as the ivy-leaved, the scented and the miscellaneous dwarf and variegated-leaf types.

The production of high quality plants dependsupon several factors: means of propagation; optimumtreatment; disease and insect control; and good varieties. The program at Penn State covers all of thesephases and will be discussed in that order.

PROPAGATION FROM CUTTINGS

At present, the principal method of propagatinggeraniums commercially is asexually or by cuttings,

Presented at19th American Horticultural Congress and published in

American Horticultural Magazine.

however a discussion of geranmms from seed will follow later. The qLiality and quantity of cuttings available is clearly dependent upon the mother or stockplants used in propagation. In asexual propagation,the cuttings produce plants exactly like the parentplant with few exceptions. It follows that if a poorquality stock plant is chosen, the offspring will alsobe inferior, therefore vigorous plants that are true totype, apparently free from disease, free flowering,early blooming and of good habit should be chosenfor this purpose. After a good parent plant is selected,the quality and quantity of cuttings available dependsupon culture of the stock plants.

Dr. John Mastalerz has done considerable research on the culture and handling of stock plants andfrom this can make several recommendations. He has

shown that a loose soil mixture composed of 3 partssilt loam, 1 part peat and 1 part perlite or other coarseaggregates such as sand or vermiculite is an excellentgrowing medium. He recommends sphagnum peatsbut agrees that local peats, pine and hemlock barks orredwood sawdust can be substituted. Stock plantsshould be grown in one-half bushel baskets and theyshould be fertilized with three pounds of 20-20-20fertilzer in 100 gallons of water applied once a weekduring the spring and summer with a reduction toonce every three weeks during the winter. There area lew slowly available fertilizers that can be substituted for the 20-20-20. Two of these are urea-formaldehyde and the coated fertilizers. The former is anorganic fertilizer and the latter are regular chemicalfertilizers covered witha plastic coating which controlsthe rate of release of the chemicals. Since both typesare released slowly, sufficient amounts can be mixedwith the compost before planting to eliminate the needfor further feeding. Adequate water should be supplied at all times to prevent undue hardening of theplants which in turn will result in a reduction of thenumber of cuttings.

Two distinct systems are available for handlingstock plants. The conventional method, used for manyyears, is one in which the plants are pinched one ormore times to induce branching and the terminalcuttings are harvested at regular intervals. These terminal cuttings are rooted and they in turn may betopped to produce additional cuttings. The stockplants are usually maintained one or two years. Amore recent system has been developed and uses asingle-stem, tree-type stock plant. The rooted cutting

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or young plants to be used as stock plants are plantedin the baskets. The top of the plant is not pinchedand the main stem is trained to grow upright by tyingit to a stake. The side shoots that develop are pinchedregularly to produce a large number of cuttings whicharc accumulated on the plant. It may be necessary toremove some of the larger leaves to permit air circulation and provide more light for shoot development.When cuttings are required, the entire plant is cut upinto terminal and stem cuttings to produce a largenumber of plants at one time. Stem cuttings produceplants of a quality equal to those from terminal cuttings. (See cover photo.) Dr. Mastalerz recommendsthat a stem cutting contain two nodes or eyes and careshould be taken to avoid an eye that has produced aflower because it won't break after rooting. Too closespacing of stock plants causes thinner growth and thuslower quality cuttings.

Dr. Mastalerz has found that the quality andquantity of cuttings from the two methods of handlingstock plants are equal. It may be necessary to useslightly more space and light and less water whenrooting stem cuttings to guard against botrytis infection at the cut end which is exposed.

TREE GERANIUMS

An interesting by-product of this type of stockculture can result from a partial harvesting of thecuttings. If only the lateral shoots are harvested fromthe elongated stem and a few are left at the top avery interesting tree-type geranium of considerableornamental value will result. Such a plant is two tothree feet tall and when planted in a large containeris very attractive for use on a patio. It may be desirable to pinch the shoots at the top to induce morebranching. It blooms constantly and, as is the casewith all geraniums, grows quite well even when neglected.

WATER AND FERTILIZER

The work of Dr. John White had dealt more specifically with the culture of the rooted cuttings andthe production of high quality plants. He has workedextensively with automatic watering systems. Theplastic tube system with various methods of controlling the time of watering has been tested. Fertilizerscan also be applied through this system. With geraniums a daily watering controlled by a time clock hasbeen proven very satisfactory. Results indicate thatthe same optimum conditions for growing stock plantsapplies to rooted cuttings. Good soil mixes, amplewater and fertilizer, high light intensity and goodvarieties are all important in production.

The addition of carbon dioxide to the atmospherehas been shown to enhance the growth and improvethe quality of flowers of several greenhouse crops andgeraniums are no exception.

Dr. Mastalerz and Dr. White suggest that withthe proper combination of the environmental factors— soil mixture, water, fertilized, temperature, light,

carbon dioxide, and disease and insect control — andgood varieties, production time for finished plants canbe reduced from 14 to IS weeks now required toabout 10 weeks.

CULTURED CUTTINGS

Geraniums are susceptible to several diseaseswhich can be extremely devastating under certainenvironmental conditions. One of these is BacterialStem Rot and Leaf Spot or Bacterial Blight caused bythe bacterium Xanthomonas pelargonii. Bacterialblight is a systemic disease which means that the bacteria are carried in the plant tissues and there may ormay not be any visible expression of the disease.Symptoms are particularly suppressed during periodsof cool weather. Since most propagation is done during the cooler months of the year, it is difficult orimpossible to select only healthy cuttings and thepathogen is propagated with the cutting.

Control of bacterial blight can be achieved bythe use of pathogen-free plants propagated from culture-indexed cuttings. Dr. James Tammen has appliedculture-indexing to geraniums and has provided several cultivars of bacterial-free geraniums to be usedcommercially. Culture-indexing is the laboratory testing of thin slices of stem tissue for the presence orabsence of the bacteria. Each cutting is tested individually and if one is found to be free of the organism,this cutting is used to provide a plant in a nucleusblock of disease free plants. These plants are givenspecial treatment to prevent the reinfection of theplant because these plants are in no way resistant tothe disease. Increases from these plants eventuallyprovide sufficient cuttings for use by growers. Atregular intervals, the plants in the nucleus block areagain culture-indexed to maintain the freedom fromthe disease.

Culture-indexing also frees the plants of otherroot rot organisms including the black leg fungus butoffers no control of virus diseases which are presentin most cultivars. Tomato ringspot is the main virusin P. Iiortorum. Dr. Tammen is currently adapting theheat treatment method of eliminating viruses whichhas been successfully applied to chrysanthemums andcarnations. The infected plants are grown three tofour weeks in a growth chamber at alternating temperatures of 95°F at night and 105° during the day.They are grown under constant fertilization with 2,-000-3,000 foot candles of light at the leaf surfaces.Short growing tips about one fourth inch long aretaken from the treated plants and rooted on an artificial medium containing growth substances. Plantsresulting are then tested on tobacco to determine ifthey are virus free. This is a very tedious processwith only about two to eight per cent success. As newtechniques are developed, it is hoped that greatersuccess may be attained.

Culture-indexing and heat treatment to produce

(Continued on page 6)

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3. Can the costly operation of watering be donequickly and efficiently?

4. Can the material be depended upon to carrya small hold-over of nutrients for continuedplant growth between fertilizer applications?

5. In the event of excess salts, is the drainagesufficient to induce leaching?

6. Is the mixture one that will hold the plant intop condition when the retailer has it on hisshelf?

7. Will the mixture hold moisture enough to keepa plant turgid and growing during a sunnyday when other work loads demand your attention?

8. Can you trust your labor force with the mixon days that you must be away?

COMMON SENSE MIXTURE

Read the above eight suggested requirements ofa soil mix and then add your own specific requirements. After all of that is accomplished, you can makean intelligent decision to suit your own managementconditions. There are always a few "Don'ls" thatmust be considered.

DON'TS IN SOIL MIXTURES

1. Don't use straight field soils.2. Don't use field soils with only peat or local

humus added.

3. Don't add dry fertilizer before transplantingto mixtures containing high soil content.

4. Don't add manures or chemical fertilizers inlarge quantities to any soil mix before transplanting.

5. Don't use any mixture that doesn't include aliberal portion of drainage material.

6. Don't become sold on soil additives whichhave not been proven to do the job you require of them.

PENN STATE FLORICULTURAL

RECOMMENDATIONS

The Pennsylvania State University FloricultureExtension and Research Staff recommends that the

base soil you have available should determine whatadditives are needed to make a good plant growingmixture.

If your base soil is a sandy loam, yoii can growwell in a 2 part soil, 1 part peat and 1 part perlite mix.In fact, you might get by with a 3-1-1 mix but onlyif the sand ingredient of your soil is coarse.

If your base soil is silt and clay or clay (as somany soils are), you will need a 1-1-1 mix.

The important factor is always drainage. If youdon't get water in the top and out the bottom, youwill have management problems every day.

Yoli can add fertilizer to any mix, but removingthe excess fertilizers without a well drained porousmixture is very difficult.

WAGNER, VICE PRESIDENT

of J. L DILLON, INC

Arnold B. Wagner

Arnold B. Wagner has been named Vice Presidentof J. L. Dillon, Inc., Bloomsburg, Pa., growers andwholesalers of flowers with 230,000 square feet of glassgreenhouses, 100,000 square feet of plastic greenhouses, and 12 acres of outside clothhouse production.

Mr. Wagner has been production superintendentof the Dillon firm since his employment 23 years ago.His earlier experience included employment with theMcLellan greenhouses near San Francisco and Am-ling's greenhouses near Chicago. The principal flowercrops grown at Dillon's include roses, chrysanthemums, carnations, chrysanthemum pompons, potmums, and poinsettias. The firm was established in1875.

B.A. Degree in Mathematics from Culver-Stockton College, Canton, Missouri.

M.Sc. Degree in Horticulture from Ohio StateUniversity, ColumbLis, Ohio.

Member of several Honorary Societies: Pi AlphaXi, Floriculture; Phi Epsilon Phi, Bontanical; GammaSigma Delta, AgricLilture; and Society of Sigma Xi,Research.

Member of Ohio Florists Association, Member ofPennsylvania Flower Growers, President of Pennsylvania Growers 1959-1961; at present time, Secretaryof Penn State Horticultural Council.

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GERANIUMS AT PENN STATE-

(Continued from page 2)

pathogen-free plants is proving to be extremely valuable to geranium growers but as indicated above,plants so produced are not resistant to the diseaseorganism and thus every precaution must be taken toprevent reinfection. In addition, the initial culture-indexing and heat treatment require special equipment and highly trained personnel and thus is an expensive procedure.

BREEDING GERANIUMS

For these reasons, the plant breeder has an excellent opportunity to make a contribution. The plantbreeder immediately has two lines of approach opento him, namely, the breeding of cultivars resistant tobacterial blight, and secondly, the development of truebreeding lines which can be propagated from seedand used as open pollinated types or as parents ofhybrids.

In order to breed disease resistance into existingcultivars, it is necessary to locate a source of genetic-resistance. This may be foLind within the speciesPelargonium hortorum or in other species. If it isfound within the species, the hybridization necessaryto incorporate resistance should be relatively easy.However, if it is found in P. domesticum or certainother species, it may be difficult to make the cross orif the cross is successfully made, the hybrid may besterile and thus preclude further progress. Failure ofthe cross may be due to genetic causes or to chromosome differences between the species to be used asparents. This indicates the need to undertake twofurther lines of investigation. One is to search for asource of resistance and the other is to establish thecytogenetic relationships between the species and cultivars.

Mr. James Knauss, who earned his M.S. degreein plant pathology while working with Dr. JamesTammen, applied the technique of screening plantsfor resistance and susceptibility to bacterial blight. Auniform, highly pathogenic isolate of the bacteriacausing the disease was selected. This isolate wasused to innoculate the plants and the reaction withinthe plant was used as a measure of resistance or susceptibility. With this technique several species andcultivars were assayed and it was found that testedplants fell within the complete range of highly resistant to highly susceptible. Only relatively few of thepossible types were tested, thus it will be necessaryto apply this technique much more extensively in thesearch for a source of resistance.

At the same time that the search for resistanttypes was being made, Mr. Walter Knicely, a Masterof Science candidate in plant breeding, was determining chromosome numbers in many of the cultivars andspecies. The results of his studies have confirmed

previously reported chromosome numbers and haveprovided counts of several new species and cultivars.From these determinations it should be possible tomore accurately judge the feasibility of making inter-cultiver and interspecific crosses. By correlating theresults of the pathological and cytological studies, itwill be possible to set up systematically a hybridization program that might provide a means for transferring genetic resistance into existing cultivars.

The breeding of disease resistant lines under optimum conditions takes several years. A quicker method to obtain results would be to develop true-breedinglines and hybrids which are not necessarily resistantbut can be reproduced from seed. Plant pathologistsreport that bacterial and fungal diseases are not transmitted through seed and that it unlikely that manyviruses are carried from generation to generationthrough seeds. Therefore, reproduction from seedswould provide pathogen-free plants more easily thanculture-indexing.

GERANIUMS FROM SEED

Dr. Richard Craig, then a candidate for the Master of Science degree in plant breeding began workon this problem. Several Pelargonium hortorum cultivars were chosen because of their desirable horticul

tural qualities and a program of inbreeding was begun. Several inbred lines were developed that differedfrom each other in flower color, flower doubleness,leaf zoning, earliness of flowering, branching habitand many other characters. A surprising amount ofuniformity was observed after only a few generationsof inbreeding.

Within a relatively short period of time Mr. Craigobserved one inbred line that showed considerable

promise. This line had single, dark red flowers andfoliage with a dark red zone. In addition, it showeduniformity of habit and flowering time. After testingin several parts of the country it was decided to nameit and release it through Agricultural Experiment Station. Thus 'Nittany Lion Red', the first true breedinggeranium line reproducable from seed, will be available to the public in 1965.

In the meantime, several other inbred lines arebeing observed and hybrid combinations are beingtested. Within a few years it is expected that severallines displaying different flower colors and with semi-double flowers will be available. Further it is likelythat, as in many other flower and vegetable crops, theFi hybrid will be most desirable.

During the time that it took to develop 'NittanyLion Red', Dr. Craig worked on several other relatedproblems. The most important are seed germination,culture of seedlings and the inheritance of severalcharacters.

The geranium seed is about three-sixteenths of aninch long. When harvested the seed is enclosed in ahusk which is easily removed. The seed coat is shinyand smooth and very hard. This seed coat is quite

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impermeable to water and as might be expected, untreated seed exhibit low germination and irregularityof germination. Several seed treatments were triedwith the result that simple mechanical scarificationwas found to be sufficient to allow for almost immediate germination and a germination percentage in excess of 90.

The handling of seedlings has been found to bequite routine. The seedlings are ready to transplantin seven to ten days after sowing. A recommendedprocedure is to transplant the germinated seedlingsinto 21//' peat pots with later repotting into 4" claypots. Dr. Craig and Dr. John White have determinedthat the culture of seedlings is essentially no differentfrom that for rooted cuttings. It is necessary to fertilize the seedlings as soon as they are transplanted tothe peat pots. Their recommendation is to incorporate coated fertilizer in the soil and supplement thiswith liquid fertilizer (20-20-20) at each watering usinga rate of 8 oz. per 100gallons of water. Automaticallywatering once a day using plastic tubes in each pothas proven very satisfactory. High levels of fertilization had no effect on the earliness of flowering on thenumber of flowers per plant. This is contrasted to adelay in flowering of seedlings grown dry and at lowfertility levels. Differences between lines were alsonoted.

The length of time from sowing to flowering isimportant and has been found to differ becaLise ofboth genetic and environmental factors. In addition tooptimum levels of water and fertilizer, Dr. Craig hasfound that light intensity is a factor and that a givenamotint of light energy is required for flowering. Thusin the summer months when light intensities are high,plants will flower in a shorter luimber of days than inthe winter. Selection for earliness is probably the mostimportant factor. Under similar conditions, someplants have been observed to flower in as few as 60-65 days while others require much longer periods withan average of 85-90 days during the spring and summer months. With selection for earliness and the proper cultural practices, geraniums grown from seed willcompare favorably with rooted cuttings as regardstime required to flower.

A vital part of any breeding program is an understanding of the inheritance of the important plantcharacteristics. For his doctoral thesis, Dr. Craigstudied the inheritance of flower color, flower type,leaf zoning, and stigma color. Those results have notbeen published but he found three genes were responsible for the flower colors of seven genotypes studied.He found a relationship between flower color, stigmacolor and red color in the zones of the leaves. Healso described three types of leaf zones — zoneless,green zoned and red zoned — and proposed genotypes for each. It appears that flower type is determined by one gene with no dominance. An interestingobservation was made regarding insect resistance. Afew mite infected plants were found in segregating

population. Dr. Robert Snetsinger studied these plantsand discovered that segregation for mite resistancewas occurring.

Much more work remains to be done concerningthe genetics, cytology, and breeding of geraniums butenough has been done to clearly indicate that growinggeraniums from seed will be routine in the near futureand may replace the cutting method of production.This will become a reality as soon as the plant breeders have time to develop lines and hybrids with therange of flower colors and with the different flowertypes now found in existing cultivars.

It can be seen that the research program at PennState is quite comprehensive. The study of the methods of handling stock plants for asexual propagationand the determination of the best practice for producing finished plants provides valuable informationto the grower on how he can produce top qualityplants in a minimum of time and thus at a lower cost.No mention has been made of the investigations concerning control of insects and diseases, but researchis being carried out in these areas also. New fungicides and insecticides are constantly being tested aswell as the methods of application.

The production of pathogen-free plants from culture indexing has already been proven to be extremelyvaluable to the geranium grower. If virus-free typescan also be produced, an even greater contributionwill be made.

In a very short period of time the breeding program has shown the feasibility of producing geraniumsfrom seed.

In conclusion, it might be stated again that a cooperative effort such as the geranium program at PennState can make valuable contributions to the art andscience of horticulture.

AFRICAN VIOLET SOCIETY

SUPPORTS DR. SNETSINGER'S

RESEARCH ON INSECT PEST

A pest that resembles a tiny white pebble andattacks the roots of African violet plants is under studyby Robert J. Snetsinger, assistant professor of entomology, at Penn State. The African Violet Society ofAmerica has provided a grant of $500 for support ofthe research.

Dr. Snetsinger's purpose is to develop a programof control and prevention through insecticides and tostudy the biology of the pest. It has appeared in theeastern part of the United States only during the pasttwo or three years, he explains, and was first describedas a species only about five years ago.

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PENNSYLVANIA BUSINESS

IN BRIEFPenn State Bureau of Business Research

Business activity paused in October in both thenation and Pennsylvania. The average factory workweek in this State was a little shorter than in September, manufacturing employment was a little lower,and coal production was less than usual for the month.Contract construction, although it expanded, did notmake quite the gain expected. The steel industry,however, remained very active and output was higherin October than in September in both the nation andPennsylvania. Auto industry labor disputes weremainly responsible for the national slowdown in business generally, but their effects on Pennsylvania business conditions were difficult to measure.

EMPLOYMENT

Total employment in the nation was lower becauseof the strikes; but in Pennsylvania the shifts were nogreater than seasonal shifts.

Manufacturing employment fell back only fractionally from the September level. That was the firsttime since 1960 that enough improvement was shownto equal the 1957-59 average level. Strike effectsshowed up more in local areas than in the State, andwere especially evident in the fabricated metals sectorof manufacturing in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

Nonmanufacturing employment was a little betterin October than in September. The shifts in employment in the various industry groups were small, butwith two exceptions. Federal Government employment has been declining steadily for several months,apart from plans to close certain military installationsin this State. In October, Federal employment reachedthe lowest level since December 1963. State and localgovernment employment, on the other hand, has beenrising. In October the gain was just enough to topthe previous record made in May. Most other non-manufacturing industry groups remained steady athigh level.

Estimates of the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry for mid-October put the percentage

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of unemployment in Pennsylvania below the percentage for the nation for the first time. The seasonallyadjusted rate for the State was 4.9 per cent; for thenation, 5.2 per cent.

The shortening of the factory workweek wasslightly more than generally occurs this month. Payrolls also eased off. They have remained virtually atpeak for three months, after rising rapidly earlier thisyear.

PRODUCTION

Pennsylvania in October had the largest steel output for any month in more than foLir years, with2,815,068 net tons. For the accumulated 1964 tonnagethrough the end of October, the corresponding annualrate was very little short of the 30 million mark.

Both soft coal production and freight carloadingsfell back somewhat from the sharp gains made inSeptember; but under the stimulus of continued steelproduction they remained higher than in earliermonths. Hard coal production continued to decline,as warm weather continued well into the fall.

FINANCE

The seasonally adjusted volume of checkbookspending, as measured by deductions from checkingaccounts, once more resumed its upward trend afterremaining stationary for two months. The aggregateof balances at the end of the month in demand deposit accounts was smaller than the exceptionally largeSeptember aggregate, but larger than any othertime deposits increased modestly to a new peak.Bank loans also peaked after rising sharply all year.

SALES

Department store sales were strong, although theThird Federal Reserve District and metropolitanPhiladelphia were disappointing. In five of the eightareas of Pennsylvania for which records are available,all-time highs were reached or regained, and a sixtharea was nearly at peak.

Sales of new passenger cars and trucks in September made the best record in several months — theywere far stronger than is Lisual for the month. Sales-in September were not affected by the auto strikes.

For TheDiscriminatingGrower

Complete Catalogs on Request

IMPORTERS - DISTRIBUTORS - JOBBERS

SEEDS - FLORIST SUPPLIES

RAYMOND A. FLECK, INC.1139 Street Road Southampton, Pa. 18966

Phone: ELmwood 7-9200 - Area Code 215

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