Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1890-10-20
State Board of Horticulture.

ED. JOURNAL: Your article with
the above heading, In Thursday's
Issue, hit the waiting nail So square.
ly ON the head tina, l am tempted to
furnish some facts, as well IA history,
to aid the understandings of Thu,
subject.
Two years ago | was appointed by
the State horticultural society as
one of It's rel resentatives To secure
the passage of u law to create state
board of horticulture, aud provide
means for preventing or destroying
fruit pests. l had not given much
attention to the subject, but knew
that insect pests caused immense
damage in California ana took for
granted the assertion that they
would he us detrimental to Oregon.
Myself a fruit grower, and deepl.
interested personally, | entered
zealously into the cause. After hard
work the bill failed in the house,
but the Oregonlan, with which j
was then connected, eXpoused oul
side, and published Il scathiug edito
rial that nlrul bers have told me ST.
cured the reconsideration and pas
sage of the bill. The passage of til,
bill has been credited greatly to m!
lahors, and | certainly used every
effort in its favor, aud was delighte,
AT its passage.
1t remained to test its workings
and l must confess that when til,
present state board OF hurtlcultur,
was appointed l looked for favor
able results. Your remarks are just,
for the board nf horticulture has eX
pended $1,000 and accomplished III.
reliable or valuable results. 1t has
been "A gross and laneptable failure.
General Varn"y has shown him
self around the state, and looked
wise, and talked woudruus wisely,
hut am positive that he has don.
no good. The "bullt tins" issued
have all been borrowed, general! ;!
from text books neutcmolb y, and
often from the experience o. Cal. or
MAS scientific fruit .rowers.
AS II fruit grower and journalist
say, plainly aud without amy cau,,
f r prejudice, save what the whole
sale failure uf our "UGaTd nf hurticul
iure' has made evident, that ever.
,iollar sn far expended ($T00 more u
less has been wasted. 1t may b,
pu-sibe that Mr.. Whitman, y
Jackson county, has ieXplained som,
things peculiar to Southern Oregon
bat all that has been told aud retol,
concerning pests that attack horti
culture in California.
When all Is said and done tn,
pests of four section are the "C0dlil
Muthn and the Plum and Peucl
Borer. Concerning these, ! hav,
repeatedly told the public, for year.
back, that the apple worm must b,
held in check by arsenical spray
ing, and the borer must be dug ou
and the trees painted with some of
fensive mixture they will not en-
counter.
Since the law went into operation
(and / doubt it really ever did
have had reason to regret the succes.
OF the only lubly work | ever en-.
gagged in. AS you so wei explain
no new thing has been told, and NJ
good has been done. If there wa:
ever anything to do, this board has
not done it. Ii cal able # any
COED, its action fails to Prov it.
AT the present time my il terests
are all in horticulture. l produce
all the orchard fruits known here
cherries, peaches, piums, prunes,
apples and pears-and depend en-
tire!y on my orchard for my success
in earning living. The only seri-
GUS pests known here are those !
have named, and those | have this
season successfully conibatled aud
have no fears but can always do so.
Then, l say that all the lalA O. IN.
lurging this commission is folly.
Every member of il should resign
because of realizing the utter incom-
potency of its career 10 far.
AS to inseclsand pests, leave them
20 the newspapers and the professors
of the State Agricultural College.
If these gentlemen are competent
to do their work they will be far
more efficient than any such COM
mission could be. Let the legisla-
ture repeal the commission the "sin
of commission" committed by its
pre- redece.sOr-and, if Necessary, lei
them create Il chair in the Agricul
tural College and eudow 1t, for the
purposes of Proper Investigation OF
all chronological questions.
5. A. CLARKE.