The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-01-08
FRUIT TREE INSPECTOR.
ANNUAL REPORT SUBMITTED TO
THE COUNTY COURT.
1t is of Interest to All HorticuItu-
rists in the State-Lavvs That Are
Needed.

County Fruit Tree Inspector Fred w.
Price yesterday submitted his annual
report to the county court. The docu-
ment will be read with interest not
only among the horticulturalists in
this county but all over the state, in
view of the demand for proper laws to
protect tie fruit-growing interests in
the state. The report in full is as fol-
lows:
I'm compliance with the request OF
your honorable body. 1 herewith sub
nit for your consideration my report
The horticultural law has demon
strated beyond a doubt that it is the
one thing needed to protect the horti-
cultural interests of Utah. 1t is one of
the most beneficial laws ever enacted
by our territorial legislature. For the
first time, 1 believe. in the history Of
the state we have been able to supply
our own market with apples, pears.
etc. as well as having shipped some
TO other states. The average proper
ton saved where the trees have been
cared for has been from 80 to 95 per
cent. In a few isolated cases there
have been complaints that the spray
ing has not done the amount of good
claimed for it. In all such cases
have found that the work has not been
done properly. Squirting a few quarts
of water at a tree as you go past it
is not spraying A tree is thoroughly
sprayed when it is wet all over, on all
branches and on both sides of the
leaves. An insect is not killed until
the poison is placed where the insect is.
Bugs do not search for the poison in
orchardist by committing suicide. The
one spot which is not sprayed may be
the very place where one Of the many
pests is getting his dinner.
Where the work has been done
thoroughly and honestly, magnificent
results have been attained.
It cannot lay too much stress upon
the proper pruning and cultivating Of
the tree It is of equally as much I'M
portance as the spraying. The winter
work unfortunately, has been retarded
by the decision of Judge Merritt A
large number Of progressive orchard
lists have gone ahead with the work
notwithstanding the decision of the
court. but complain greatly that their
neighbors cannot be compelled to do
likewise. The only practical time to
fight the sap-sucking insects is in the
late fall. winter or early spring, before
the buds swell or any time while the
tree is dormant. because then you can
use polsons a great deal stronger than
at any other time and also place coat
fngs over the myriads of eggs that are
laid In the fall. thus preventing them
from Matching. A few seasons work
would practically eXterminate that
class of insects.
1.-THE fruit imported into the terri
tory upon the whole has been good,
with the exception of the early peaches
and apricots that were shipped here
from California. They were generally
in bad condition, being covered with
shot-hole fungus. birds-eye fungus.
etc. and all sold to the unsuspecting
consumer. There is only one remedy
for diseases of that character, and
that is fire. but the law makes no pro-
vision for such a cure.
1T have kept a comparative table of
the results obtained in two of the
staple fruits. apples and pears, and
find that Salt Lake county raised 49,
40 bushels of apples in 1894, as com
pared with 10000 bushels during the
year just ended. In 1894 the number
of bushels of pears reached !, 665. while
Fully one-half of this has gone upon
the market and the balance has been
converted into cider and vinegar
ct wish TO call attention at this time
to the nursery business of this county.
We have as fine nurseries right here
at home as they have in any other
state. and we can furnish the horti-
culturist with any tree or shrub de-