The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-01-11
The Frnlt industry Of Oregon.

No occupation connected with the cul-
tivation OF the soil has had TO contend
with so many adverse conditions during
the past decade as horticulture. Not
only the Goblin moth, but the numerous
family OF aphides, pernicious scales and
sporadic growths threatened the very ex-
istence of the industry Some orchard
lists in sheer Encouragement cut down
their trees and devoted their land to 9TH
er purposes. But gradually science has
come to the aid Of the fruitgrOwer. En-
tomologists have traced the life history Of
these dreaded destroyers and pointed out
the vulnerable lines OF attack. Our ex-
pertinent stations, also, contributed val
liable assistance. Experiment followed
experiment until it was satisfactorily
demonstrated that the sulphate Of cop
per would check fungus growths, and
that an arsenical treatment was fatal to
the larvae OF the Goblin moth
The up to date fruitgrower believes
that he is master of the situation, and
has taken new courage. Other causes
have contributed to this revival OF inter
est and rapid expansion of our fruit in
dustry. The Oregon horticulturalist has
not been slow to discern that he could
not be more happily situated for the dis
tribution of his products, and that this
North Pacific country commands the
best markets of the world. He is in easy
touch with five transcontinental roads,
ready to deliver his haryests to every
important transportation line in North
America, and he rejoices in the near ad-
vent Of trans-Pacilic line that will in
troduce him to the subjects Of the Mika-
do and to his Muscovite neighbors, on
the north, now rapidly peopling that
vast country, Siberia. The man who
plants an orchard today will be able to
reach markets that supply half the
world with his first crop.
In a recent visit to the Rogue River
Valley found grower packing a large
order for New Orleans, and more recent
" neighboring orchardist exchanged
the product of Is acres in apples for
$1,000, British gold, for export to Liver
pool. Spitzenbergs and Baldwins ship
ped from an O. X. 4 n station in the
Middle Columbia district are now being
enjoyed in Los Angeles, New York Hon
olulu, Cape Nome, Manila, Shanghai,
Nagasaki and elsewhere. Our apples,
prunes, cherries and small fruits, have
already become the standard OF excel
lence wherever introduced, and recent
quotations were invited for thousand
barrel lots of apples for export to Japan.
With direct and rapid transit to this
wide-awake people and especially to ST.
IBERIA, we are assured of rapidly In
creasing market for the products OF our
orchards.
The state board Of horticulture during
the past year endeavored to make q
approximate the land available for trut
growing and the amount now in fruit.
The value of our orchards runs into mil
lions of dollars and the fruit gathered
from them in 1900 exceeded S2, 900, 900
Yet only about s per cent OF land
adapted to orcharding is now approprla-
ted to that purpose. Oregon invites
thousands of horticulturists to enhance
many fold the value OF her lands, and
parodoxical as it may seem, the more We
grow the more buyers come to us and
the greater the demand. 1t is indeed
true that many errors have been com
mitted in the past through want OF
knowledge Of physical conditions, and
there are yet doubling Thomases, who
scoff at modern scientific methods, but
they are fast dropping to the rear, in an
age where the fttest only survive. The
new horticulture demands men of adap'
tation and who will combine science
with field work men who love their oc.
cupaton, believe in its nobility and
gather from the miracle of growth and
fruitage other values than those of the
markets. +. l.. SMITH,
President state board of horticulture
Hood River.