The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-05-12
State Board Horticulture Report.

The Oregon State Board of Horticul-
ture held its regular semi-annaul meet
ing in Portland April II. All men,
bers of the board submitted reports.
President Smith in his report called
attention to the fact that the fruit har-
vest of Oregon in 1908 proved equal in
value to that of any preceding year.
The shortage. of the apple crop of Eu-
rope created the largest export demand
from America ever known. The Bald.
win apple predominates in this trade
and New York is emphatically the
the Baldwin state.
Mr.. Smith then discussed power
sprayers and spray formulas. He stat
ed that he had experimental with a
number of summer washes for the
aphis and found the following the most
satisfactory;
One pound quassi chips; boil two
hours; dilute extract to four gallons.
One pound whale-oil soap dissolved
in four gallons of hot water.
Unite the above, making eight gal
Ions of wash which will kill the aphis
If thoroughly appalled,.
For the codling moth he has learned
of nothing better than the arsenite of
soda.
Referring TO sale of infested fruit Mr..
Smith said:
sit is to be regretted that our last
legislature did not see fit to make an
appropriation of 81 800 that we might
police our principal towns and prevent
that food of diseased and damaged
fruit that annually finds its way to all
our local markets"
For the fourth district Commissioner
r. H. Weber reports that last season
was banner year for the fruit grower,
Crops were above the average and
prices ruled well up throughout the
season. As a result numerous young
orchards are being planted this spring,
and still greater activity in the horti-
cultural line is predicted for the future.
Mr.. Weber says further:
''The prospects of the presentseasOn s
crop are extremely fiattering, so far AS
my observations extend and from re-
ports received from sections where, ow-
ing to bad conditions of roads and lack
of time | have been unable to visit.
Peaches, apricots and nectarines are at
this time in full bloom on the lower
lands and as the season il well adyanc-
ed, we need hardly fear any danger
from late frosts.
81 am pleased to report that spraying
has generally received more attention by
the fruit growers than in former years,
as great many of them have come to n
full realization of the fact that this is
one of the essentials to success in the
industry, Though many orchards
were not sprayed owing to the excess
i've rains of the past month, which has
practically made it impossible to get in
to the orchards with team and wagon,
while vet the trees were dormant.
"Much of my time during the last
two months was consumed answering
questions regarding new scale reme-
dy, the formula for which having ap.
peared in the January issue of an East
ern farm paper, and being lauded as
the prize remedy for combating the
San Jose scale, presumably for its sim
plieity in preparation, as effectiveness
does not seem to be considered an es-
sential to its make up. This same rem
edy-canstic soda spray-was long ago
discarded by northwest fruit growers
in favor of the sulphur and lime snlu-
ton, which has since practically be-
come the the standard of scale sprays.
"The results obtained in combating
the codling moth were not 50 flatter-
ing last year as in the preceding sea-
son, as reportedIby number of exten-
sive growers. This is probably owing
to the rainy spell in JuIfe of last year,
which gave the moth a splendid oppor.
tunity TO work, while the man behind
the AoZzle was waiting for the clouds
to roll away, impationt to get auolher
shot at the enemy.
''In conclusion | wish to admonish
the fruit grower to be ever up and do
ing. The time for activity is at hand;
cultivating, spraying, pruning and
thinning the fruit are all matters that
need careful attention. The matter Of
box material should also receive their
attention at this time, as the growers
in many sections were hampered by a
short supply Of this kind of material,
and were greatly inconvenienced ON
that account in handling some of their
crop last season.
The Philadelphia Record states pc
culiar fact concerning the oyster II
laid on its right side it will starye to
death, being unable 10 feed in that