The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-08-03
NO MORE INFECTED
FRUIT FOR PORTLAND

No more scaly or infected fruit can be
sold in the markets of Portland. The
traffic, branded by the Legislature as il
legal, has been brought to stop, and
the first step taken toward improving
the quality OF the orchard products OF
the state and at the same time protect
ing the consumer.
A local fruit inspector has been ap-
pointed, who began work Saturday
morning by condemning a mass OF un-
wholesome stuff at the Plaza market,
says Portland paper. There were five
tons of apples, peaches, pears and april
cots in the lot seized, all OF which was
Immediately sent to the creamatory.
The fruit was brought in by farmers liy-
ing east of Portland and in Clackamas
county. 1t was badly infested with
scale, and some of it was positively dis
gustng in appearance. Had not the
sale been stopped the stuff would have
been bought by Italian and Chinese ped
dlers, hawkers and retail gr0cerymen,
and by this time most Of it would have
been consumed by persons ignorant OF
it's true quality. There was much sur
prise and indignation on the part Of the
growers, but they could not do otherwise
than obey the orders of the inspector
and see their scaly produce dumped into
garbage wagons.
The new local fruit inspector is James
II. Reid who is working under the or
ders of District Commissioner W. K.
Newell Of the State Board OF Horticul-
ture. Mr.. Reid is well qualified by ex-
perience for the work, and is determin.
ed to see that the law governing this
matter is rigidly enforced. He will not
conhne his inspection solely to the pub
lie market at the Plaza blocks, but will
see that the law is obeyed on Front
street as we'll He has given the jobbere
notice OF his intentions, but will not be-
gin examining fruit on the street until
the middle of the week. That will give
the dealers time to dispose NJ stocks al
ready bought, and will enable them to
modify orders already placed at San
Francisco for shipment by the steamer
due here Wednesday.
The fact that California, Washington
and Idaho maintain a strict inspection
service has caused Portland to be used
as dumping ground for all diseased
fruit that cannot be sold in those states.
Clackamas and some OF the other coun-
ties that will not permit the sale OF fruit
that is infected have also been sending
such fruit here for disposal. All this
will now step, and the people Of Port
land can rest assured that the fruit they
buy from now on will be healthy. The
natural result OF the law, and that for
which it was originally intended, will be
the improvement of Oregon's orchards,
which will give the fruit of this state
once more the fine reputation that it
once held.
The wholesale fruit merchants of |
Front street are almost unanimously in |
favor of the new law. They believe il |
will work some hardships at first, but
they realize that in the end it will prove
most beneficial.
"The law is certainly something we
should have had long ago." said Mark
Levy. every day tons of fruit are
brought in covered with the San Jose
scale and Goblin moth, fruit that is alb.
solutely unfit to eat. As long as the
farmer is permitted to shove in such
stuff, it keeps the price Of good fruit
down. When the price of fruit becomes
SO cheap, there is no encouragement
whatever for the man who tries to raise
good fruit. If the grower IS satisfied
that he will get good price for his pro.
duct, he will be more disposed to use
care in the cultivation of his orchard"
Charles Davenport thinks the inspec-
tion is good thing. at means that
there will be better orchards in the
state in the future" he said. "We
would sooner see no poor fruit at all on
the street"
"This law will have the effect of weed
ing out the poor, indifferent grower"
said George Pearson. "When man
can find good market for good fruit,
he will be more willing to spray his
trees and try to improve the fruit. We
are heartily in favor OF the law, and
think it will be good thing for the
state at large"
In the end the law will be all right
for us, y said John Koskey, "but, OF
course, it will hit us hard at first, par
ticularly on California fruit Anything,
however, that will cause better quail
ity of fruit to be grown will be better
for all concerned.
"The inspection of fruit on this mar
ket, said John Bell, twill be an excel
lent thing for the orchard industry OF
Oregon. There is too much disease in
the orchards and we want to see il
eradicated. Conditions lately have been
growing worse every year.
w. Il. Glafke thinks the law will be
a good thing in one way, but bad In an
other, at will mean, he said, "that
we will have better fruit on this market,
and that Portland will no longer be the
dumping-ground of other sections, while
good fruit is sent to markets where they
have inspectors. 1t will be bad thing
for the fellow who does not raise good
fruitn
81 think the law should work well
and result in great good" said J. II.
Page. ut will cause some immediate
injury to some growers, but will even
tually be of great advantage to the
farmers, as il will educate them up to
growing good fruit"
Inspector Reid received his appoint
ment Friday evening. The law under
which he is working has been on the
statue books for some years, but was
only made operative by an appropria-
tlon at the last session Of the Legisla-
turc, When the great betehts of the
fruit-inspection act are considered, the
cost seems very small. 1t is not be.
lieved that the expense of the entire in
speCtion service of the state will exceed
1000 year. The state of Washington
last year spent 500, 900 for the inspection
Of fruit and fruit trees. King County
has one Inspector who receives $1,000
year and his expenses and also has an
assistant at So cay. The Portland in
spector will receive So for each working
day, and will cost the state less than
$4,000 u year.