Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1906-08-08
GOOD
FRUIT
CRUSADE

the conscientious work of the differ
ent county fruit inspectors through
out the state. Oregon is the banner
state for the producing of fruit of
the finest quality. The Hood River
apples, the Rogue River pears and
apples, the grapes of Washington
county have taken awards at the
best expositions held in this country.
1t is right that one of the riches in
dustry of the state should be guard
ed we'll and protected from its
enemies. Thanks to the watchful
eye of the fruit inspectors, the or
chards have been cleaned up, pruned
and sprayed in a large number Of
places and good results are in evil
dence. The pruning hook and the
spray pump have done wonders, and
now comes the time for the selling of
the fruit. The inspectors throughout
the counties are making earnest eff
forts prohibiting the sale of diseased
or affected fruit, not so much on ac-
count of the intrinsic value of the
fruit as to remove every avenue by
which the pests could be propagated.
All over the state the fruit laws are
being enforced and public senti-
ment is so strong that much will be
accomplished in that regard.
Says the Baker City Democrat:
County Fruit inspector A. ]. Hilton
has just made careful canvas of the
retail stores in Baker City and has
arranged with them that they shall
not buy or sell infected fruit. The
law on the subject is very plain and
stringent and it is proposed to carry
it out in Baker county.
War on Diseased Fruit.
The Dalles Chronicle speaks thus
on the subject:
"a law passed by the last legis-
lature provides for each county hav-
| ing a fruit inspector and the choice
for Wasco county was G. r. Castner,
of Hood River, thorough horticul-
turist. This law was enacted with
the idea of providing for healthy
fruit, and to this end Mr.. Castner is
keeping close watch on all fruit
which comes into market or is circu-
lated in any way.
Learning that fruit affected with
San Jose scale and Goblin moth had
been sold at The Dalles, he spent
yesterday in this vicinity, and to-
gether with Fruit Commissioners
Weber, inspected orchards in the
Three Mile and Five Mile districts
When questioned as to the result of
their investigation, they said that
while they were surpriced to find
that scale had gained such a head
way through the carelessness of or
cardists. at the same time it was
mostly confined to small orchards,
the commercial orchards being free
from disease. "The average fruit
raiser does not dread the scale" said
Mr.. Weber, knowing that 1t is not
difficult to cope with when spraying
in properly done
Besides this they found anchras-
nose or dead spots on the trees, and
also Goblin moth in some instances,
which they are waging hot war
against all over the country. The
Dalles is not the only district where
unhealthy fruit has been found, and
the inspector will keep an eye on the
entire county. Wherever such fruit
is offered for sale the person at
tempting to dispose of 1t will be fined
from $25 to 800. And so it is hoped
soon to eradicate all but the best of
fruit from the county"
Last week a new pest among the |
fruit trees has been found by S. A. |
Moulton of Forset Grove. One of his |
plum trees, which seemed to be in
fected by some sort of pest, was kill
ed in few weeks. Upon investiga-
tion it was found that some insect |
had bored to the heart of the tree.
making only small hole and hardly
noticeable, but on further studying
the effects of this pest many insects /
were found boring into the core.
No one here seems to be acquainted
with this new intruder. Fruit In
spector Harris was also at sea, and
sent a specimen to the experiment
station at Corvallis, where it will be
studied. 1t was learned later that
several threes In different parts OF
town also showed signs of their
work, some of the limbs appearing to
be dying and leaving withering.