Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-03-15
ARE THE FRUIT PEST
LAWS BEING ENFORCED?
Commissioner Carson. From a
Period OF Ions Inactivity Says
They Are Not.

Southern Oregon, is SO dlspleased
with my method of handling the
Office Of fruit inspector for Josephine
county that he has made three separate
applications to the county court to
have me Pot out of the position. AS
County Judge Jewell and Commits
sioners Logan and Wertz and every
frnit grower IN the county are salts
fed with my work Mr. Carson's pro-
test is of no avail. His complaint is
that | have been negligent and not
enforced the fruit pest law as 1t
should be. Mr.. Carsons idea is
that l should have been travelling
over the county for the past three
months inspecting orchards regardless
whether the owners were caring for
them or not. | do not understand
that the law requires that of the in
spector. OF course had | wanted to
make soft snap out Of the office
| could have visited the orchards of
Eismann Bros, r. A. n. Reymers,
/ c. +. Lovelace. @. w. Triplett and
other careful fruit growers who do
not need to be urged 10 comply with
the law against pests, and | could
have thus run up a bill against the
county, which the taxpayers would
have to pay, of $500 or s400. AS it is
| / have only put in time looking up
orchards that may not be sprayed by
April lst Much Of this work | have
done in my office through inquiries of
the farmers and business men who
called. Many Of the delinquents |
have been able to get their promise by
notice mailed to them to spray be-
fore the time limit expires. While l
expected to have trouble in enforcing
the law yet have not had one in
stance of an owner Of diseased fruit
trees being obstinate aud refusing to
spray his trees. Some few demurred
at first holding that the law was too
severe or that the pests had such a
hold on the orchards that il was use
less to spray. By reasoning with
such persons and showing them that
the pests can be controlled and the
profit that can be made by raising
first class fruit | have no difficulty in
getting them to clean up their or
ohards.
With the splendid progress that is
now being made in pruning and
spraying and digging up of half dead
trees the orchards of Josephine county
will be by April 1st in a far better
condition than they ever have been
since the coming of the pests. Last
year there were hardly 10 per cent
strictly first class apples raised in the
county owing to the ravages of the
pests. This year SO thorough will the
spraying be done it is reasonable to
expect 10 per cent perfect fruit and
with strict enforcement of the pest
law, that is certain hereafter TO be
had through the backing Of the Grants
Pass Fruit Growers Union, josephine
county will be getting well up the
Hood River standard OF 90 per cent
perfect fruit, and the fruit industry
will become one of the biggest wealth
producers of the county.
Had Mr. Carson done his duty for
the years past that he has been a
member of the State Board of Hor.
tlculture the orchards of josephine
county would not have been So nearly
ruined by the pests rs they now are
aud there would have been no occa.
sion for the appointment by the
county court of fruit inspector nor
work for him to do Mr.. Carson has
not had the interest in the fruit in.
dnStry nor public spirit to keen his
own orchard free from pests and An
object lesson to fruit growers for his
trees are AS badly infected as anv in
the county. Nor is his VINEYARD free
from pests for many Of the vines
are affected with Crane knot. as il is
known to yineysrdists, one of the
most deadly of the diseases that at.
tack grape vines Mr.. Carson : work
as commissioner is no more sstisfact.
ory in the other counties Of his dis.
trict than in this county. II was
only two weeks ago at their animal
meeting that the Ashland Fruit 4
Produce Association passed A rsso,p.
lon that as Jackson county had been
neglected by the commissioner for
.his district and that the Governor be
asked To appoint commissioner for
mat county. The members n the
Hedtord Fruit Growers Union are also
hSpIeaSed with the way Mr.. Carson
'Ss neglected his duties There is no
redit due Mr.. Carson &C all for tba
utorcement Of the fruit pest law in
o'ephine county for not thing WAS
lone until | organized the Grants
Ass Fruit Growers Union, which be
etused to join, and that Organization,