The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-04-23
DIPPING TREES.
A New Trcatmcn: of Nursery stock
In Oregon.

IN oregon.
The Oregon state board of agriculture
has decided that hereafter in that state
instead of fumigatng n,Escry stock
nulSerymcn must dip the trees in a
mixture of lime and sulphur such as is
used in spraying. This is such radical
suggestion that Rural Now Yorker has
asked w. X. Newell, president of the
state board for further particulars and
gives his statements in interview form
"\Nhat strength of lime and sulphur
will be used, and how is the plan likely
to work outf'
Il cannot answer you very fully yet
as to how our plan of dipping nursery
stock is going to work out, for we
have only Just undertaken ii. and most
of our nur;erymcn do not begin deiv-
cry of trees until the last of this
month and first of next. We provide
that the mixture shall be made of
standard proportions-ff pounds of
lime, fifteen pounds of sulphur to fifty
gallons of water"
..'Would it not be possible for
nurseryman to use a simple limcwater
WhiteWash to cover the trees without
destroying the scale and at the same
time hide any defects of an inferior
tree!"
"Of course dishonest man can
evade this, but not 50 easily as he
could the fumigation, and then with
our efficient force of county inspectors
we can keep pretty good watch of
them"
"IGow is the work to be done?"
"One large nursery has a boiling vat
fixed up and Just enough lower a dip
ping tank, with pulley rope and wind
lass, so they can dip Il large bale at
once 1t is quickly DONE ana the eX-
pense is not heavy. | do not believe
that there will be any trouble about
passing inferior trees
"What do your nurscrymen say about
it,"
"The nulScrymen themselves vel
come the change as Il relief from the
fumigation. The greatest difficulty is
going to be in convincing outside buy
ers that the dipping is done as Il safe
guard and not as Il means of covering
up insects or disease. W" are trying
to induce Washington ana California
people to adopt the same plan"
I'VE understand that in Oregon IL.
spectOrS have the right TO seize and
destroy fruit found in market with
scale on it, What is done with the
fruit"
"In condemning fruit in the market
the inspector doses it literally with
kerosene and leaves the victim to get
rid of it as he may. The farmer ped
ding his own fruit is on first olfense
given chance TO take it to Il vinegar
factory, but next time is coal oiled and
if persistent fined. Car lots shipped in,
if infected are not allowed TO be I'M
loaded, and shippers are notified. This
plan, adopted last year, has done more
good than all the other plans put to-
gethcr."
"IIave the courts yet settled whether
you have the right to destroy such fruit
or to enter an orchard ana destroy
trees badly affected with scalc?'
Yes. Two cases have just been de-
cided The first was for cutting down
fruit trees where the owner refused to
spray. On examination we decided the
trees were not worth trying to save, as
the scale had nearly killed them, so
ordered the inspector to cut them down.
The owner brought suit for heavy
damages, and a jury of farmers from
the same county sat OH the case and
completely eXonerated us. The judge
zone of the best circuit judges in Ore
gOn) upheld the law in all points and
roundly scored the plaintiff. The case
has attracted wide attention, and the
result gives us great satisfaction. The
following day the other case was tried
in another county before another judge.
This was against the inspector for coal
oiling WOrmy and Scaly apples found in
farmers wagon The man had been
fully warned, lut persisted in selling
anyway. We won as dccisivcly here as
in the other case. and | think there is
little likelihood of an appeal, so we feel
that we are now on solid ground and
can proceed to clean things up"