Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-05-24
FRUIT GROWERS HOLD
EXPERIENCE MEETING
Discuss Important Points In Their
lndustry-Next Meeting
to Be a Picnic.

The fruit growers meeting held al
Court House last Saturday, while not
SO large in attendance, for there were
only rs fruit raisers present, besides q
number of other persons, was one Of
the most profitable aud interesting
meetings held in this city. The topics
considered were discussed in an infor.
NAL manner, the fruit grow ers giving
their successes and failures in their
orchard work. All were free to talk
and to ask questions, and so interested
did they get that it was o. clock be.
fore the session closed.
The meeting was called to order by
Charles Meserve, secretary of the
Grants Pass Fruit Growers Union, and
on motion J. II. Kobinson, the we'll
known fruit grower and nursery man
of Wildervillo, was chosen to preside
The first topic considered was "Are
Bees Helpful in Polarization Of Fruit
Blossoms?" ]. H. Robinson opened
the discussion and gave facts that
proved that bees had much to do with
the polarization Of fruit blooms. Mr.
Robinson stated that in the 10 years
that he had been raising fruit on his
Applegate farm that he had never had
but one failure and but two partial
failures Of crops and that this year his
trees are we'll loaded. This success he
attributed to the energetic work Of q
number of hives of bees that he kept
in his orchard. He told of an orchard.
ist who placed netting over half of
the top Of an apple trees and kept the
bees from the blossoms. That half had
very. little fruit while the other half
bore big crop. The failures that he
had were in Spring. when there was
long rainy spell that prevented the
bees from working. He had found
bees profitable for the honey they made,
but IL he got no honey at all he would
yet consider the bees profitable for
the pollenization work that they do,
J. I. Morrison was confident that the
work of bees made big strawberry
crop more certain. He had observed
that a small yield and the presence
of many missbapen berries was GER
tain when, through heavy rains and
the absence of bees, the polarization of
the blossoms was inteifered with.
Il. N. provolt Thought bees made
yield of fruit more certain. o. H.
Perry, lately from Michigan and who
is interested with his brother, W. Il.
Perry. in the planting of vineyard
near Murphy. asked .if spraying killed
the bees or injured the honey. Mr..
Robinson answered that no spraying
should be done until the blossoms
had fallen, and as the bees were then
through feeding ON the flowers there
was no danger to the bees or the
honey
''Tbe Strawberry as a Money Maker"
was the topic that j. L. Morrison
took up Mr.. Morrison stated that
he had found straw berries the most
profitable Of the fruits that he grew.
The crop never failed and the prices
had Deeu good and there was every
indication tnat they would continue
profitable. The Grants Pass cannery,
now building, and the local demand
will make Il good market. and as
Rogue River strawberries are as good
shippers as those grown at Hood
River, profitable prices can always BE-
had by shipping. Mr.. Morrison said
that straw berries should be lanted in
the fall on ground that had been In
cultivated crops, such as corn, potatoes
or vegetables. The ground should be
p!owed deep and thorough, narrowed
until perit city mellow aud then rolled.
On dry land, irrigation greatly in
creased the yield. When cultivating
never let the cultivator blade 20 nearer
than Fix inches of the plant, ~ the
roots spread ON the surface and cutting
them injured the plant As to the
kind to grow, Mr.. Morrison stated that
a grower would have TO test and find
which variety WAS best suited. as soil.
location and climate greatly affected
strawberries. He had fruited over 80
kinds and had found the Magone, New
Oregon and Wilson as best suited 70
the hill land and high altitude OF his
place. Rev. J. II. Day, Of woodville.
thought it would be more profitable to
have number Of varieties, so as to
have succession of berries both FOR
the market and home use.
"Tbe Wind One Cause for the Ruin.