The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1908-12-16
Gilbert'S Ideas

State Horticultural meeting in Spo-
kane last week one of the most i'm
portant documents that has ever been
read in such a gathering. The paper
caused much comment in Spokane
and throughout the state and will be
important in directing the policies
of the fruit growers and also of the
legislators regarding the great hor-
ticultural industries of the state. The
address is printed in full:
What Gilbert Said.
Fellow Orchardsts. Ladies and Gem
tlemen:
The meeting of this, the Fifth An
nual Convention of the Washington
State Horticultural Association, in
conjunction with the National Apple
Show, marks new era in Washing
ton fruit growing. Heretofore few
have dreamed Others doubted, but
this week thousands will see and be
the worlds great commercial Or
chard. The volcanic ash and sands
of our arid belt have burned for
centuries, saving and storing, wait
ing for the irrigation ditch to release
the glory of our peaches and our red
apples. Climate, sunshine, soil, wa
ter unparalleled! What more is
needed? Intelligent, hard study and
work, wise planning and hearty CO.
operation.
Why We Meet.
And this is why we meet:
To exchange ideas.
To learn better methods of pro-
duction.
To study how best to sell, how
best to distribute our product.
To formulate and crystalize and
harmonic our ideas on needed
reasonable horticultural laws. and
ask for their passage by our legis-
lature.
To devise how to secure Gamer
les and factories for our by-pro-
ducts.
To suggest and insist. with a unit
ed and effective voice. that we have
reasonable and rapid service from
our transportation companies at
reasonable charge
All this and more. ! shall be dis
ap. ointed If this convention stops
on How to grow more Elbertas and
more Winesaps, to get more dol
lars" With the mighty wave of
aroused public conscience that is
sweeping over the country. drowning
political, social and business graft
ers of every description. shall it be
said of us, the more daring, ener-
getic, progressive men and women
who have ventured from the East,
South and Middle West, that we
have no ears for the nations call
to better things; that we stood by,
too busy clearing sage-brush, plant
ing orchards and making money to
do our part in the nationwide move
ment for better roads, the great
need of country life today, and also
in that other nationwide economic
movement. to turn into the legiti-
mate channels of trade the torrent
of wealth now flowing to worse than
waste for strong drink.
Let me take up briefly, seriatim,
the work of this convention as it ap-
pears to me:
A New State horticultural Law.
First. 1t is up to us to formulate
new State Horticultural law. Our
supreme court has declared the pres
ent law unconstitutional in parts. 1t
is crude, unreasonable, impossible.
unenforcible. II it were enforced
our fruit growers. fruit dealers and
fruit eaters would all be in Jail, for
the present law declares 1t crime
to have in ones possession any in
fected fruit.
What we want is a reasonable law,
not one which teaches and compels
disrespect of the Laws The law which
We hope to see enacted this winter
should not contain too much. 1t
should not class all orchardists as
criminals whose orchards are infect
ell with Goblin moth. 1t should not
attempt, by unreasonable restric-
lions. to limit supply, and control
markets. for such a law would surely
be declared unconstitutional. The
law should not be enacted and used
as club to growers outside of the
state: protecting home growers. fol-
lowing the policy of our Canadian
cousins. The law should be sincere
and not hypocritical.
Face a few facts. Wherever the
Goblin moth is found 1t is impossible
to ship car of apples and guaran-
tee there Is not Goblin moth in the
car.
Second fact Wherever man eats
apples, there Goblin moth will oc-
casionally get and no amount Of law
or inspection will prevent.
Third fact. Wherever you allow
refrigerator cars to go where the
Goblin moth will go. Sometimes
there are few. sometimes a hum
dred Goblin moth safely cocooned in
. single car, ready to hatch out
and fly out and ruin some bit of
mountain scenery or a township of
the Bad Lands of the Dakotas! Let
Us not attempt the impossible. Let
us not initiate the folly OF the man
who died rather than drink water.
because the scientists told him there
were millions Of animalcHles In every
drop.