Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1909-10-29
SLOGAN OF PROF. O'GARA
issues Letter Telling OF Need TO
Clean Up Injected Trees in
Back Yalds.
(ByP. j. oGara.)

NPt'Ou Ouiy OF 5uNu abandoned
Tracts they have found everything in
very satisfactory condition. They
nave done their work well, and their
reports show that the commercial or
chardists of the entire valley are CO.
operating in the work of eradicating
all diseases and pests. The success
winch has been attained in the con
troll OF pear blight has been so strik
ing, especially in very large orchards
that the writer desires at this time
TO voice his appreciation of the good
work which has been done.
1t will be noticed in the above
comment that mention has been
made of the orchards not situated
within our towns and villages where
iar different state of affairs exists.
There are some notable cases where
fruit growers owning small tracts
within the city limits of the several
towns in the valley have done very
creditable work under most adverse
conditions. lt is really surprising
that they were able to hold their own
at all. Those who did are men who
have no other business within the
city limits than that of taking care
of their small orchards. Strictly
speaking, the business man or shop
keeper cannot look after the details
of orchard fruit raising in the way
that the orchardist would do IL.
Since this is true the back lot Is no
place for growing fruit trees, and the
front yard had better be given over
to shade trees, instead Of fruit trees
that cannot be classed as shade trees
The orchardist depends upon the
product of his fruit trees for his ex-
istence, while the business man in
the city does not consider the few
trees he may have as any real asset,
and, as a matter of fact, they have
no place in his yearly balance sheet.
The business man Is entirely depend
ent upon the farmer for his welfare.
We should like to ask why we have
the several thriving towns in the
! Rogue River valley the answer Is
easy; the value of the orchards, as
well as their products have made
these towns what they are. The 9TH
er great resources surrounding these
towns were here long before the or
chards were planted, yet they did
not seem to have the almost mlracu-
lous effect upon their growth as have
the orchards.
There is but one conclusion: the
man who owns fruit trees within the
city limits must be willing to care for
them as does the practical orchard
list or he will have TO submit to their
remoyal by the county inspectors.
Unless he can keep out pear blight
scale and other diseases which are a
menace to the commercial orchard,
his trees must be cut down The
county fruit inspectors have done
everything possible to make the back
lot orchardist understand the neccs-
sity Of eradicating all diseases, but
much of his valuable time has been
lost through the unwilllngness, or in-
! ability Of the town orchardist 10 CO.
operate and do his duty, with so
many trees in the towns given abso-
/ lutely no attention, instead Of being
a valuable asset they are IN reality a
menace TO the frultgrowlng industry
Of the entire Rogue River valley.
A thorough inspection and eradi-
cation Of diseased town lot orchards
has been begun, and the entire force
OF county inspectors are al work IN
the city Of Ashland AS soon az
their work is completed there, they
win IN turn clean up Phoenix, Talent,
Jacksonville, Medford, Central Point,
Gold Hll. Woodvllle, Eagle Point
and other places. The same pro-
gram win ho carried out In Josephine
county The inspectors will enforce
the horticultural statutes to the let
ter. and in this work they have back
of them the state horticultural COM
mission and the county courts
hone that mo- one win plead Ignorance
af Jho iaw furthermore, there has
. been plenty Of opportunity for every
one Go goo Information on fruit Dis
raa aad how 20 eradicate them The
flrI government a' ven o7 The
.. .. count. Ma made 20 very
information through