Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-04-02
GREAT INDUSTRY SAVED
Fruit Industry of Walla Wal
la Owes Its Existence to
State College.

That the fruit industry of Walla
Walla valley was saved from destruc-
ton by the experiment station of
Washington State College is the de-
clamation of Fruit Inspector Whitney,
of Walla Walla county. Mr.. Whit
ney is one of the best posted fruit men
of Washington. In response to &
toast at banquet given the college
professors. newspapermen and rail
road officials by r. B. Miller at Walls
Walla last Friday night. Mr.. Whitney
said
sit is always fair weather when
good fellows meet together and this is
a memorable occasion. We have with
US here tonight four great factors in
the upbuilding of a country, namely,
brain. Drawn, publicity and transporta-
ton. The college represents the
brain, the farmer the Drawn, the
newspapermen the publicity and the
railroad men the transportation. We
owe a great deal to each, but probably
one of our greatest debts of gratitude
is to the college at Pullman A few
years ago our fruit industry had been
abandoned ard given over entirely to
the bugs. Orchards were being aban-
doned, the trees dug up and the land
was being returned to wheat fields.
We were shipping in fruit for home
consumption. Fruit growing was re-
garded as total failure and land
values were declining in consequence.
We sought remedy but found
none, until happy thought struck US
and we called upon Pullman College
for assistance. Can you do any thing
to save US from the bugs?' we asked,
and the answer came back that we
could be saved. A young man. an or
binary appearing fellow by the name
of Melander was sent down and |
got together about 100 fruit growers
who were in the last stages of des-
pondency, and he met them. They
looked at him with something akin to
contempt for his egotism in pretend
ing to be able to save us when every
thing we had tried before had failed.
We went out to an orchard and this
man disappeared into barn. We
waited his return and when he came
out he was clad in overalls and a
jumper and a shout went up, He'll
do. He's not college professor. He's
a worker.
The young man went to work and
sprayed 100 trees in an orchard and
showed us how to do the work. From
that 100 trees the owner got, the next
fall. $1,000 in gold coin for the apples
grown on the 100 trees. He had offered
in the spring to take $50 for the crop
of the entire orchard. From that day
hope sprang up and the fruit industry
was saved. Three years ago we i'm
ported fruit for our own USE Last
year this valley exported 800 carloads
of fruit, worth vast sum of money.
A few years ago orchards were aban-
doned and trees were being dug up.
This spring 100. 900 fruit trees are
being planted on 10000 acres of the
best land in the Walla Walla valley.
All of this wonderful change has come
because the industry was saved by the
Pullman College which showed us how
to save one of the greatest industries
of the northwest. Fruit is destined to
outclass wheat in this section and we
owe to the Pullman college our thanks
for the great change. If but 10 per
cent. as much good is accomplished
by the demonstration train as has been
accomplished for the fruit industry
this is bright day for Walla Walla.
In closing will offer this toast:
Here's to the Demonstration
Train.
May it ever bloom and grow.
Just tell the farmer what to
plant,
And when to pillow and sow
Captain Whitney's reference to Pro-
fessor Melander's changed appearance
when he donned overalls and the ex-
pressions of the fruit men who said
Hes not college professor. He's
worker" illustrates the mistaken
opinion people generally have of that
greatly misunderstood profession "a
college professor. 1t is doubtful if
anything connected with the tour of
the demonstration train last week was
greater surprise to the railroad
people accompanying the train than
the revelation to them of the college
professor as he really is. One of the
railroad men said to the writer: Zone
of the most pleasant surprises of this
trip to me has been the new insight I
got of the college people. had al
ways imagined them a stiff necked,
high toned, almost unapproachable
lot of fellows and must say that
was not prepared to meet as jolly.
Wholesouled and common a lot of