The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-09-28
GROWERS HEAR
GOOD TALKS
FELLOWSHIP ASSOCIATION MEETS
Prof. lawrence and c. +. Whistler, Rogue
River Valley Pear Expert, Speak,
Former Outlining Future Plans.

| ABOUT three hundred Hood River
Valley 0rchardists were present Satur-
day afternoon at the meeting of the
Apple Growers Fellowship association
in the assembly hall of the Commercial
club, TO hear the addresses by Prof
| VIII. Lawrence, the expert who con-
ducts the work of the organization,
and G. K. Whistler, of Medford, one of
the foremost pear experts of the state.
The meeting was presided over by
Prof. G. ID. Thompson, president of
the organization.
Prof. Lawrence, who took charge of
the experimental research work of the
organization here last Spring, outlined
the work being done by his office and
laboratory. He spoke of the two
months spent in eradieating the fire
blight from the valley, and said that
no cases had been reported since early
summer. which gave good grounds for
the conclusion that the work had been
successful.
This disease became known to the
horticulturists first in the year of 1890.
Where it has been allowed to spread il
has wrought havoc in orchard districts.
Prof. Lawrence next took up the so
called winter kill, the main topic of his
address. Winter kill, he said, is very
often the effect of poor planting and
lack of care for the young trees. The
trouble is often caused from two root
diseases. crown gall and hairy root.
These two diseases often start from
bacteria that develops while the trees
are growing in the nursery. BY a
careful selection of trees, proper plant
ing and care afterward the disease
may be avoided. In drawing con-
clusion and summing up the expert
said: ''The 50 called winter kill is
due to low temperature damaging
trees weakened from various other
causes.
The fruit from trees that have suf-
fered from Winter Kill is never so
good as that from healthy trees. 1t
loses its firmness and does not keep as
long as that free from disease. The
fellowship association is actively en-
gagged in working methods for the fur
ther prevention of winter kill. Seven
hundred trees affected by it are now
under observation.
At the present time, said Prof
Lawrence, 1000 trees in the valley are
being experimental upon with COM
mercial fertilizers. Tests are being
made to find the most beneficial fer
tilizers and their effect upon the in
crease in product. In the matter of
the use of cover crops as fertilizers,
the expert said that the association
was conducting experiments with 1872
different kinds OF crops in four differ
ent parts of the Valley on four of the
sections most important kinds of soils.
The tests that are being made are on
a small scale, known as row tests. A
certain number of the crops that seem
to be most valuable will be taken from
teh row tests and used more extensive
ly.
The association is working in con-
junction with the United States Bur-
eau of Plant industry, and will supply
b. b. Pratt, who has charge of the
work, l50 boxes of apples to be sub
! jected to storage tests in Portland.
where apples from all the Northwest
ern sections will be assembled for the
same purpose. A study will be made
of the apples from trees that have
been subjected to the commercial fer
tilizer tests.
Prof. Lawrence told the growers
| that in his observations he had noticed
that the hills of the Hood River Valley
had clearly defined thermo belts. He
stated that as soon as possible he
would make closer investigation on
these belts.
The expert warned the growers to
be on. the lookout for signs of anthrac-
nose and as soon as evidences of it
appeared to spray for it for If allowed
to get started, he said, it will prove
dangerous and hard to cope with.
AS to spray burning apples, Prof
Lawrence said, neutral arsenate of
lead mixed with lime sulphur will not
burn the fruit. believe that the
burns have been caused by the use of
arsenates containing free acids instead
of neutral acids. I"
The expert ended his address by an
nouncing that the association would
soon begin experiments by which it
will be able to check up the life his
tory of the codling moth for all sec
tions of the valley. Thus they will be
able to tell almost.to day when to
spray effectively for the pest.
Mr.. Whistler, who has had long
experience in the culture of pears in
the Rogue River Valley, said that the
growers were having very distressing
experiences this year because of the
poor prices they were receiving for
their product. However, he stated
that they were not going to grow DIS
couraged; for pears were their greatest
crop. The growers of that section, Mr..
Whistler stated, have barely made
enough to pay for their shipments this
season. "But we are going to stick
to it, he said, 'for we are sure to get
a rise before long"
Mr.. Viii ,ler stated that while he
would not say that the Hood River
Valley was better place for raising
pears ,he thought the soil was adapted
for raising a fruit in every respect as
good.
At the close of the meeting, a vote
of thanks was rendered Secretary
Crawford Lennon, President G. ID.
Thompson, Prof. Lawrence and Mr..
| Whistler.