Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1912-02-02
IMPROVE THE FRUIT.

The recommendations and advice
offered the orchard owners of Polk
county by County Inspector Allen
should have the hearty support of
everybody. That anybody should
oppose the efforts of the Inspector
and object to complying with the
plain provisions of the law, is unbe-
lieVable, especially as such compIi-
ance only serves to benefit those
whom it affects 1t Is declared, how
ever, that considerable objection ex-
lists among orchard owners who say
that the law works a hardship on
them and that the fruit inspector is
inJuring them by insisting upon
strict observance of the statute.
In other words. these short sight
ed individuals object to cleaning up
their orchards, and protecting their
trees, in order that the fruit which
they offer for sale shall be free from
worms and blemish. Polk county
can never become the fruit center it
should be without the cooperation of
the growers, and TO set up sense
less opposition TO the provisions of
the law intended to improve the
quality of the product of the orchards
is to injure the individual interests
OF the growers themselves.
There are many old orchards that
have been neglected for years which /
are a disgrace 10 their owners. These |
badly run down and scabby trees. |
produce an inferior quality of fruit
and are, not only menace to the
orchards of the modern fruit grower.
but do not permit an adequate return
to the grower, or not nearly what he
could and would receive II the trees
were given proper attention. Hun
dreds OF bushels of scrawny, scabby
ana wormy apples are sold every fall
In Dallas that are NJ only for hog
feed. II should be revelation To
those who dispose or such fruit. and
an object lesson which they might
heed to their advantage. to notice
that the apples from the orchard of
their neighbor who has adopted
modern methods. and who compIies
with the law, bring s1.25 per bushel
and upward. when their own inferior )
go a-begging at SO cents per
bushel. II ought TO show that. with
proper care. and the expenditure of
some OF the methods that modern
1rchardizing has found necessary. ey- :
en- the Old orchard with its gnarled
'cahby and long neglected trees.
'ould be- made TO pay handsome
.eturn.
II is foolish and short-sighted to 9
ieclare that this country will never q
become an apple region" when. on
very hand, we behold indisputahle
violence that it viii. if methods i'm b
.oguc In other places gre but made o
he universal practice here. 81
Again. growers who are honestly b
ndcayoriug 60 raise fruit that is M -
or the market. and that will com :,
land high price, are hindered bv
he apathy 81 those who object to :
draacement and cling 20 old meth
is simply because we have always
ID it that way" These men who are u
60 raise the value OF Polk {,
ounty acrcs by the cultivation Of 81
'orc prchtahle crops. are entitled to IA
ans-deratlon and help. and the laws n
'r Inspection and the protection Of al
-uit should be rigidly enforced. re
here IS no possible. reasonable ar cd
ament that may BE- advanced against n
lch enforcement and II everybody o.
'ould work % this end the fame OF Of
Ok county fruit would extend afar Ia
"a this section become as well 81
noWn and celebrated Tor the quality vi
its product a. any other On tha e.
acihe coast The sol is here. the 81,
innate is here. and an that Is re- bu
iirea is the exhlhlttoa of the prop- re-
spirit On the part of the land owr- ca
~ nc
The fruit Inspector % certainly an
mt IN his efforts and he should On