The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-09
Station Men Make Reply
Hood River, Ore, Sept. 6, l9I

IlUOu hlNGIs OEC., DGpt. V, lJIOs
Editor The Glacier: The Hood River
branch of the Oregon State Expert
ment station is in charge of young men
because there are not sufficient funds
to pay older, more experienced or more
valuable workers. Hood River county
contributes $4,000, annually. That
amount would not pay the salary of
one experienced man.
Positive and satisfactory recommen-
dations can be, and are made for all
major insect troubles with'the possible
exception of woolly aphs. Timing of
application and proper execution of
same is the secret of control. The
station does give the former.
In some of the minor crops of the
valley insects whose life history is still
not we'll known do considerable dam
age. The college and station workers
are busy on these troubles and in time
positive data will be available. Core
rot and fruit pit are known and have
| been worked on for more than 40 years.
| The exact cause has never been deter
mined. Hence, only suggestions can
be made with safety. 1t is probable
| that this disease is caused by COM
binatOn of factors, these very factors
varying in different parts of this val
| ley. In view of such facts positive
recommendations would be valueless.
Dieback, or winter kill, falls in the
same class. Mushroom rot has not
been worked on long enough for us to
come out with any positive recommen-
| dation, for we are not at all certain
the one and only accepted cure is not a
temporary relief only.
Scab can be controlled and is con-
trolled where the experiment station
recommendations are followed tout in
full, that is, with the proper number of
spray applications, with thoroughness
and at the proper times, using the
right materials. The recommendations
may vary with the weather, in order to
avoid spray injury. Anthracnose can
be and is controlled where handled as
recommended. Likewise with mildew
AS soon as disease or pest is thor
oughly understood it becomes a minor
problem as was the case with San Jose
scale, codling moth and anthracnose,
and dozens of other troubles. Each and
all of these took period of from 10 to
20 years to solve. The undetermined
problems are the majors.
1t must be borne in mind that all of
our field work has to be done in cooper
alton with growers and it is we'll to
note that accumulative results are es-
pecially difficult when carrying on irri-
cation and fertilizing experiments. To
obtain tangible results and results up
on which positive recommendations
can be based, experiments should be
carried over series of years on the
same plot. Quite often because of the
| lack of absolute control over certain
plots some small and apparently insig-
niicant act on the part of the grower
may ruin several years work. This is
by no means the case in all plots, but
| it has happened even in Hood River.
Every institution experiences the loss
of valuable men, often at most inoppOr-
tune times. Men on salaries have their
market value and should another state
desire a man, ard sees fit to pay more
than the state for which he is working,
then the employer must meet the price
of the other or lose the man.
There are oftentimes more cOnsidera-
tions than mere salary. Stability of
position and opportunity for doing
good work are large factors. In Hood
River we cannot tell when the station
will cease. 1t may happen at any time,
should the county court see fit to dis
continue appropriations. This station
is built upon sand. Until this place
becomes as firmly fixed as is the case
at other institutions it should be eX-
pected that the workers may leave to
accept more stable positions. Its a
matter of self preservation with US.
J. K Winston.