The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-02
LOCAL STATION
VERY UNIQUE
HOME Is IN A FINE MANSION
Hood River Branch Experiment Station
Conducted from Former Home Of
Capt. c. P. McCaR

From the standpoint of uniqueness
the Hood River branch of the Oregon
State Experiment Station probably
cannot be excelled throughout the coun-
try. The local station, maintained by
state and county appropriations, finds
home in the former residence of Capt.
G. +. McCan, one Of the most elaborate
country homes in the Apple Valley, and
the tlllable acreage of the community
comprises the experimental tract on
which the experts conduct tests for the
purpose of solving problems Of the
orchaTdists.
The history of the local station and
its forerunner, the Hood River Fellow.
ship Associations office of expert
ments, is interesting. In 1910 the
orchardists of the region realized that
they must cooperate in an effort to
work out disease pest troubles that
were becoming a menace. The task
was one beyond the time and former
experience of the fruit inspector alone,
and the agitation resulted in the organ
ization of the Hood River Fellowship
Association.
This organization was composed of a
large percentage Of the apple growers,
who agreed to allow each acre of their
tracts pay a certain assessment or the
hiring of an expert and the cost Of his
work. Prof. W. II. Lawrence, now at
the agricultural college of Missouri but
then at the Washington Agricultural
College, at Pullman, was employed.
His work was conducted with the CO.
operation of the faculty of the Oregon
Agricultural College.
Prof. Lawrence Immediately discov.
cred that he had no small task.
A number OF cases of dreaded fire
blight, the dread of orchardists the
country over, were found. However,
before the year of 1911 had passed
Prof. Lawrence and Geo. r. Castner,
at that time fruit inspector, had cleared
the valley of the plague.
In 1912 members of the Fellowship
Association, declaring that the burden
of the cost of the organization on
portion of the orcharists, when the
benefits we're reaped by the entire CON-
munlty. was unjust, began a campaign
for the founding Of the local station.
The bill, providing for the local branch
institution was enacted by the 1873 leg
islature. The sum of SIS. 600 annually
was set aside for the station, the state
appropriating $1,000 and the county
So, 900 annually. The 1916 legislature
provided an appropriation of 5000 an
nually for the years of 1915 and 1916.
Two experts are stationed constantly
at the station home. LeRoy Childs, q
graduate of Stanford University and a
graduate student of O. A. c., has been
here this summer studying soils and in
sect pests. j. r. Winston, of Rich
mond, Va, graduate Of Pennsylvania
State College, who had been engaged
in work at the North Carolina College
before coming here. is the stations
pathologist. The experts may be
termed the orchard, physicians. They
are subject to call from any orohardist
in the community, and great portion
of their time is spent in travelling over
the valley. They have an automobile
to facilitate their transportation.
X. W. Allen, who for the past sew
eral years has made study of irriga.
tion and grain crops at HermistOn, has
spent portion of this year at the To-
cal station, studying the new irrigation
needs brought on by the increase of
grains and other cover crops in the
orchards.
Last spring at the suggestion of the
Oregon Agricultural College faculty,
which supervises the work Of the local
station. the following advisory board of
orchardists for the station experts was
elected: Upper Valley, @. p. Johann
sen: Odell, Frank A. Massee; East
Side. G. A. Reed, and West Side. Prof.
c. ID. Thompson.
The station apparatus was removed
this spring from an Office building in
the city to the former McCan home.
Such move was found economical, the
palatial place being secured at nominal
rent, because the experts, who are
making their home at the McCan home,
would be closer to the orchards in
which they are conducting their work.
Today the shrubs around the country
home, mosquito netting tied like
shrOuds over them, form the prisOr
homes for different bug pests. The
experts visit their captives daily,
studying their methods of living. And
in the mahogany trimmed drawing
room are cases Of bugs, aphides, cod
ling moth and other foes of the orch
ardists, all pressed and classified. File:
of collected data are arranged where
stood formerly the baby grand piano
And $500 chandeliers shed their rays OF
light upon the stations 8 laboratory.