The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-02-24
CLEANER ORCHARDS
Is INSPECTORS PLEA

1t was with a great deal of interest
that | came to Hood River and looked
over the orchard covered acres from
Hood River to Parkdale. and having
always been keenly interested in fruit
and the fruit growers problems, it
was with some degree of satisfaction
and pleasure that assisted in the har-
vest of part of the crop last fall. 1t
is with more pleasure that anticipate
visiting the many growers and or
chards during the coming year.
| have known people who considered
the fruit inspector as nuisance which
is to be tolerated and as one more
trouble and source of anxiety to the
fruit grower. However, from the
many words of encouragement and
offers of cooperation which | have
received from growers with whom l
have talked here, | am sure that this
is the feeling of few if any in the
Hood River valley. The continued sue
cess of Hood River as great fruit
producing district calls for no other
policy than that of clean orchards, and
this which is vital to the community as
whole is vital to every member of it.
This is being realized more and more
fully as disease makes deeper jnroads
into our orchards, and | want to en-
phasize that which you have heard be-
fore that it is only through the hearty
cooperation Of all growers that the
anthracnose and other orchard pests
can be controlled most successfully.
/ am reminded of the story of a
teamster, who, being an expert with
his whip, used to amuse himself as he
passed along the road by swapping the
flies and other insects from the bushes.
A companion, noting one day that he
had passed by hornet which was sit
ting near the entrance to its nest. |
asked why he had spared it, to which
the driver made reply that he never
interfered where there was so much
cooperation. The point of this story |
applies to US whether it be in the |
marketing of our goods or IN the fight |
against the pests in the growing of
perfect crop.
Hood River has successfully met |
many problems in the past in the grow
ing and marketing of its crOps this
fact, together with the means which
we have at hand for combating the
anthracnose and other orchard pests,
makes me feel more certain of success
in this campaign for clean orchards.
| do not wish to minimize the serious
ness of the situation at all, for we
have hard fight before US, especially /
in some sections, and close attention
must be given to all phases of the fight
against anthracnose.
Just now our attention should be
centered on getting rid of all dead
wood and all limbs which are SO thor
oughly diseased that their recovery is
impossible. This may in many cases
mean the removal of the entire tree.
There always is the tree where the
question comes: "Should it be left
or taken out :" In considering this
tree number of points are to be taken
into account such as variety and vital
ity of tree generally. However, the
following consideration should be given
to all trees. The profit derived from
the healthy, well formed tree of good
variety has not been large in the aver
age year of the past. If one realizes
the greater expense incident to caring
for a sickly, diseased tree together
with the smaller returns in number of
boxes of fruit, it may help the decision
in favor of taking out the old tree and
replacing it with a new one whose
value will be increasing as the years
go on, whether to ones self as an
operator, or in more ready sale at
better figure.
AS to myself. my full time will tbe
given to the fruit growers of this
county, and shall be glad to be of
any assistance to any on call. Through
the kindness of Prof. Childs and the
Hood River Experiment Station, which
has done so much for the state of Ore
gon and Hood River particularly, |
shall have my Office at the station,
second floor Heilbronner building,
where | shall be glad to meet any of
the growers or receive any communica-
tions. Office phone, 1904. shall be
in the Office Saturdays and in touch
with it every day to receive communi-
cations. AS soon possible | will have
a phone at my residence. For some
months the most of my time will be
spent in visiting your orchards.
Whatever | do, shall attempt to do
for the good of the community and
through the community the individual.
hope that it shall never be necessary
to use the law in our campaign, but
should it become so, shall do so with
the good of the community in mind and
not with malice toward any individual.
do not wish to be considered as an
orchard cop, but as your assistant and
in this campaign for better .
orchards. Manton ID. Armstrong.
County Fruit Inspector. |