REPORTS OF W. K. NEWELL, President of Board and Commissioner at Large. APRIL MEETING, 1907 GASTON, OREGON, March 30, 1907. To the Honorable State Board of Horticulture: That the horticultural industry of Oregon is growing very rapidly is patent to the most casual observer. New plantings of all kinds of fruits are being made on every hand, and never before was there such activity in pruning and spraying as has been seen this winter. Horticultural societies have been formed in nearly every fruit growing locality and have been very active in stirring up interest in the work. Several of these societies are contemplating the organizing of co-operative packing houses in localities where such do not now exist. Several new canneries will be established this year; plants at Albany, Eugene, Brownsville, Monmouth, Milton-Freewater and La Grande are already decided upon. There is fruit enough in these localities to warrant starting canneries, and if they are properly supported by the growers supplying them, with increased quantities of good fruit as their market demands increase, they will no doubt succeed. As has been so often said through the columns of the Rural Northwest, there is no use expecting to run a cannery on "surplus" fruit alone. A steady and abundant supply must be assured. Although, of course, a cannery cannot pay high market prices at all times for fruit, I firmly believe that they can pay prices that will be very profitable to the grower, taking into consideration the assured market and the lessened expense of boxing and packing. The co-operative cannery at Springbrook, a model of its kind, in which nearly every fruit grower of the community is a stockholder, has paid remunerative prices to the growers for their fruit, and as stockholders they have taken out neat dividends as well. As an evidence of what a cannery can do, the Pacific Coast Syrup Company, of San Francisco, operating a cannery at Seattle, has contracted for this year with the Sumner Valley Fruit Growers' Association for their entire crop of raspberries, estimated at 35,000 crates. Certainly the price must be a satisfactory one, as these people have been making big money selling their berries fresh on the market. There is a great shortage in all kinds of canned fruits, particularly cherries, strawberries and raspberries. Gooseberries and currants are also in demand for jams and jellies. No one can make any mistake by planting heavily of any of these kinds of fruits. A good and safe way is to contract in advance if possible to some cannery for a term of years for say half to two-thirds of the prospective crop at a fixed price, and then take the chances on the market with the remainder. There is always the probability of high prices for part of the crop, and there is an assured price to fall back on if the market fails. I would particularly urge the planting of cherries-Royal Ann cherries for the cannery. While there are two serious difficulties in the way, the gummosis of the tree and the cracking of the fruit in the rain, still I believe these difficulties can be overcome sufficiently to make the business very successful. Careful observation leads to the belief that cherries top-worked in resistant stock and planted on very well drained soil, particularly high hill sides where there is rock or gravel near the surface, and kept carefully sprayed from their youth up, can be brought to maturity with but small loss from gummosis. At harvest time, if weather is threatening, great care will be required in picking. A Royal Ann cherry is fit to can. though, of course, not at its best, before it is ripe enough to crack in the rain. If a sufficient force of pickers can be secured to keep them picked very closely, the loss from cracking can be kept at a minimum. Horticultural conditions in the Eastern States, particularly New York, Pennsylvania and Maryland, are of great interest to us at this time. Scale and other insect pests are increasing alarmingly there, and with their very large, high-headed trees, it is almost impossible to keep this pest in check. While I am sure there is no tendency to rejoice at their misfortune, still we cannot help but see that we will profit by it. The growing demand for fruit must be supplied. Orchards can be brought into bearing here quicker than on the Atlantic Coast, and while they are getting readjusted there, and working round to the idea that they must plant new orchards, we can have our fruit in their market, establishing a reputation. I wish to call your attention to the law passed at the last session of the legislature compelling the branding of all packages of fruit offered for sale, with the growers' and packers' name and address. When the packer is other than the orower the package must contain both names. This will prevent any stealing of one community's reputation by another, and will render it very easy for our inspector to trace diseased, wormy or scaly fruit to its source. It is a good law and must be strictly enforced. W. K. NEWELL, Commissioner at Large. OCTOBER MEETING, 1907 GASTON, OREGON, September 30, 1907. To the Honorable State Board of Horticulture: This has been a prosperous and successful year for the fruit growers in nearly all lines. Although yields in some varieties have been light, never before in the history of the industry have prices ruled so high on such large quantities of fruit. When the report of the Hood River Apple Growers' Union's apples was made public, it seemed the highest possible mark for prices had been reached. A price of $2.75 for Newtowns and $3.27 for fanciest Spitzenburghs seemed almost beyond belief, but when there is added to this the report of sales of Bartlett pears from Rogue River in New York and Boston at $4.80 and $5 per box, and of one carload of Comice pears from Medford selling in New York for $4,622.80, or an average of $3.99 per half box, and of a car of Comice pears shipped from Salem selling at $3.70 per half box, it is hard to realize. Think of it; pears selling at 10 cents per pear wholesale. The following figures are submitted as a safe and conservative estimate of the amount and value of this year's fruit crop for the state. The figures are compiled from the reports sent in by the county inspectors and others in a position to judge and have been checked up by comparison with former yields, as well as by personal observation of the growing crop in nearly all parts of the state, and are believed to be approximately correct: VALUE OF 1907 FRUIT CROP. Apples, boxes, 1,082,200 Dried prunes, pounds, 25,450,000 Prunes and plums shipped green or sold fresh to canners $1,423,800 90,650 286,600 248,260 230,500 7,500 407,500 79,500 74,500 33,500 21,000 12,500 124,500 26,000 $4,275,185 The estimated value of the crop of dried prunes after being packed ready for shipment is $1,590,625. It will be seen that the total value is far in excess of that of any previous year. The figures included in making up the total are not dealers' prices, but the amounts paid to growers, and show a very satisfactory increase of 53 per cent over the value of the crop of 1906. The heavy plantings of the past few years are commencing to bear and the increase in the value of the crop will be very rapid in the near future. The phenomenal prices received this year for the fancy fruit will prove the most effective of advertising, and will spread our fame still more widely over the land and will increase the demand. The Pacific Coast is the natural fruit garden of the country, and we have advantages of soil and climate unsurpassed by any other section, and it only remains for us to maintain our present high standard of product to step into the front rank and in a short time make fruit growing the greatest source of wealth in the State. COUNTY FRUIT INSPECTORS. The careful and efficient work of our county fruit inspectors has been a great source of satisfaction. By a personal demonstration where needed they have shown people how to spray, and then protected them by preventing the sale of infected fruit. As an example I call attention to what has been accomplished in the Freewater-Milton district. Two years ago the fruit there was so scaly and wormy as to be almost unmarketable, but a united, determined effort among the growers, led by Inspector Evans, has this year produced over one hundred thousand dollars' worth of clean, sound apples, pears, prunes and peaches. The growers know now that they can control pests, and the industry in that locality is saved. Equally good results have been accomplished in other counties. The work of the inspectors should be enlarged as the industry grows. Our larger counties should now put their men on salaries and let them devote all their time to the work. Let them be instructors and advisers, traveling to every farm and talking and working personally with every man. That is the kind of work that brings results. I hope you will, each of you, urge this upon your growers and your county courts. Another thing that should be made part of the regular duty of the county inspector is the gathering of statistics, particularly of the vield of fruit. They should each be provided with the proper blanks and be instructed to gather the figures of yields and values of each crop as it is ready to market. SPRAYING AND SPRAYS. From some localities reports have come of poor results from spraying this year. The use of the ready-prepared lime and sulphur sprav was almost universal last winter, and the investigations of Professor A. B. Cordley and others lead to the conclusion that there was a great variation in the strength of the sprays put upon the market, and that in many cases it was diluted too much. It is difficult to make this spray always of the same strength; hence the Niagara Spray people propose this year to test each vat separately and label the barrel with the actual strength of that lot, and state how much it should be diluted. Growers should be careful to demand a guarantee of actual strength before purchasing. Again I would urge the importance of beginning the winter. |