REPORTS OF CHARLES A. PARK, Commissioner for Second District APRIL MEETING, 1908 SALEM, OREGON, April 10, 1908. To the Honorable State Board of Horticulture: During the six months past there has been a very active interest shown in fruit growing in all of the counties of this district. There has been a campaign gradually developed against the old orchards which is proving quite successful. Last January at Corvallis a convention was held which was attended by a large number of the county fruit inspectors of the state, together with most of the members of the State Board of Horticulture and certain members of the faculty of the Experiment Station. At this meeting Mr. M. O. Lownsdale presented a very feasible plan of inducing the owners of old apple orchards, which contain numerous varieties, to work over these old orchards into Newtown Pippins, for the reason that the number of small orchards in the Willamette Valley can thus be made to produce a uniform, well-known, staple variety and in such quantities that buyers will be attracted to this region to purchase the fruit. In line with this work Mr. Lownsdale has very generously conducted numerous meetings in the nature of institutes, giving instructions in grafting, budding and packing of apples. These meetings have been held in all of the counties of the Second District except Lincoln County. This treatment of the old orchard will not only do away with the menace to the new orchards, but will turn the old orchards into sources of profit. No one can work up any enthusiasm over an old, disease-infected, pest-ridden orchard of worthless apples. Many new orchards are being set out in all of the Willamette Valley. Apples and cherries predominate. A large acreage of English walnuts has been planted, and on the whole there has not been as much activity in the line of horticulture since the first orchards were planted in the Willamette Valley. The county fruit inspectors in each county in this district are enthusiastic, energetic men. They are carrying on their work as best they can considering the large amount they have to do. They have done more to stimulate interest in fruit culture than any other one thing. They have held numerous meetings of fruit growers in various parts of the respective counties. They have held. fruit fairs at the important points in their counties, and the promise is that they will see greater results this coming season than has ever before been manifested. Salem has held two cherry fairs during the past two years. The manner of the display of the last cherry fair was far superior to the one held the year before, while we might say that the fruit in each was practically the same. Linn County and Polk County have held apple fairs and Lincoln County showed enough interest to bring out a display of apples at the Albany fair. These fairs are important measures in educating the fruit growers in regard to preparing their fruit for the commercial market. The climatic conditions during the past winter and present spring have been very seasonable. While the winter has been mild, the spring has not opened up warm enough to advance the fruit beyond a safe limit. At the present day, after a week of warm, pleasant weather, the cherry trees are just opening into bloom, the pear trees have developed their buds into nearly the blooming point and the apples are following their nature by lagging on behind. There is very little danger of frost after this date and every prospect is good for an abundant crop of fruit in the Willamette Valley. CHAS. A PARK, Commissioner for Second District. OCTOBER MEETING, 1908 To the Honorable State Board of Horticulture: I herewith submit for the Second District the report for the year ending September 30, 1908. I am pleased to report the interest in horticulture in all of the six counties (Marion, Linn. Lane, Polk, Benton and Lincoln) has done a great deal in cleaning up the old orchards and in the planting of new ones with the determination of caring for them. County horticultural societies have been organized in each of the counties, and each has held numerous meetings throughout the year. I might say in passing that more meetings of fruit growers have been held than of those engaged in all other branches of agriculture combined. The Lane County society has extended its work of co-operation to a greater extent than any of the other societies. During the past season it canned its own cherries and pears. The apple growers of the Willamette Valley organized themselves under the name of the Willamette Valley Apple Growers' Association for the purpose of stimulating the growing of better fruit, and as conditions develop, to furnish a uniformly packed product for the market. As the morals of the community are on a higher plane than that of the individual of that community, so is the box of apples packed under the supervision of the association better than the one packed by the individual grower. The Willamette Valley Apple Growers' Association is fortunate in having Mr. M. O. Lownsdale of Lafayette for its president, a man well qualified by intelligence and judgment to do a great work for the association. Numerous fruit fairs have been held at different places in this district. Linn County concentrates its energies in making an exhibit of apples, and Marion County has been holding an annual cherry fair. On account of the most wonderful and beautiful exhibit of cherries displayed at the Salem cherry fair, Salem is called the "Cherry City of the World." We are glad to note that other sections of the State are following the example of Marion County. Many inquiries have been received during the past year concerning this district as a fruit growing section. At this time it might be well to give some general facts concerning this district pertinent to fruit growing. The counties of Marion, Linn, Polk, Benton and the greater part of Lane Counties may be taken as one section of the country in the Willamette Valley, and in fact includes all of the Willamette except the few counties lying north of this district, which embrace a continuation of the same beautiful and productive country. This section is bounded on the east by the Cascade Mountains and on the west by the Coast Range. The remainder of this district consists of Lincoln County and the western part of Lane County, and lies west of the Coast Range on the Pacific Ocean. It has the same general type in regard to climate, soil and products. I will speak of this section after presenting some facts concerning the Willamette Valley section in regard to its climate, soil and fruit products. or The climate of the Willamette Valley is temperate in all respects. The temperature does not go to extremes either in summer winter. The proximity to the Pacific Ocean keeps the pendulum from swinging too far at either end of the arc. While the mercury may fall below zero once or twice during a winter, it seldom does. It is a rare occasion when the frosts prevent our roses in the open garden from blossoming until Thanksgiving and Christmas. We look upon freezing point as the low point on the thermometer as the people of the Eastern States look upon zero as the low point with them. It is not infrequent to have a winter pass without the mercury falling below 25 degrees above zero. The summer months are not hot. Ninety degrees above zero is seldom registered on the thermometer by our summer heat. The northwest trace winds bring us cool, refreshing breezes every afternoon during the summer, and hot nights are unknown. Our summers are dry, rain not interrupting the harvest of our products. Do we have rain during the winter months? Yes, a merciful Providence dues bring to us on the mild southwest trade wind gentle showers, abundant and sufficient, to bless us and we enjoy it. Like all sections of the country, the Willamette Valley has some land not adapted to fruit culture, but there are thousands upon thousands of acres which are par excellent for fruit growing. We have the rich, river-bottom land; the bench of clay loam and the hills of clay soil, some of which are impregnated with oxide of iron. Anyone with judgment enough to raise fruit has judgment enough to select in this section the best of fruit-growing soil. We now raise in a commercial way apples, pears, peaches, prunes, grapes, cherries, walnuts, filberts, almonds, all kinds of berries and small fruits. The western part of Lane County and Lincoln County have some enthusiastic fruit growers who are getting fine results. Little has been done in a commercial way in this section, as all of the older apple orchards have so many varieties it is difficult to collect carload shipments of any one variety. However, the good-keeping quality of their apples and the total absence of worms creates a good demand for what apples they grow. Hundreds of acres of new orchards are being planted and old ones are better cared for. Land is cheap. It will pay anyone interested to investigate this section. The winters are mild and the summers are cool. CHAS. A. PARK, Commissioner for Second District. |