BOARD OF HORTICULTURE 97 



THE PRUNE 



A survey of the iirune orchards of the state will show that those growers 

 wlio practice early, thoroush tillage, have the best production. Too many growers 

 still delay their tillage iiiitil May. oi- even late June. Such a practice will lead 

 gradually to devitalizatioii ol" the tree, and to the production of small prunes. 

 Prune gi'owers have been using fertilizers very vigorously. It is being observed 

 that those growers who used nitrogenous fertilizers, either singly, as nitrate of 

 soda, and manure, or in combinations where nitrogen is the principal ingredient, 

 are getting the best results. While much can be said against the use of mixed 

 fertilizers. in the way of economy. it is noted with interest that the past year 

 or two, however, such companies are offering fertilizers which are rieh in nitrogen. 

 TJp to a year or two ago, these fertilizers were generally low in nitrogen, and rieh 

 in phosphoric acid and potash, two elements which seemingly give us very little 

 response. We caution growers, however, that a certain amount of nitrogen is a 

 good thing, but that any good thing can be overdone. If the trees are already 

 making good wood growth, have large green leaves and are producing large prunes, 

 there is nothing to be gained by piling on an excess of nitrogen. But there are 

 thousands of acres of trees, making little or no wood growth, having weak buds, 

 and producing small fruit, that need nitrogen and need it liberally. This past 

 season has demonstrated conclusively that had we had a dry season similar 

 to 1918. which was 40 days in extent. we would have been facing a crop of 60,000,- 

 000 to 80,000.000 pounds of prunes ; that within two years we can expect a crop of 

 approximately 100,000.000 pounds of prunes. It doesn't take a mathematician long 

 to figure that we do not have near enough driers to handle such a crop, and that 

 one of the needs of the State is to build a large number of driers in the next two 

 years ; and let us urge every man who builds a drier to immediately take out good 

 Insurance on the same and to also cover the prunes as fast as they are dried. 

 If he cares to. he can get daily adjustments on the tonnage in his plant, and 

 while we admit the rates are high, still the annual losses demonstrate that these 

 rates are warranted. Perhaps if we will all begin to insure carefully, we can 

 gradually reduce the rates. 



One of the most interesting developments in our prune business is the liringing 

 out of new varieties and strains. At Forest Grove we find Mr. Rueter with a 

 strain of Italian which matures a couple of weeks ahead of the regulär strain. 

 At Riddle we find Mr. Wilson with an Italian which blooms two weeks later, 

 thus escaping the frost and yet which matures its fruit at the normal season. 

 We find Mr. Johns at Myrtle Creek with several strains of Petites. We find 

 Mr. Vercler introducing to the State a new prune, a cross between the Italian and 

 the Petite. This prune has been called the New Oregon. We find Californians 

 much stirred over Leonard Coats" production known as 1418. which is a strain 

 of Petite. It is refreshing to find here and there a man who is still interested 

 in plant breeding. such as A. A. Piper, of Myrtle Creek. Mr. Piper has two 

 very interesting prunes. one a cross with the peach plum, the other. a cross 

 between the Italian and Petite. They are both worth watching. Mr. Piper also 

 has a new blackberry. has l)y artificial crossing reproduced the loganberry, 

 has several strains of strawberries. and has a new sweet apple maturing In the 

 fall, and a new pear. both of which have much merit. We need to read again the 

 works of our pioneers in horticulture, such as the Llewellyns, Lambert, and 

 Hoskins, Dr. Cardwell, and others, and get an Inspiration from these men to try 

 and reproduce some of the work which they have done. When we think of the 

 Bing and Lambert cherry and realize the wonderful opporitunities for plant 

 breeding in this State, we wonder why more men do not adopt this as a hobby 

 to employ all their spare moments. Oregon should contribute in the next fifty 

 years the world's choicest varieties of fruits. 



Sig 4. 



