172 SIXTEENTH BIENNIAL REPORT 



Red raspberries on one large plantation at Brownsville, fertilized at a rate 

 of 250 pounds to the acre. Great care was taken not to allow the salt to touch 

 auy of the young plants which were just Coming up at the time of application 

 early in the spring. As a result of the application in 1919, it was found that the 

 leaves were larger and greener than those of the check plots, and that the berries 

 were larger and had a better luster than the others. There seemed to be 

 no objectionable softening of the fruit ; perhaps a heavier application might result 

 in such softening. Yields were increased by approximately ten per cent. The 

 berry vines were hurt severely by the winter, however, which shows that under 

 some soil and climatic conditions, nitrogen must be used with considerable caution 

 if the wood is to mature properly for winter. 



It would not be right to leave this subject of nitrogen fertilizer without a 

 word of warning to the grower. There is a decided danger of applying quick 

 acting fertilizers like nitrate of soda or sulphate of ammonia for too long a time. 

 If large amounts are applied to trees for three or four years hand running, there 

 is considerable danger that these trees may be started into a heavy wood growth 

 at the expense of fruit production ; in other words, that the tree may be thrown 

 from condition No. 3 where nitrogen is slightly limited and carbohydrates 

 abundant, over to condition No. 2 where nitrogen is abundant and carbohydrates 

 also abundant with resulting unfruitfulness. 



Possibly a few words should be said at this place regarding mixed fertilizers. 

 The way these are usually applied indiscriminately forms one of the easiest 

 ways of throwing away money that can be imagined. However, in all of our 

 tests both in the east and in the west, we have found that the average orchard 

 responds very little, if any, to applications of phosphoric acid and potash ; theu 

 why spend good money for mixed fertilizers? If you care to find out exactly 

 whether your trees need phosphoric acid or potash, make application of these 

 elements and nitrogen on separate plots. and compare them with other plots 

 of trees unfertilized. You can then judge for yourself what materials are needed. 



FUNCTIONS OF THE STATE BOARD OF HOKTICULTURE 



By Henry E. Dosch 



In Order that it miglit be properly understood and give a reason for its 

 existance it is necessary to liegin at the beginning of fruit growing in Oregon. 



When the pioneers in horticulture planted fruit trees and berry bushes, there 

 were neither insects nor fungous diseases, and they were sure of healthy fruits 

 and could eat apples and pears in the dark without running the risk of consum- 

 ing worms, but in time insects and'diseases appeared, growers became discouraged, 

 fruit began to fall prematurely unfit for use, trees were neglected, grew into 

 bushes, mossy and breeding places for all kinds of fruit and tree enemies. 



The more progressive orchardists concluded that something had to be done 

 if the fruit industry should live ; a meeting was arranged by Dr. J. C. Cardwell, 

 ■Dr. O. P. S. Plummer, S. A. Clarke, C. H. Welch, W. S. Failing, H. W. 

 Prettyman, Chauncey Ball, C. E. Hoskins, Thos. Paulson, the Luellings, J. H. 

 Lambert, M. Scheydecker, T. V. Sluman, myself and others whose names I 

 can not recall, which was the nucleus for the Horticultural society, which was 

 organized November 17, 1885, by electing Dr. Cardwell its President, an office 

 he held for twenty years by continued reelection, O. P. S. Plummer, vice President, 

 and E. R. Lake, secretary. By hard work and talk we succeeded in bringing to- 

 gether quite a number of growers, but we found it up-hill business, as few of us 

 knew anything about insects or diseases, or their destruction and eradication, 

 and also found that the majority of fruit growers were indifferent and careless 

 and yet something had to be done. We then agreed to call on the State for 



