

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL 



Gaston, Oregon, January 1, 191?>. 



To the Honorable the Legislative Assembly of the State of 

 Oregon: 



Gentlemen : In conformity with the Statute which directs 

 the Board of Horticulture to report biennially to you, I here- 

 with submit my report of the work of the board for the years 

 1911 and 1912. 



The board as now organized consists of five members for 

 the five horticultural districts of the State, a commissioner at 

 large and a secretary, and is supplemented by a county fruit 

 inspector for each of the prominent fruit-growing counties. 

 It is the duty of the district commissioner to look after the 

 enforcement of the horticultural laws in their respective dis- 

 tricts, to train and supervise their county inspectors, to gather 

 information and statistics, and to attend to inspection of 

 nurseries. The law requires that the commissioner at large, 

 who is ex officio president of the board shall visit all the 

 principal fruit-growing sections of the State at least once 

 each year, and the fruit shipping centers during the shipping 

 season, and that he shall at all times meet and address as 

 many fruit growers' meetings and associations as possible. 



The efficiency of the inspection work has been greatly 

 increased during the past two years as evidenced by the 

 improved condition of the orchards in general, and especially 

 by the vastly better grade of fruit tö be found on the markets. 

 But considerable difficulty has been experienced by the com- 

 missioners in securing and retaining the Services of competent 

 county inspectors owing to the small remuneration connected 

 with the office. 



Section 5491, Lord's Oregon Laws, says that it shall be the 

 duty of the board to report to the legislature, what, if any, 

 legislation is needed in aid of the horticultural and fruit- 

 growing interests of the State. In accordance therewith, I 

 submit a draft of two proposed bills embodying the recom- 

 mendations of the board in this respect. The points covered 

 in these recommendations are those in which the experience 

 of the board has shown the present law to be weak and in 

 need of amendment. They are briefly summarized as follows : 



1. Strengthening the Quarantine Law. — A condition arose 



