Reports of Chas. A. Park. 31 



deal of nursery stock and it has been necessary to put on 

 six deputy inspectors during a portion of the year to look 

 after the shipments of this stock. We have taken great care 

 in inspecting every bündle of nursery stock that has been 

 shipped out of the district so as to prevent any further increase 

 or spread of diseases that are injurious to fruit trees, shrubs 

 and plants. 



A few years ago the fruit-growers of the Willamette Valley 

 suffered a severe and unexpected loss from the damage caused 

 by an insect known as the bud moth, which appeared suddenly 

 in large numbers. To give an idea of the damage done that 

 year by this one insect alone, I can state with definiteness that 

 $4,000 was the loss incurred in one tract of 35 acres of 

 Bartlett pears. 



In this instance, when the effect caused by the bud moth 

 was discovered, a call of distress was sent to the director of 

 the experiment Station of the Agricultural College, who sent 

 two men for one day to investigate the trouble, but it was too 

 late to prevent the damage. 



Upon reflection it was evident the fruit-growers, not only 

 of this locality, but in the whole State were losing annually 

 many thousands of dollars just because of their lack of 

 technical Information and experience along their lines of 

 work; and that, if the horticulturist, and in fact all agricul- 

 turists, could have the advantage of the Information to be 

 collected by technical and scientific men who could be in the 

 field and observe conditions, they would be forewarned and 

 forearmed and thus be able to save to themselves and the 

 State this large sum of money which was being needlessly lost. 



We found that the experiment Station had no funds to 

 send men into the field to investigate and observe the con- 

 ditions incident to the fruit crop or any other crop. The 

 Station had competent men at the head of the various depart- 

 ments, they had the laboratories and the equipment for 

 investigative, experimental and research work along these 

 lines, and that they were willing to do the work if a way 

 could be provided. 



The way was provided. When the matter was properly 

 presented to it, the last legislature appropriated a fund known 

 as the "Crop Pest Fund" which was to be used under the 

 direction of the director of the experiment Station and the 

 heads of the respective departments of entomology, plant 

 pathology and horticulture, for the purpose of extending the 

 work of these three departments in respect to field survey, 

 investigation and research. To make myself clear, I will 

 state that the funcl was secured by the horticulturists of the 



