34 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



REPORTS OF A. H. CARSON 



Com missioner for the Third District. 



Grants Pass, Oregon, April 4, 1911. 



To the Honorable the State Board of Horticulture: 



I respectfully snbmit the following report for the third 

 district to March 31, 1911 : 



Fruit trees of all kinds have wintered in good condition 

 at this date. The winter was colder than are our normal 

 winters, but no extremes of temperature have occurred to 

 injure the tree or fruit buds." 



The indications are that the bloom on the apple trees will 

 not be as great as it was last year, in fact there will not be 

 bloom enough to afford the trees all the fruit they should 

 carry, should the fruit set. 



The apple crop will be a short crop this year in Rogue 

 River Valley. 



Pear and peach trees will bloom heavily,. and if no cold rains 

 or heavy frosts occur to prevent pollen-distribution, the crop 

 of these fruits will require heavy thinning. 



It is usual for peach trees to bloom in the Rogue River 

 Valley from March lOth to 17th. This year blooming is much 

 later, as peaches did not begin until the 25th and are now at 

 this date, April 4th, only in füll bloom, with no petals yet 

 dropped. Pear and cherry trees are in füll bloom, while the 

 apple is just beginning to show color. 



This late blooming is favorable to avoid late spring frosts 

 that sometimes occurs in this Valley. All fruit-growers are 

 prepared with oil nots and crude oil on hand, to fire in the 

 event of a frost. The success had by this method the past two 

 years in preventing damaging frosts makes me optimistic 

 as to a fruit crop this season. 



Professor O'Gara, at Medford, sends out warnings if the 

 dew point indicates a damaging frost, and by this System 

 every grower that heeds the warning is sure, if he acts, to 

 be in the market next fall with plenty of apples and pears. I 

 know some have not yet been converted to the idea that the 

 fruit-grower can smudge on a cold night and save his crop, 

 but the results had in Colorado, as well as in the Rogue River 

 Valley, are too convincing to the one who has observed them 



