Reports op A. H. Carson. 35 



to permit him to neglect starting the oil pots on a frosty 

 night. The oil pot and smudge fire to protect fruit from 

 severe frost have come to stay in this Valley, and those of little 

 faith in the virtue of smudging at this time will be converts 

 to the System after losing a crop or two, and seeing their 

 neighbors who did smudge have loaded trees which they have 

 to thin. 



March has -been a very dry month here, but a trace of rain 

 having fallen during the month. Warm sunshine during the 

 days and cool nights. This condition has been fortunate, as 

 it put all the orchards in such condition that the power sprayer 

 could work and do thorough spraying with the lime and 

 surphur for scale. In fact spraying for scale has been this 

 year 50 per cent better in the orchards of this Valley than ever 

 before. Then, too, the ground being dry, has made it possible 

 for the fruit inspectors to make a thorough inspection for 

 hold-over cases of fire blight, and have the germs of this 

 disease cut out and removed. A small army of trained 

 inspectors under the direction of Professor u v*ara have 

 worked every day during March, and their work has been so 

 carefully done that it is now believed we have the blight under 

 control. I see it reported that the Willamette Valley is, from 

 climatic conditions, immune from the fire blight. I hope it is 

 true, but did I have Jurisdiction over any portion of the 

 Willamette Valley as commissioner I confess, with the 

 practical knowledge and experience I have had in the past 

 five years in the Rogue River Valley, I would watch for indica- 

 tions of the blight very closely in that Valley. 



Tree planting in this valley the past winter has been greater 

 than ever. It is now estimated that Jackson County has 

 60,000 acres planted to fruit of all kinds, the apple and pear 

 leading in acreage. The Umpqua Valley also has planted a 

 much larger acreage this past season than ever before. 

 Prunes have been largely planted in that valley, as well as 

 the apple and pear. The large profits had from prunes the 

 past three years in Douglas County have stimulated greater 

 planting of that fruit. 



Viewing the possibilities of the fruit industry of this valley 

 from the success had in the past, where the soil the orchard 

 is planted on is right, and the man who directs it is right, 

 this valley has from a horticultural view much success to 

 anticipate as the orchards grow older and come into bearing. 



A. H. Carson, 

 Commissioner for Third District. 



