58 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



bonanza to the owner. The conditions are most favorable to 

 the cherry in Eastern Oregon. The crop is matured before 

 the dry season has advanced to any extent, hence if well cul- 

 tivated it can always be grown without irrigation. The crop 

 being gathered at the beginning of the dry weather proves 

 an advantage in another respect. I have never known a crop 

 injured by cracking, due to continued damp weather, which 

 the growers in many localities have to contend with. The 

 trees are never broken down by a heavy crop, and there is no 

 thinning of fruit to be done. The leading varieties of cher- 

 ries for commerce are the Bing, Royal Ann and Lambert. 

 The Black Republican is an old stand-by and there is money 

 in growing it for market, but there are so many larger vari- 

 eties that there is little demand for the trees. 



The season of 1906 has proved a light year on nearly every 

 variety of fruit. Apples are about one-half a crop, and owing 

 to the law against selling wormy apples being enforced miore 

 stringently than ever before, if will reduce it from that 

 somewhat. They are of fine quality and size, so the culls will 

 not be so many. 



Prunes in Umatilla County were a full crop, and about 

 seventy-five carloads were shipped fresh to Eastern markets. 

 The balance being dried at the local driers. The prunes of 

 Union County are a good crop, but have a tendency to wither 

 at the stems. They will be handled by the dryers. 



Cherries were about one-half a crop, and prices ruled good, 

 The crop was mainly sold for canning of the Royal Anns. 

 About one-half of the cherries were shipped fresh to Eastern 

 market. They were largely Bings and Lamberts. 



Peaches have brought high prices during the entire season. 

 The best stock bringing $1 and $1.25 per box. High prices 

 have in a measure made up for the shortage in yield. 



The price of pears was good, but yield light. The home 

 demand consumed practically the entire crop. 



During the entire berry season the market was good. It 

 was difficult to secure help. In some places large quantities 

 of raspberries wasted because pickers could not be had. We 

 have come to regard it as the rule during the strawberry sea- 

 son for prices to remain high. 



