28 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



REPORTS OF CHARLES A. PARK, 



Commissioner for Second District 



APRIL MEETING, 1908 



Salem, Oregon, April 10, 1908. 

 To the Honorable State Board of Horticulture: 



During the six months past there has been a very active interest 

 shown in fruit growing in all of the counties of this district. There 

 has been a campaign gradually developed against the old orchards 

 which is proving quite successful. 



Last January at Corvallis a convent'ion was held which was 

 attended by a large number of the county fruit ins]3ectors of the 

 state, together with most of the members of the State Board of 

 Horticulture and certain members of the faculty of the Experiment 

 Station. At this meeting Mr. M. 0. Lownsdale presented a very 

 feasible plan of inducing the owners of old apple orchards, which 

 contain numerous varieties, to work over these old orchards into 

 Newtown Pippins, for the reason that the number of small orchards 

 in the Willamette Valley can thus l)e made to produce a uniform, 

 well-known, staple variety and in such quantities that buyers will 

 be attracted to this region to purchase the fruit. 



In line with this work Mr. Lownsdale has very senerouslv con- 

 ducted numerous meetings in the nature of institutes, giving 

 instructions in grafting, budding and packing of apples. These 

 meetings have been held in all of the counties of the Second District 

 except Lincoln County. This treatment of the old orchard will not 

 only do away with the menace to the new orchards, but will turn 

 the old orchards into sources ot ]:)rofit. 



No one can work up any enthusiasm over an old, disease-infected, 

 pest-ridden orchard of worthless apples. 



Many new orchards are being set out in all of the Willamette 

 Valley. Apples and cherries ])redominate. A large acreage of 

 English walnuts has been planted, and on the whole there has not 

 been as much activity in the line of horticulture since the first 

 orchards were planted in the Willamette Valley. 



The county fruit inspectors in each county in this district are 

 enthusiastic, energetic men. They are carrying on their work as 

 best they can considering the large amount they have to do. They 

 have done more to stimulate interest in fruit culture .than any 

 other one thing. They have held numerous meetings of fruit 

 growers in various parts of the respective coTinties. They have held 



