REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE, 27 



drained soil, rich in the elements that enter into the growth 

 of trees, is adapted to their purpose. Other common errors 

 are too close planting and too many varieties, I recommend 

 that standard apples be set not less than thirty feet apart and 

 not more than four or five varieties for the largest orchard. 

 Our nurserymen are partly responsible for the numerous 

 varieties in oui- orchards in sending out trees not true to 

 name. In my own orchards I have some twelve varieties 

 that were never ordered, and my neighbors have suffered 

 equally with myself. 



While there are many conscientious men in the nursery 

 business, but few raise all the trees the}' sell, and some are 

 careless in methods of propagation. Greater care should 

 also be exercised in cutting scions only from healthy, vigor- 

 ous, fruitful trees, to be grafted on only thrifty, healthy seed- 

 lings. A law defining the liabilities of nurserymen who sell 

 trees that prove not true to name would have a salutary 

 effect and greater care would be exercised. 



It is unfortunate that our commissioners are unable to in- 

 spect only the leading fruitgrowing sections of their districts. 

 Each of our horticultural districts is as large as several east- 

 ern states, and it is impossible for a commissioner, with an 

 allowance of but $450 per annum for time and travelling ex- 

 penses, to cover such an immense territory. To remedy this 

 the board had in contemplation the policy of recommending 

 a change in the law to the effect that the county court of each 

 county should appoint a fruit inspector, in line with our sys- 

 tem of stock inspector, but, on more mature consideration, this 

 plan is not deemed advisable. Some county courts might not 

 be willing to make a reasonable appropriation for this pur- 

 pose. It would be expensive to call such a large number 

 together for council, and what is more important, it would 

 be difficult, in many instances, to find men well qualified for 

 the work. For the present, therefore, it seems the wdsest 

 plan to create two new districts, one on the east and one on 

 the west side of the Cascade Range. I therefore respectfully 

 recommend that the state be divided into seven horticultural 

 districts, as follows : 



First — Clatsop, Columbia, Tillamook, Washington, Mult- 

 nomah and Yamhill. 



Second — Marion, Polk, Lincoln, Benton, and Clackamas. 



Third — Lane, Douglas, Coos, and Linn. 



Fourth — Curry, Josephine, Jackson, Klamath, and Lake. 



Fifth — Wasco, Crook, Sherman, and Wheeler. 



