30 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONER. 



FIRST DISTRICT. 



"Nothing is truer in the experience of life than that selfishness overreaches itself. 

 He that would get the most out of life must conti'ibute of his thoughts, sympathy, time 

 and substance, for the good of others." — Lucien C. Warner. 



Hillsdale, Oregon, April 10, 1899. 



To the President and Members of the State Board of Horticulture, 

 Greeting: 



Kindly permit me to hand you herewith my first quarterly 

 report for the current year. 



Since my return from Omaha last November, where I spent 

 the summer as commissioner and general superintendent of 

 the Oregon exhibits, the results of which are just beginning 

 to materialize by the arrival of many immigrants, inquiries 

 for lands of various kinds and the investment of capital in 

 different branches of industry, I have attended the fruit- 

 growers' convention, held at Corvallis in January, and deliv- 

 ered the closing lecture to the students of the farmers' short 

 course at the Agricultural College, which was the largest class 

 — nearly one hundred — that ever attended these studies since 

 the course was inaugurated, — students from twenty-four coun- 

 ties being present, — showing that this course is gaining in 

 popularity, the students being of both sexes and many ad- 

 vanced in years. I have been busily engaged in the inspec- 

 tion of the nurseries located in my district, and in examina- 

 tion of the fruit and tree shipments arriving at the Port of 

 Portland. While on this point allow me to state that these 

 shipments during fall, Avinter and spring are of. almost daily 

 occurrence, and in the absence of a quarantine guardian, or 

 money to provide one, the duty of inspection falls upon the 

 commissioner, requiring much time and expense. As it is 

 deemed best to remove the office of the board to the City of 

 Portland, for many good reasons, allow me to suggest that 

 the secretary be made quarantine guardian of that port, thus 

 avoiding any unnecessary delay in the delivery or forwarding 

 of fruits and trees, as I am frequently away on field work, 

 and these shipments have either to await my return or be de- 

 livered without inspection ; and further, it would save many 

 a dollar to be devoted for orchard inspection, where it would 

 be of much more benefit. 



