REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 45 



berries or currants than the Willamette Valley, nor produce 

 them any cheaper. Yet go into our stores and ask for jellies, 

 jams, or preserves, and what do you find? — Cross & Black- 

 well's England, or Bishop & Co.'s Los Angeles. I am happy 

 to say that owing to Food Commissioner Bailey's good work 

 they are no longer principally from Sioux City or other corn 

 sections. But they should bear Oregon brands, and be sold 

 everywhere as such. Three years ago a man in Olympia, 

 "Washington, put up a few jars of strawberry preserves ; they 

 sold well, and he increased the next year ; this year, I under- 

 stand, he has put up one hundred thousand jars. Oregon 

 should do the same. 



The cannery business is growing rapidly now. This year 

 several large plants have been in operation ; they have paid 

 remunerative prices to the grower for his fruit, and, I am 

 told, have readily sold their pack at profitable prices. Sev- 

 eral other canneries are proposed for next year, notably at 

 Newberg, McMinnville, Dallas, and Corvallis. 



To sum up, there is encouragement in almost every line of 

 fruitgrowing ; true there is lots of hard work, risk and worry 

 in jt, but at the same time excellent chances for good profit. 

 It is an unlimited field for brain work, a chance for all the 

 skill and knowledge anyone can bring to bear upon it ; and, 

 withal, the most pleasant and healthful work in which man 

 can engage. 



In regard to the work of the board, I think the system 

 should he changed to conform to that of California and Wash- 

 ington ; that is, to have one coramissioner-at-large for the 

 state, and a secretary, and then let each county have an 

 inspector of its own. With the present system and limited 

 funds it is impossible for the commissioners to cover their 

 districts effectively. I think it is an important point that the 

 inspectors should be actually engaged in fruitgrowing as at 

 present, but no fruitgrower worthy the name can, in justice 

 to himself, spare the time to attempt to do the work at pres- 

 ent required of the members of the board. But to cut the 

 districts down to single counties would allow of effective 

 work being done. 



WILBUR K. NEWELL, 

 Commissioner First District. 



