REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE- 87 



of the orchard will invite fungous diseases and insect pests, 

 and for these reasons alone the spray-pump must be kept 

 going, regardless of any crop or no crop. We would, there- 

 fore, urge most earnestly upon owners of injured or fruitless 

 trees not to become discouraged, but to give their trees extra 

 care by pruning off injured limbs, spraying, and most thorough 

 cultivation of the soil, for they need it much more right now 

 than if in healthy condition. Good result is certain to follow 

 by the fruit some of these trees may yet bear this year, being 

 larger and finer, and by reason of this extra care such trees 

 will start with renewed vigor and reward their owners for 

 tliis additional work with an abundant crop the coming year. 



Reverses are met with in all walks of life — the merchant, 

 the banker, tlie artisan, and the grain farmer all share alike 

 in off years, so to speak ; why should the fruitgrower be ex- 

 empt even in this most favored state of ours? 



Oregon fruits are finding favor in many old markets, and 

 with the new markets opening up to us the demand is cer- 

 tainly increasing, but this demand is only for first-class fruit, 

 and such fruit cannot be grown on neglected and diseased 

 trees. The up-to-date fruitgrower who will give his best 

 thoughts, care and attention to his trees at such a time as the 

 present, is sure to win, in the end, by abundant crops and 

 remunerative prices ; hence, we would say to all orchardists : 

 Don't despair, don't get discouraged, but keep on right along 

 as if we expected a most bountiful harvest, and good results 

 are certain to follow. 



On June 23, 1899, we issued the following : 



FRUIT REPORT. 



Agreeable with the work outlined when this board was re- 

 organized last April, we sent out of this office and through 

 the commissioners of this board in their respective districts, 

 hundreds of letters of inquiry to prominent horticulturists 

 in all the fruitgrowing districts, and from the replies received 

 the following estimates are compiled. As so much mislead- 

 ing informationg about no injury to fruit trees and fruit has 

 been published, we were very cautious in making these esti- 

 mates, and, therefore consider them reliable on the dates they 

 were made. May 15, but as the climatic condition since has 

 been very unfavorable, a further discount on these estimates 

 would not be out of order at this time : 



