REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 95 



business pursuits, naturally seek the Chamber of Commerce 

 as the supposed center of unbiased information. This sur- 

 mise proved to be a correct one, as hundreds of people called 

 for information of every kind, which was given to the best of 

 my ability. It is particularly gratify to state that a great 

 many horticulturists of our own state called while in the 

 city for enlightenment on many subjects in which they were 

 -deeply interested. 



COMMERCIAL INFORMATION. 



For a number of years I have been convinced that this 

 board should enlarge its scope of usefulness by reaching out 

 to seek reliable information regarding the fruit crops in other 

 states likely to come into competition with our own fruits in 

 the world's markets, as well as to seek new fields for our own 

 •choice fruits. With this object in view I entered into corres- 

 pondence with the experiment stations, state boards of horti- 

 culture, horticultural societies, and the principal fruitgrowers 

 and dealers throughout the United States, as well as the 

 American consuls in all the various fruitgrowing districts in 

 Germany, France, England, Russia, Austria, Hungary, 

 Turkey, Italy, Belgium, Sweden, Holland, Chinese Empire, 

 and Japan. AVe have received over six hundred replies, the 

 results of which have been published in the Oregonian and 

 the horticultural press, from time to time, for the benefit of 

 our fruitgrowers, the summary of which is, however, that 

 the fruit crop throughout the world this year was exceedingly 

 small, and in most cases inferior in qualit}^, owing to un- 

 seasonable climatic conditions, notably in Europe, where 

 hailstorms in July destroyed almost completely what little 

 fruit the frosts and cold rains left on the trees. As expected, 

 many letters came from dealers in response to the statement 

 published by this board of a large crop of fruit in certain 

 sections of our state, all of which were answered, and dealers 

 and growers brought into direct communication with each 

 other. 



I have taken great pains to impress upon our fruitgrowers 

 these facts, and stated that in consequence of these conditions 

 good fruit would bring high prices, and to hold out for them, 

 so that they would reap the benefits sought to be bestowed by 

 the inquiries made by this board. This work has no doubt 

 been appreciated, for many of our progressive orchardists who 

 have called were pleased with the results of the voluntary 

 work done by this board. 



