Report of Commissioner Fifth District. 39 



There are few commercial fruitgrowers who did not develop a 

 love for the work in some little home orchard. It is a common re- 

 mark among the old settlers wherever I have been in Eastern Ore- 

 gon: "They told me when I set those trees that it was no use. I 

 was wasting time and money. Fruit would never grow in this 

 country." And the eyes of the old settler lights with pride as they 

 lovingly fall on the fruits of his labor. Often they are trees over 

 30 years old, still sound to the very tops, and bearing their enor- 

 mous burdens of perfect fruit. 



How much we owe to these pioneer fruitgrowers ! One place 

 after another has been tried by them, and really I have yet to find 

 the place where an honest effort has met with defeat. 



Early histories of Eastern Oregon describe it as being mostly 

 mountainous and arid wastes of land, but cultivation and irriga- 

 tion are working wonders in many parts which were once considered 

 worthless. 



It is often difficult to convince the home fruitgrower that time 

 and money are wisely spent buying and using good spray pumps. 

 He argues that he gets what fruit he wants, gives to any of his 

 neighbors that wants it, and then much rots on the ground. He 

 asks no more, and apparently wishes to be let alone. 



Well, our work is largely one of education with the grower. We 

 can only be just to all. There are some pests which are a menace 

 to the surrounding orchards that must be severely dealt with. The 

 biennial reports have proved a valuable aid to me in my work. It 

 is surprising how many write to me requesting one, or call at my 

 home to obtain one. 



Let no one underrate the little home orchard. The home-loving 

 instinct has, in nearly every instance, prompted some pioneer to 

 reproduce the favorite varieties grown in his boyhood eastern home, 

 and the wonderful perfection attained, combined with beauty of 

 coloring, firmness of texture and rare keeping qualities unknown 

 in the old home, has induced the keen business man to become the 

 commercial orchardist. 



THE COMMERCIAL ORCHARD. 



Here we have a class of growers easy to convince, as a rule. It 

 is not hard to convince a man when it increases the bulk of his 

 poeketbook. The more easy-going, it is true, are found in this 



