Report of State Board of Horticulture. 19 



outside our state, and to whom consigned, thereby enabling us 

 to secure prompt and rigid inspection, and in some instances 

 entire car lots of infested trees have been condemned. The 

 nursery is the fertile source of distribution of insect pests and 

 disease, and, as in the past, I urge their frequent and thorough 

 examination ; and right here our horticultural law is sadly 

 deficient. I refer to that portion relating to inspection. As 

 you are aware the total allowance of the state for all horticul- 

 tural work is only $4,500 per annum, and this must cover the 

 entire work of our board, including per diem and expenses of 

 six commissioners, salary of secretary, printing of bulletins, 

 attending fruit meetings, etc. As a result a commissioner 

 can inspect annually only a portion of his district, embracing 

 several counties. 



The statute provides for the appointment of deputy inspec- 

 tors, but makes no provision for their compensation. We 

 ought to have an inspector in every fruit-growing county in 

 the state, to be paid only when called upon to inspect ship- 

 ments of trees and fruit, and where special complaint has 

 been lodged of an infested orchard. 



Car loads of moth-infested apples have been shipped out of 

 this state and sold as Oregon apples, greatly to our discredit. 

 A small additional appropriation, with authority to pay depu- 

 ties, would enable our board to secure vigilant inspection at 

 all important points of shipment. 



A new spray bulletin should be prepared, as the old one is 

 exhausted and some of the formulas need modification. 



I again call your attention to the value of co-operative or- 

 ganizations at central points of fruit production. Such organi- 

 zations are of great educational as well as business value, and 

 secure better results than can be obtained through isolated 

 individual effort. 



We are witnessing the beginning of a great westward move- 

 ment of people to the Pacific Coast. Oregon, with vast terri- 

 torial area and varied resources, will attract a large portion 

 of this immigration. With less than ten per cent of our 

 available fruit lands now utilized for that purpose, with con- 

 stantly enlarging markets and better known methods of or- 

 charding, what more inviting field for the new homeseeker 

 than that of holticulture. 



E. L. SMITH, 



President. 



