■60 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



vicdnity of La. Grande are two very pretty fruit tracts, May 

 Park and Fruitdale. Several commercial orchards have 

 changed hands during the past year at prices ranging from 

 $300 to $500 per acre. As a rule, they are progressive grow- 

 ers, anxious for the best methods, and while they have had 

 some trials, and the codling moth has gained a foothold, in 

 the main they have done well. The much-dreaded San Jose 

 scale has never made its appearance there or elsewhere in 

 Grande Ronde Valley to my knowledge, although I have 

 found some bad cases of oyster-shell scale in some old orchards. 



I have come to the conclusion that the question of dealing 

 wuth the codling moth and its ravages is almost entirely one 

 of education among the growers. In some parts of my dis- 

 trict where they have been obliged to spray thoroughly to rid 

 themselves of the San Jose scale in order to save their young 

 orchards, the result has been so satisfactory that they are 

 convinced of the efficiency of the spraying and are doing most 

 excellent work in their commercial orchards in keeping down 

 the ravages of the codling moth. 



At Cove some large farms are being divided and sold in 

 small tracts for fruit growing. It is a remarkable fact that 

 nearly all of the orchards on the foothills at this place are 

 free of the moth, while some few have had it for years. It 

 does not appear to increase or spread materially. 



The future commercial orchard of Grande Ronde will be 

 mostly apple; cherries mature to perfection, but come too late 

 to bring high prices in the Eastern markets. It would be an 

 ideal place to grow cherries for canning purposes, for the 

 quality is beyond question. There are some large prune 

 orchards, but I know of no new ones being planted. Pears 

 have not proved profitable, and peaches are too tender for 

 this climate. There are three evaporaters in the valley, at 

 Union, Sumraerville, and High Valley. 



Eagle Valley is a little paradise for fruit growers. Water, 

 air, and earth seem to unite in a perfect combination. The 

 valley is small. They have an abundance of w^ater. The 

 soil is of a porous nature, so well adapted to irrigation, and 

 the hills about it seem to gather the sun's rays and reflect 

 them in such a way as to ripen and color their fruit to per- 

 fection and to protect them from all frosts and cold winds. 

 It seems to be a paradise for the San Jose scale as well by the 

 way in which they thrive. I have more complaint of it in 

 this little valley than all the rest of my district. 



