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BETTER FRUIT 



May, 1^20 



Friend Farmer and 

 Housewife 



If your family had contained 4 persons in 1913 and had an 

 income of $100 a month; and now, in 1920, it has 10 persons 

 and an income of only $45 a month, then— 



Your Case Would Be the Same 



AS THAT OF THE 



Agricultural College 

 University and Normal 



Why? Because the fulltime attendance at these three 

 schools has increased 150 per cent since 1913, while state sup- 

 port has increased less than 4 per cent. In addition, the great 

 rise in prices has cut the buying power of a dollar to about 45 

 cents since 1913. 



As a result, classroom, laboratory, equipment, student and 

 faculty conditions are desperate. To rescue higher education 

 the legislature has referred to the people the Higher Educational 

 Tax Act for a vote on May 21. This act provides 1.26 mills for 

 the three institutions. 



Only One Argument is Made Against 

 This Higher Educational Tax Act 



That argument is taxes. Taxes are higher this year than 

 last. But taxes are lower in the United States than in any other 

 great civilized country. Why? Because of the state-supported 

 educational system of the United States. This is the safest, 

 freest, healthiest, wealthiest and happiest country on earth. 

 Education is largely responsible. 



The Surest Way to Increase Taxes 

 Is to Cripple Education 



The Agricultural College, State University and Normal add 

 millions each year to the wealth of the state. Consider, for 

 example, the wealth-making contribution of the Agricultural 

 College through its work of improving grain yields, fighting 

 pests, raising the egg output, improving livestock strains and 

 its horticultural and garden experiments. 



Where education is lowest, tax rates are highest; where 

 education is best, wealth is greatest and tax rates lowest. 



Protect Higher Education on May 21 

 By Voting 301 X Yes 



This advertisement inserted by Colin Dyment in behalf of the 

 Joint Alumni Relief Committee for Higher Education in Oregon. 



ton, Idaho and Oregon, was for the 

 most part winter killed. The same is 

 true of New England, the Hudson Val- 

 ley and many parts of Western New 

 York. 



The middle Atlantic states promise 

 fully as good a crop as last year and 

 orchards are in good condition, al- 

 though acreage has declined materially 

 in West Virginia and Maryland. 



The prospects on April 1 were for 

 about 77 per cent of a peach crop in 

 the United States, as compared to pros- 

 pects for 84 per cent of a crop last year 

 at this time. Allowing for about ten 

 per cent decline as is usually the case 

 during the season, due to unfavorable 

 blooming conditions, the crop would be 

 about 67 per cent full as compared to 

 75 per cent final last year. The crop 

 is now indicated at 29,240,000 bushels, 

 as compared to the final production 

 figure of 29,461,000 last year and 20,- 

 597,000 in 1918. Allowing for the 

 normal decrease which usually occurs 

 during the season, the crop will be 

 about 3,000,000 bushels less than last 

 year. 



Replanting Students' Orchard 



Editor Better Fruit:— Several years 

 ago Mr. H. E. Burdette, now with the 

 Oregon Nursery Company, at Orenco, 

 Oregon, was foreman of the Horticul- 

 ture Department of the State College of 

 Washington. In that position he super- 

 vised the planting of what was then 

 Imown as a class orchard. This con- 

 tained several varieties of stone fruits 

 and grapes, apples, and pears. The or- 

 chard was an unqualified success in 

 that it furnished a laboratory for class 

 practice work in pruning, and tree 

 and plant development. Mr. Burdette 

 later graduated from the college and 

 received his degree. 



The work of the department has pro- 

 gressed, but in the development of the 

 grounds and buildings the stone fruit 

 orchard was sacrificed for building 

 space. We had been planning to start 

 a new student orchard because of its 

 extreme value to class work. The Ore- 

 gon Nursery Company heard of our 

 plans and donated over 100 trees of 

 select grade and variety for this pur- 

 pose. The shipment has been received 

 and is in process of being planted. Such 

 donations are very great help to the 

 Institution and under the present finan- 

 cial stress provide material that could 

 not otherwise be secured. Needless to 

 say, it is very highly appreciated. 



O. M. MORRIS, 

 Head, Department of Horticulture. 



Rebuilding Spray Machines. 

 Blacksmith and machine shops in 

 many fruit growing districts are re- 

 ported to be doing quite a large business 

 in equipping discarded sprayers with 

 new gas engines. Another feature of 

 this business is in supplying higher 

 powered engines for machines that do 

 not have enough power to suit their 

 owners. In many instances these 

 higher powered engines are being put 

 on sprayers that are to use two or more 

 spray guns. 



WHEX WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



