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| VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT, SEVENTH CONG. DIST. 205 
VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT, SEVENTH CONG. DIST. 
J. O. BARRETT, BROWN’S VALLEY. 
Voluntary applications to our nurseries for fruit plants and what 
were obtained by canvassers representing the nurseries, aggregate 
large quantities introduced into the sixth district during the sale 
year. As toa healthy growth, on a general scale, of such and forest 
seedlings, it is not equal that of some past years. The deficiency is 
traceable mainly to the undue wetness of the early summer. It 
demonstrates the necessity on our part of underground drainage, 
an application essential to practical irrigation by which water can 
be held in abeyance during a drouth and its surplus allowed to 
flow into reservoirs for pumping back upon the plants when they 
are thirsty. The best thing we can do is to wisely economize every 
drop of water that falls to us from the clouds. 
The frosts of last spring, occurring when the trees were in blos- 
som and the fruit just forming, did serious damage in our district. 
The incipient fruit of cherries, apples and most of the small fruits 
was destroyed or greatly injured. It was noticeable that where the 
currants or gooseberries were thick, on an average about halfa 
crop of small berries was raised. They would have been of such 
grade, even if we had not been visited by repeated frosts; for where 
no thinning of the bushes is done, the size must necessarily be 
small. But betteris small than none atall. Itis a well known fact 
that where the stems of plants are close together, as they naturally 
grow, they mutually protect each other against a chill. It may not 
always be wise to depart from nature’s method. 
Ours is the coldest congressional district in the state. Under the 
adverse conditions of the situation, it is no little task to induce our 
farmers to engage in the fruit industry at all. If told that they 
must thin out so and so and provide some kind of protection to 
spread over the exposed plants when Jack Frost makes his usual 
visits or have no berries worth raising, ten chances to one they will 
give the nursery agent a savage, “No!” Having repeatedly failed, 
some of our farmers have abandoned fruit raising of every descrip- 
tion. No wonder they are discouraged, for they have not made the 
necessary preparation for it in tree protection and condition of soil. 
Others have started windbreaks on their farms and otherwise 
complied with the pre-requisites, and are hopeful for results. 
The entire district is well adapted to raising plums indigenous to 
the state, including the standards. Asarule, strawberries have not 
proved a satisfactory crop, but we are gaining with this delicious 
berry as the years come and go. When properly managed, currants, 
gooseberries and raspberries are a success. High bush blackber- 
ries are generally a minus quantity, mainly because they begin to 
ripen during the drouth season. The dewberries are more reliable, 
Though not equal to some other cherries, the sand cherries are wel- 
come because they are so hardy and generally beara prolific crop. 
I am looking for a choice selection of this cherry whose berries in 
size and quality will place it in general demand. 
The dearth of forest and fruit plants in the sixth district and else- 
