ORCHARD ENEMIES IN THE PACIEIC NORTHWEST. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Within the past ten years the fruit-growing industry in the States 

 of Washington, Oregon, and Idaho has developed ver}^ rapidl3^ With 

 the possible exception of prunes, the greater part of the product is 

 shipped as fresh fruit to Eastern markets, where it has already won a 

 high reputation for quality. 



Along with this rapid development of the industry there has been 

 a much more rapid increase in the damage caused by insects and dis- 

 eases. Ten years ago there was little or no need to fight orchard 

 pests, as the injury caused by them was scarcely appreciable. At the 

 present time, at least in the older sections, the fruit grower is com- 

 pelled to combat insects or fungi or both, in order to grow marketable 

 crops. 



This marked change coming in so short a time, and in manj'^ cases 

 involving serious loss, has naturally had a discouraging effect. In a 

 few instances this discouragement has even led to the digging up of 

 orchards. The increase in the amount of damage b}^ orchard enemies 

 has been the more depressing because the idea had gained considerable 

 credence that the previous immunity from such loss was due to some 

 special peculiarity of the soil or climate or both. Unfortunately this 

 idea still prevails in sections where, for some reason or other, pests have 

 not yet become a serious factor. At one time, when western Oregon 

 apples were justly famous, the growers said: "We will never have 

 wormy apples here because the climate is so moist." In the warm 

 interior valleys orchardists now claim that fungous diseases will never 

 be a menace because the climate is too hot and dry; and upon the inte- 

 rior uplands their competitors say that no insect or fungous enemy 

 need ever be feared because of the winds and the cool nights. In all 

 this there is a somewhat labored effort to consider as proven what is 

 at best a hope. The experience of nearly every new region has been 

 much the same. No place has 3'et been discovered where orchards 

 will thrive where pests will not also thrive. The general truth of the 

 statement is not affected by the well-known fact that the amount 

 of damage caused by a particular insect or fungus varies greatly in 

 different regions and in the same region from year to year. 



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