1911-12] FRUIT GROWING IN THE WEST 41 



on examining some suspicious looking leaves I found a codling 

 moth nestling between them. They may not have as many 

 insects as we have, but there are plenty of them out there 

 nevertheless. They spray three, four or five times a year and 

 are very careful about doing it thoroughly. 



This orchard was in irrigated land and all those in that 

 section were irrigated from a lake, each owner buying the water 

 that they need from the reservoir people when they buy the 

 land. They irrigate three times a year, saturating the soil 

 throughly and then cultivating immediately, and continuing 

 to cultivate at frequent intervals. This cultivation is to retain 

 the moisture, by forming a soil mulch, and they call it "horse- 

 leg" irrigation. 



Their trees are headed at about eighteen inches from the 

 ground and a short ladder will reach the tops of them. This 

 makes it much easier, both for spraying and for gathering the 

 fruit. This orchard, I was informed, was worth three thousand 

 dollars an acre, or thirty thousand dollars, and the owner claimed 

 that he would not sell at that price. 



From Portland I went out to the famous Hood River district, 

 about one hundred miles from the city. We went through the 

 apple growing district in an automobile, and looked over 

 several orchards carefully. Everywhere we went a cloud of 

 dust followed the auto and any one behind us must have found 

 difficulty in seeing his way for a few moments. The leaves on 

 the trees were loaded with dust which looked like rust, and 

 the fruit was so covered with it, that you could not tell the 

 color of an apple until you rubbed the dust off. 



We called at the first orchard in the Hood River Valley, 

 which was set out by a Mr. Shepherd, and from which he has 

 made a comfortable fortune. Why is it that these men make 

 such a success? In the first place they are bright Eastern men 

 and New England men, and they had the advantage of being 

 on the ground first and skimming the cream off the opportunity. 

 They bought the land cheaply, for five, ten and fifteen dollars 

 per acre, set out their trees, irrigated them and gave them every 

 care, knowing that they must produce first-class fruit if they 



