16 BIENNIAL REPORT 



rules for the enforcement of the law as would result in protecting our 

 orchards from the insect and fungus pests that are injuring and destroying 

 the trees in nearly every other state in the Union, and from which ours 

 are as yet free, and to protect the fruit consumer from the vilely infested 

 fruits that because of our previous lack of all law upon the subject could 

 be shipped to our markets with impunity, and to our markets only, as all 

 other states had laws protecting them from such importation.. At the 

 same time they had to see that no rights of shipper, importer or consumer 

 were trampled upon and that no unnecessary hardship was placed upon them. 

 They feel that they have accomplished this, and that for the short time 

 the law has been in operation the results are highly satisfactory. 



The work done by the inspectors of orchards and fruits, both in quan- 

 tity and quality, show the wisdom of their appointments. 



I With strict economy the expenditures have been kept within the appro- 

 priation, although to do this has hampered their work considerably, particu- 

 larly in the inspection of fruits. 



The members of the board have attended the meetings of the State 

 Horticultural Society and the meetings of local societies and Farmers' In- 

 stitutes, and have in every way given support and encouragement to such 

 meetings. 



Mr. Emery of the board attended as a delegate from Montana the 

 meeting of the Northwestern Fruit Growers' Association, at Tacoma, and 

 was made a vice president thereof, and the Montana Horticultural Society 

 was admitted as a member of the association. 



EARLY HISTORY OF FRUIT GROWING IN MONTANA. 



While commercial fruit growing in Montana is an industry of only a 

 few years existence, the first trees were planted about 35 years ago. Thom- 

 as W. Harris on Three Mile near Stevensville, Bitter Root valley, was prob- 

 ably the first person to try planting apple trees in 1866. Next year others, 

 notably Jas. Meinsinger, W. N. Smith and Wm. McWhirk obtained some 

 trees from Philip Ritz of Washington territory and planted them. Some of 

 those old trees are still living and bearing fruit but the most of them were 

 of unsuitable varieties or were poorly cared for and have long since disap- 

 peared. 



In 1870, Bass Bros, began planting the orchard that has since brought 

 in its thousands of dollars to its owners and proven fruit growing not only 

 possible but profitable. 



By 1880 a number of small orchards were to be found in what is now 

 Missoula and Ravalli counties, but probably a thousand boxes in the state 

 would have been a large estimate. In 1890 the number of trees had swelled 

 into the thousands and the output of fruit was correspondingly large. 



Still fruit growing was not yet looked upon as a profitable or legitimate 



