THE NATIONAL NURSERYMAN 
9 
approaching completion. Now a waste of sand and sage 
brush coveismuch of the land, relieved here and thereby an 
oasis of fruits or alfalfa, where an artesian well, or an irrigat¬ 
ing ditch has provided the settlers with the crop producing 
water and gives promise of full fruition, when the larger ir¬ 
rigating enterprises now under way have been completed. 
Unimproved and unwatered land with the promise of water 
in the near future sells for twenty-five to forty dollars per 
acre, but the price will on the arrival of water, immediately 
advance to from sixty to eighty dollars per acre and much 
more when sown with alfalfa or planted to fruit trees. 
Fruit Growing in the North West Pacific. 
The apple is the great crop of this irrigated region of 
Washington and Oregon. Formerly the prune occupied 
first place but the great successes of the Hood River and 
Yakima Valley apple growers have drawn attention to this 
fruit and the apple is king today. The orchards are not 
large. Blocks of five acres are being sold as being suffi¬ 
ciently large for one family. It is thought that one man 
cannot handle more than twenty acres advantageously. 
Culture is intensive rather 
than extensive. Trees are 
planted close—about a rod 
apart—with the intention of 
thinning later on; they are 
carefully pruned, sprayed and 
thinned. Not many of our 
eastern apple growers think 
they can afford to thin. These 
men feel that they cannot 
afford to leave their trees un¬ 
thinned. 
As to varieties Ben Davis 
is a back number in this 
region; Jonathan, Winesap 
and Spitzenburg are the great staples. Newton, Arkansas 
Black, Delicious, Winter Banana, King, Greening all have 
their advocates but the bulk of the planting is being made 
with the first three kinds. We saw many trees and a few 
small orchards of Ben Davis unpicked. 
W 7 hat does all this mean? Are we to infer that the west 
will drive the East out of the apple business? No we think 
not. But the West will undoubtedly capture the fancy 
apple trade of the country and it is up to the Eastern 
grower to guard his laurels very carefully, or he will be 
outstripped by the young, vigorous West where handsome 
apples are grown, where careful grading is practiced and 
where the product is sent to market in an attractive 
package. 
It will not be all plain sailing for these western men, for 
enemies will appear, bad seasons occur and the constant 
handicap of a two thousand mile haul is ever upon them. 
On the other hand natural conditions are favorable and the 
fruit growers themselves are active and intelligent. In 
short the business methods which developed the citrous 
industry of California are being applied to this region. 
Success is sure to follow but there is no royal road, the price 
will be industry, intelligence and perseverance. 
Doings of Societies. 
NATIONAL HORTICULTURAL CONGRESS, 
COUNCIL BLUFFS, IOWA, December 14, 1908. 
This was a combined exposition and convention follow¬ 
ing the Spokane Apple Show and held at the same time as 
the Omaha Corn Exposition. This enterprise starts on a 
good substantial basis. The promoting company has been 
incorporated. They have erected a substantial brick audi¬ 
torium admirably adapted for the purpose. 
The show consisted of State, district and individual dis¬ 
plays. In the State exhibits Washington, Idaho, Utah, 
Maryland, Nebraska and Iowa were represented. The 
Washington display contributed by Wenatchee growers 
was impressive hy reason of quantity and handsome ap¬ 
pearance. Maryland, Idaho and Utah excelled in attractive 
displays in which various fruits were included. Maryland 
under management of Professor C. P. Close of College Park 
showed one of the most comprehensive exhibits of nuts 
ever shown, while Utah had a fine collection of dried fruits, 
in addition to a plate exhibit 
of apples and peaches. 
Competition in plate ex¬ 
hibits was keen and the 
judges Messrs. Taylor of Den¬ 
ver, Marshall of Marshall 
Bros., Arlington, Neb. and 
Reeves of Waverly had their 
hands full in making the 
various awards. 
A feature which attracted 
general commendation was the 
artistic character of the hall 
decorations. These were in 
charge of Mr. R. F. Wilcox 
son of Mr. J. F. Wilcox the well known wholesale florist of 
Council Bluffs, who acquitted himself remarkably well for 
a comparatively inexperienced young man in this line of 
work. An excellent band presented pleasing musical 
numbers at intervals interlarded with a few informal 
addresses. Among the speakers were Mr. J. M. Irvine, of 
the Fruit Grower, Mr. Nikola Kaumans, agricultural attache 
of the German Legation and Professor Craig, Department 
of Horticulture, Cornell University. 
The annual meeting of the Iowa South Western Horti¬ 
cultural Society was held at the same time. It was the con¬ 
census of opinion that the Congress and Exposition should 
be continued as a permanent institution. 
WASHINGTON STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
This society held a four day meeting during the week of 
the National Apple Show at Spokane. The sessions were 
well attended notwithstanding the attractions of the show. 
Much time was devoted to the consideration of the best 
means of combatting enemies of the orchard. Among the 
papers presented was one on spraying for the codling moth 
by a professor of the State College of Washington who 
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