stimulated the setting out of these varieties of fruits. The loganberry is a heavy producer in this section, and the fruit dried has found an appreciative market, so that today all the loganberries that will be handled this year through the local fruit union of Marion County have been sold. The loganberry may be a great blessing to us, since it comes into bearing so soon and will probably stimulate the planting of smaller fruits, which give labor to a large number of people and bring in excellent returns per acre. The spraying of the orchards is becoming much more general, but the problem of spraying is still one for study. The lime and sulphur spray has been very effective in eradicating the San Jose scale, and it is now being used with very good results in combating the scab on the apples and pears. Most excellent results have been obtained from spraying apples and pears in the spring of the year for scab, three applications being used-one as late as you can before the petals open, the second as soon as you can after the petals fall, and the third from ten days to two weeks from the time of the second application. Various strengths of this spray have been used. We have had very excellent results in using the strength of one to thirty. The Bordeaux spray appears to give the best results in treating for anthracnose. The early fall rains during the past few years have favored the spread of this fungus trouble before the spray could be applied. Some orchards have been sprayed with Bordeaux spray while the fruit was still on the trees with no ill effects to the fruits and with very good results as to the control of the disease. Where the spray has been applied while the apples are still on the trees it has been necessary to wipe the fruit with cloths which has added somewhat to the expense of the harvest. If any orchard is seriously infected with anthracnose it is far better to spray just after the first rains have commenced in the fall of the year, even if the fruit is still on the trees, and then to follow it up with the second spray in October or November. The bud moth made an appearance one spring and did considerable damage to the pear and prune crops, but by adding two pounds of arsenate of lead to 50 gallons of lime and sulphur spray in making the first application of the spray for scab this pest has been completely controlled. We are glad to say that many of the troubles incident to fruit-raising have been controlled, and the profits arising from scientific care of orchards are rapidly making the fruitgrowers independent. CHAS. A. PARK, Commissioner of Second District. OCTOBER MEETING, 1912. SALEM, OREGON, September 30, 1912. To the Honorable the State Board of Horticulture: I herewith submit my report for the term ending September 30th of this year. During the growing season of this year the weather conditions were not favorable for the production of a first quality of fruit. On the 13th, 14th and 15th of April the temperature dropped to 27 degrees, 29 degrees and 30 degrees on the respective nights. This condition occurred when the pears were the size of large peas, apples were in bloom, prunes were in bloom, peaches were set, and strawberries were in bloom; the loganberries had not yet bloomed. This frost thinned out the pears and left frost marks on much of the fruit that stuck on the trees. The skin of the fruit was roughened and somewhat marred, the apples were greatly thinned and weakened, pollination was greatly hindered, peaches were practically killed and prunes were cut very short. There was a great deal of cloudy and rainy weather in the latter part of May which was an ideal condition for the development of scab on the pears and apples, and also for the rapid increase of the aphis on apple trees, so much so that the aphis did more damage generally to the apple crop and trees than has occurred in years. August contributed more than its share of precipitation. We had only ten clear days during this month, which condition had also a tendency to prevent the pears, apples and prunes from finishing up properly. The result from the foregoing condition was that there was a practical failure of the peach crop, about one-third of a pear and cherry crop, one-fourth of an apple and prune crop, but the smaller fruits, including the loganberry, produced a full crop. The county fruit inspectors in all of the five counties in this district have been doing efficient work. They have accomplished a great deal in giving proper instruction to those engaged in the fruit business, in the way of taking care of the orchards and caring for the fruit. They have also been diligent in keeping the markets free from infected and diseased fruits. A thorough inspection of all the markets in Marion County revealed the fact that not one box of wormy or diseased fruit could be found in the market. The county inspectors have been kept exceedingly busy with the inspection of nursery stock. Marion County grows a great deal of nursery stock and it has been necessary to put on six deputy inspectors during a portion of the year to look after the shipments of this stock. We have taken great care in inspecting every bundle of nursery stock that has been shipped out of the district so as to prevent any further increase or spread of diseases that are injurious to fruit trees, shrubs and plants. A few years ago the fruit-growers of the Willamette Valley suffered a severe and unexpected loss from the damage caused by an insect known as the bud moth, which appeared suddenly in large numbers. To give an idea of the damage done that year by this one insect alone, I can state with definiteness that $4,000 was the loss incurred in one tract of 35 acres of Bartlett pears. In this instance, when the effect caused by the bud moth was discovered, a call of distress was sent to the director of the experiment station of the Agricultural College, who sent two men for one day to investigate the trouble, but it was too late to prevent the damage. Upon reflection it was evident the fruit-growers, not only of this locality, but in the whole State were losing annually many thousands of dollars just because of their lack of technical information and experience along their lines of work; and that, if the horticulturist, and in fact all agriculturists, could have the advantage of the information to be collected by technical and scientific men who could be in the field and observe conditions, they would be forewarned and forearmed and thus be able to save to themselves and the State this large sum of money which was being needlessly lost. We found that the experiment station had no funds to send men into the field to investigate and observe the conditions incident to the fruit crop or any other crop. The station had competent men at the head of the various departments, they had the laboratories and the equipment for investigative, experimental and research work along these lines, and that they were willing to do the work if a way could be provided. The way was provided. When the matter was properly presented to it, the last legislature appropriated a fund known as the "Crop Pest Fund" which was to be used under the direction of the director of the experiment station and the heads of the respective departments of entomology, plant pathology and horticulture, for the purpose of extending the work of these three departments in respect to field survey, investigation and research. To make myself clear, I will state that the fund was secured by the horticulturists of the |