are these pests without their value in the world. They compel labor as well as study, and give a man of brains and energy the chance to win his way to a good success. A great moral philosopher, who was discoursing on the "moral uses of dark things," was asked for the use a mosquito could be put to, and his reply was, "To make the unbathed man scratch." Some of the fruit pests may make us scratch in the effort to control them, but there may be a value in the knowledge how it can be done and in the effort to do it. That these pests are here in multiplying abundance we are compelled to admit, but a real man does not submit to the rule of any tyrant, great or small. It is your mission, gentlemen, to point out the enemy, show us the implements of war, and call us into line of battle. It is not pleasant to feel compelled to enforce a necessary law against one's neighbors, but everything that can be called a nuisance ought to be abated, and if your next neighbor sees you putting forth intelligent efforts to save your fruit by fighting the common enemy and allows his orchard to become pest-ridden, what can we call it but a nuisance. We must insist through the press, in public speeches, in conversation, and if need be by the strong arm of the law, that imported pests that menace our fruit crops shall be exterminated, and that Oregon, the best fruit country in the United States, shall be developed, and take her proud rank in the sisterhood according to her special productions of grain and fruit. When our resources are fully known and our matchless climate appreciated by our frozen and scorched people of the East, beautiful Oregon will become much more beautiful under the subduing hand of the intelligent farmer and horticulturist. OREGON'S FUTURE IN FRUITS. Paper read by E. H. SKINNER, of Newberg, at the January meeting, 1892. Many of you have read the book entitled "Looking Backward." I will commence by looking back to childhood, fifty years ago. I well remember the first fruit buyer that came into Steuben County, New York, after the Erie railroad was completed. None had ever been there before. This fruit buyer came into my father's orchard and bought his best apples, paying $1 per barrel, the agent furnishing the barrels, and my father was to deliver the apples to the railroad fifteen miles distant. This price, $1 per barrel, seemed wonder ful in those days, as there had been no market up to that time. When we were gathering the fruit, my father said: "If I thought I could always get such a price for my apples, I would set out fifty acres." He had his doubts, so never set out the orchard; time rolled on; fruit never was lower, and often brought $3 and $4, and many times $5 a barrel. After I became of age I moved to Illinois and planted an orchard. While doing so, many old men told me that I was overdoing it, and by the time my orchard came into bearing apples would not be worth 10 cents a bushel, as everybody had gone crazy on tree planting. What was the result? I never sold one single barrel in the late spring for less than $3 per barrel, and twenty years after planting this orchard I sold my entire crop of No. 1 assorted apples to one shipper for $3.50 per barrel. Time still rolls on, and you hear the same remarks, "The fruit business is surely going to be overdone." Now, gentlemen, this is simply nonsense. Raising culls will not pay any longer, but raising good A No. 1 fruit will pay better today than it did thirty years ago. When I planted my first acre of Wilson strawberries I had hard work to sell them at 10 cents a quart. Twenty years after that I often had ten acres of berries and found ready sale, and that, too, in the same city where I glutted the market with my first acre. The inhabitants of the whole world are becoming fruit-eaters; but a very small number can be fruit-growers. Take your map and follow me over the inhabitable portion of our globe, and tell me what portion can grow even our hardy apples. Not one hundredth part. Now take the prune. Not one acre in ten thousand can grow it at all, and nowhere better, if equal, to this coast. We must not here in Oregon expect to compete with California until we have planted every hillside. We cannot command a market with so small a quantity of green fruits as we now grow. Tell me where a train can be loaded daily in this part of our State, or even a single car. Now throw aside this idea of over-production, and go to planting good orchards with good trees; then take good care of them; culti vate often; take your hoe and thank God you have the strength to use it; hoe your trees once, twice, three-yes, four times, if needed, but remember, don't return thanks sitting on the fence, as the prayers of a lazy horticulturist will only be answered with Codlin Moth and windfalls. NOTES AND QUESTIONS ON GRAPE CULTURE. A paper read by MR. J. H. REESE, of Newberg, at the October meeting, 1892. One of the early pioneers of Western Asia, who was largely engaged in horticulture, chiefly for home trade, was Adam, and who would consider an illustration of his gardens properly drawn without showing an abundance of vines laden with choicest grapes? History does not tell of a time when the more progressive nations of the world did not make grape-growing a leading occupation. Temples and shrines of all ages have been embellished with this token of blessing; and we deem it but proper to call the attention of the horticulturists of Oregon to this most excellent, though with us, much neglected fruit. We believe it to be a part of economy to produce at home, as nearly as may be, everything we consume; and if we of Oregon can supplant the imported grapes with a home product, it will save many thousands annually to our State. The vine is indigenous in a very large section of country, and varies much in habits, appearance, and quality of fruit from the Concord, Scuppernong, and many other leading native varieties, down to the meanest grape that ever betrayed the tooth of man; and it has been claimed that where no wild grapes are found, cultivated ones will not flourish. This saw, however, cuts Oregon out of the business, since there are no wild vines excepting a stunted, shrubby variety of Californica in our most southern borders. With our present shipping facilities, fruit may be carried long distances at small expense, and the grape being so much influenced; restricted, and developed by climatic conditions, it were folly to attempt its cultivation on a large scale, where it will only indifferently succeed; yet this is a fruit which must ripen where it grew, or not at all; grapes plucked unripe from the vine will remain unripe until they decay; and whatever may be said of imported grapes sold elsewhere, we are bold to say there has never been a pound of really edible ones sold here. While fruit is usually judged by the looks, there are a few people who know good fruit by the taste; and we are firmly of the opinion. that the latter class will always take a good home production in preference to an insipid though showy imported one; and we further believe we can and ought to produce more, very many more, of the choicest varieties. I do not hold that we should all undertake this business for profit, but while there are not nearly half the homes which contain one single vine, every poor, down-trodden farmer in the land might just as well make glad the hearts of his family with an abundant supply of the fruit of the vine. To succeed with grapes we should have a warm climate, an average of not less than 55° for April, May, and June, and 65° for July, August, and September, with not too great a rainfall during the former months, and the less the better during the latter. These positively essential conditions we may usually claim, yet the great variation of temperature, the very cool nights which we have throughout the summer, we believe to be somewhat detrimental to grape-growing here. The soil should be warm, porous, and well drained. Varieties are so numerous that to test all would require a very large vineyard; yet their habits are so varied that no one locality will produce but comparatively few equally well; so we must look to our practical grape-growers for advice as to kinds which succeed best with them, and not expect every new variety which has done well a thousand miles away to be a success here. In this locality, the Concord, Delaware, Coloma, Eumelau, Pocklington, Salem, Miles, etc., are doing well, and from this list an ample assortment may be made. Having selected your climate, your soil, and your varieties, procure healthy vines one or two years old, plant about eight feet apart each way, just in the same manner you should plant a fruit tree; cut back to two eyes, allowing the stronger one only to grow, and cultivate as you would a garden. Pruning should invariably be done in the autumn or winter. After the first year's growth cut back again to two eyes. If it is desired to train in upright form, allow only the stronger to grow, which should be kept neatly tied up to a stake. In the fall, head in somewhat as you would an apple tree, cutting back the laterals to two eyes each; and every subsequent year, after properly thinning out the laterals, cut back the remaining ones as before. This method allows free cultivation both ways, is thought by its adherents to produce finer fruit, and is much practiced by grape-growers of the Pacific Coast. If trellises are preferred, allow two canes to grow the second year, pinch back when four feet long, and in the autumn cut the laterals back to from two to six eyes. It is also desirable with some varieties to grow new canes each year to bear the succeeding year's crop, while the more vigorous growers fruit better on. spurs from the old wood. Whatever the method of pruning, each eye will produce a shoot which should bear two, three, or four clusters, with a leaf opposite each. These shoots should be pinched just beyond the last bunch of bloom, as soon as this may be done, and in turn the forced laterals from the buds should be pinched to one leaf. All suckers from base of vine, and all weak, barren shoots should be removed. As to diseases of the grape, the mildew is the most common and hard to combat. Flower of sulphur, long in vogue as a remedy, is not now countenanced by best authority. Happily our climate is not favorable to the development of this disease, and we believe there are plenty of very good American varieties which will here be exempt from it. The Vinifera are much more subject to this disease than the American grapes. SUGGESTIONS TO AMATEUR FLORISTS. A paper read by MISS MAGGIE INGLES, of Newberg, at the October meeting, 1892. "Consider the lilies, how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin." We understand that our horticulturists have come to the conclusion that they are neglecting to "consider the lilies," and are wanting the sisters to help them a little on that line. In offering these suggestions, I would say that they are given from a Western Oregon point of view, as climatic conditions are so different in the eastern and southern parts of the State from this part that different varieties and different treatment is required to a considerable extent. As upon entering a home the first thing which usually attracts our attention is the lawn, we will first consider out-door flowers. In planning a flower garden, the location, exposure, size of lawn, etc., must first be taken into consideration, and after studying the best effects from these standpoints, work systematically and carry out your plans. Do not have your design too stiff and prim, as the effect will not be so pleasing as if there were a little irregularity. Let it appear as if nature had broken in upon art's decree here and there. Considering shrubs first, if your yard is large enough to admit, have a good many of them, especially taking care to select some with handsome foliage, so that when their blooming season is past they will still look well; and have some of the evergreen varieties. Do not crowd your shrubs, though an occasional clump of several of the same kind near together would look natural. You can hardly have too many roses-the "queen of flowers." There are so many beautiful ones that it is difficult to choose from among them, but it is well to get a number of the standard varieties, old and tried kinds, such as La France, Jacqueminot, Papa Gautier, |