Protecting the Valley's Orchard Future
Kennewick farmers push for an official county fruit inspector to stop the spread of pests and protect the local agricultural economy.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Benton County and the Kennewick valley, especially, ought to have a fruit inspector at once. The appointment is made by the county commissioners on petition of at least one hundred residents of the county, and the applicant must pass an examination before the state fruit inspector. The orchards here are comparatively free from fruit pests and must be kept so if this valley is to become a fruit country profitable to the growers. A petition asking for the appointment of Mr. F. B. Laing is being signed by practically everybody in town and country. Mr. Laing is just such a man as is needed in this position; he is an experienced fruit grower and practical orchardist who came to the county from the famous Vineland district. Fully comprehending the significance of these facts, the board should at its September meeting act favorably upon Mr. Laing's petition and thus provide Benton County with a thoroughly competent and reliable fruit inspector.
“The orchards here are comparatively free from fruit pests and must be kept so if this valley is to become a fruit country profitable to the growers.”
Agricultural biosecurity remains a cornerstone of the Tri-Cities economy. While today the Washington State Department of Agriculture manages these risks, the 1905 struggle to establish local oversight reflects the early effort to professionalize farming in the semi-arid Yakima and Columbia basins.
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