A Threat to Washington’s Orchards
A government inspector warns that nursery stock across Washington and Oregon is infested, putting the future of fruit exports to British Columbia at risk.
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K. Hutcherson, government inspector of fruit pests, returned from a two-week tour of nurseries throughout Washington and Oregon. He reports finding pests among young trees at every nursery visited. As a result, British Columbia has signaled that it will implement rigid inspections of all trees brought into the province next spring, and the local horticultural society may demand a total prohibition of imports if the infestation remains severe. While Hutcherson notes the trouble is not yet catastrophic in Washington, he describes the conditions in some Oregon nurseries as 'disgraceful' and urges local nurserymen to ensure their stock is entirely free of disease to protect the region's trade interests.
“He advises nurserymen in their own interests to be very careful that all trees shipped are entirely free from pests and diseases.”
Washington’s agricultural history has always been defined by the fight against invasive pests; today, this trade battle mirrors current concerns over the spread of disease in regional crops like apples and cherries.
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