Orchardists Want Thurston County to Stop Betting on Town Lots

Articles of incorporation of the Thurston County Horticultural Society have been executed. The society is the outcome of interest manifested by residents of Olympia, who have realized the advantage of exchanging ideas and knowledge on the subject.

The officers of the association are M. G. Royal, president; R. O. Dunbar, vice president; Robert Whitham, treasurer; Miss May Sylvester, secretary. These officers, together with three members to be elected by the society, will constitute the board of trustees. Up to the present time about 40 persons have signified their intention of becoming members of the society. Membership is opened to any person who is interested in the cause, and contributions and suggestions on topics of interest will be gladly received by the secretary. The first annual meeting of the society will be held some time in June.

Professor Royal, in speaking on the subject today, said: “The objects of the society are many. While the attention will be directed in the main to the dissemination of knowledge concerning methods of fruit and flower culture and the introduction of a broadly intelligent spirit of experiment and investigation along horticultural lines, yet it is quite evident that to be successful in the largest sense, the society must partake more of the practical than the merely theoretic.

“It is believed that there are fruits which are adapted to our soils and climate which are not in general cultivation, but which upon experiment would be adopted by our fruit-growers. In Clarke county where the natural conditions are not greatly different from those of Thurston, peach, grape and apricot culture are conducted with profit. The introduction of new kinds of fruits may well occupy the attention of this society.

“What has been said in regard to the steady outpour of money for fruit may be repeated with regard to trees, plants and seeds. If the sum of money sent East for roses alone this spring were known it would be surprising. Why not raise such things? It would certainly be refreshing to find on the tables of our good and enterprising ladies at least one catalogue of flowers sent out by a Thurston county dealer. Our mild climate, admirably adapted to the culture of roses and most other flowers, might, with enterprise, be made famous as the center of that industry.

“Prune culture is just in its infancy. That our land is admirably adapted to the raising of that valuable fruit is unquestioned. The quality of the Washington prune is the best. It is high time that large areas of land were converted into prune orchards. The era of laying out town lots cannot always last, and the era of prune planting will have its day. To stimulate the growth of this and other fruits it is well worth the attention of every citizen of the county. When the area of planted orchards will justify, then efforts can be intelligently made for establishing dryers and fruit canning establishments, a thing that cannot be done while fruit commands so high a price as to make a demand for sale in the fruit stall while in a fresh state.

“These are a few of the matters which it is thought this association will attend to. But there are many others of great moment, for instance, the matter of warding off the attacks of fruit and flower pests; the best methods of destroying pests; seeing that the laws pertaining to fruit pests are observed, and the like.

“As to how the association will seek to attain the above-named objects or a part of them need not now be mentioned, but their success will depend largely upon the helpful interest accorded them by everybody. It is a reasonable hope that everyone in our best county in the best state will assist to the best of their abilities.”

The officers of the society are all practically interested in horticulture. Prof. Royal, on his “Spring-Wood” property in the northern part of the city, has growing more than 2,000 each of strawberry and raspberry plants, and several hundred prune and apple trees. He is also experimenting with various kinds of peaches, grapes, strawberries, apricots, quinces and other fruits, for the purpose of ascertaining what varieties are best adapted to this locality.

Judge Dunbar, the vice president of the society, has recently become the owner of 170 acres in the vicinity of South Union, in this county. A force of men is now engaged in clearing for the purpose of getting in a large area of fruit. Judge Dunbar has had an extensive experience in this line while east of the mountains.

The treasurer, Mr. Whitham, has gained considerable prominence with his prune orchard, which is located on the Whitham place in the northern suburbs of the city. His success as a fruit grower is well known to everyone. The excellence of his prunes, strawberries and other fruits has become proverbial among the fruit men of this region.

Miss Sylvester has one hundred acres some miles north of the city which is being cleared preparatory to being planted extensively in fruit. Miss Sylvester has manifested the greatest interest in the formation of the society and is exerting every effort for its success.