The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-06-27
THE MOSIER DISTRICT.

There is no part of Wasco county that
seldom or ever has word said for it in
the public prints that, without batting a
line we have ever written apout the Hood
RIVER valley, in everything that goes to
make country of great possibilities for
fruit raising, we believe to be second to
none in Eastern Oregon. We refer to
the Mosier district. Territoriallv it is
smaller than Hood River while it fully
equals it in quality, soil and climate.
From the fact that it is measurably a
terra incogaitd, many fine patches of land,
admirably adapted to fruit raising still
remain unsettled, and improved farms,
where they can be purchased at all, are
held at lower rates than in the sister
precinct of Hood River. The ground
too, is more hilly and broken but like
the Hood River valley it is cove red with
scattering pines, oaks and underbrush
with here and there patches of open
prairie.
Two years ago the duties of the writer
called him within little enclosure where
stood the rude cabin of new settler
SuiAOuluOu ny SeIQcH lcIc0 IIdC ell
closed a clearing of about couple of
acres. After the first friendly salutations
had been exchanged with the owner the
question forced iaself to our lips, "How
do you expect to make living here?"
The answer came promptly, "Come and
see." few steps, and the gentleman
pointed us to sight we shall never for
get. He had set out the previous year
about a hundred fruit trees which he
had purchased from the Mission gardens
in this city. The little things were yet
slender as willows, and they were not
higher than from three to four feet, and
yet they were bending under the weight
OF great, luscious, ripening peaches that
General Varney himself pronounced to
be superior to those raised from the same
stock on the older trees of the Mission
Garden. The owner gazing on them
with pardonable pride said, 81 have only
allowed to remain on these trees all the
fruit dare to. 1 have lived in and am
familiar with the best fruit raising dis
tricts of California and l believe Mosier
is equal to the best of them. If this
was in California it would be worth one
to two hundred dollars an acre without
the stroke of an ak on it," Poor fellow
He did not live to realize the bright hopes
then before his vision. The hand of
death was upon him, though he knew it
not, and in a few short months he sank
quietly into consumptive's grave.
Perhaps the finest orchard of its size
in Mosier is that of Amos Root. He has
six acres of fruit bearing trees, although
a larger area OF young trees has already
been set out. From these six acres he
expects to ship or have for sale 2OOO box
es of peaches, 100 bushels of apples, two
tons of dried prunes and ssome green
prunes.'
These figures are taken from his own
lips. If any one. in any country, can
make better showing than this from
six acres of ground situated on a hill
side without a drop Of irrigation we
should like to hear from him. His
peaches two years ago brought him an
average of rs cents box. Two thousand
boxes at 76 cents each is $500. The 100
bushels of apples and two tons of dried
prunes and ''some green prunes'' can
not fall far short of bringing the income
from this-six acre patch up to $1,000.
And yet there are thousands of acres of
land around Mosier, that with the same
management, care and cultivation will
do equally as well. -