Lewiston teller. [volume] (Lewiston, North Idaho) 1878-1900, 1892-02-11
In Northern Idaho!
A GREAT PARADlsEl FOR THE
FRUIT GROWER.
By. Robert Schleicher
Contributed to the Commonwealth
anew Publication ct
Boise City.

Boise City.
While fruitgrowlng has been engaged
In on limited scale in the valleys Of
Snake river and Clearwater, in the Inn
mediate vicinity of the city Of Lewiston,
since the early settlement of the coun-
try in 1862, and found highly remuner-
ative to the few who made 1t a business,
it Is only with the advent Of better
transportation facilities within the last
years that fruitgrowing has taken the
place among our industries which it de-
serves.
Wonderful as 1t may seem to any one
not acquainted with the peculiar cli-
matte conditions Of this part Of the
northwest, there Is no portion of the
Pacific coast possessing In q higher de-
gree every condition favorable to the
growth of trees and vines. With an
elevation above sea level of only $50
feet, and surrounded by protecting
ranges of mountains on all sides, and
the warming influence of the Japanese
current, the mean daily and yearly
temperature il the same as that of
places one thousand miles further south
on the Atlantic coast, rs taken from
the reports Of the chief signal office Of
the United States, recording observa-
tions extending over a period Of fif-
teen years.
Not only are the hardy fruits, such
as apples, pears, plums and cherries
grown in the highest perfection and
greatest profusion, but the more tender
fruits, such as peaches, nectarines and
finer varieties Of Asiatic plu,ns, seem to
find here the conditions essential to
their best development.
| But If there is any one production to
which both soil and climate seem to be
adapted in measure surprising all
others, it is the grape; nor are we re-
stricted to the growing of the native
varieties which are grown in the ia
vored parts of the Atlantic and Middle
states, but grow in the open air the
very finest varieties of the "vinis vine.
fera," or the European grape. that
thrive in California, such as the Black
Hamburger, Muscat of Alexandria, ETC.,
and Of such high quality that in com
petitive test for quality at the Portland
, Oregon, exposition, in the fall of 1890
, grapes grown on the Clearwater rivel
. were pronounced finer, by competen1
judges, than the same variety from
California.
4 The greatest proof, however, Of til.
! favoring conditions of soil and climat,
!. to the production of fine fruit lies il
q the fact that there are numerous. seed
y lings OF apples and pears growing II
t our orchards, in quality much superio
t to many of those which have lont
r been recognized as standards. TIL,
y most notable instance in this class is
Seeding pear, which has been intro
a duced to the notice OF the world within
Q the last few years as the "Idaho Pear,
O and has attracted more attention from
a horticulturists of America and Europ
q than any new fruit introduced in hal
e a century. So rapidly have the merit
@ of this pear been recognized that it
O estimated that there is over half mil
= lion of this variety ready to be plante'
in orchards of the United States thi
o season, and millions more being propa
I gated to meet the demand of following
Ia seasons.
In view of the fact that these favore'
q valleys are restricted in area and ar
surrounded on many sides by section
where the climate is too rigorous fo
the successful production of fruit, whil
their production of wheat and othe
. cereals supports large and prosperou
- population, 1t is evident that fru
~ growing is to be one Of the leading,
= not the foremost, industries of this se,
- ton in the near future.
se That this state Of affairs is apprec
~ ated by far-seeing investors Is evidence
- by the fact that numerous orchar(
" have been planted within few year
and many more are being prepare
now, the most noted instances being
corporation formed lately under ii
or name of the Riverside Fruit COmpan,
~ Limited, which is about to plant son
ls- five hundred acres of orchard the cor
~ ing season on bar on Snake rive
rs within three miles of Lewiston; al
III the Idaho Pear Company, who w
BY plant some one hundred and six
We acres of their celebrated variety of pc
les to orchard.
Leaving the valley Of the Clearwat
and rising all elevation of some the
G. sand feet upon the table lands of t