New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-03-12
FRUIT GROWING IN OREGON.
THE APPLE ORCHARDS OF THE PioNhI~'
AND THE VARIED PRODUCT OF THE
PRESENT.
BEGINNINGS OF WHAT Is LIKELY ~
VAST INDUsTRY-THE OREGON Ph0NI AZ
READY WIDELY KNOWN.

,,c,xvrxcs op WHAT IS LIKELY TO PROVE
VAST INDUsTRY-THE OREGON PRoNE AL
READY WIDELY KNOWN
s,,or Ore. Feb. 15.-New-Yo is an emporium
49,. nor,fe,s tho product, OF the world when u sup
nIies the needs OF a hemisphere she Is rs '"'
interested I'm new regions for producuoh rs ~ ~"
demands OF trade. Fruits are necessity "iN a.,
Nowhere else Is there 50 great Il uehan. ~, 80
fruits OF all countries. 1t Will theh DC VI "'
flat a new fruit region Is opening thal "i'' 49, -.
n share OF trade in the near future speak VI u.
Pacific Northwest, lying north OF Sai'or''h' ""N
oIlude specifically to the culture OF the pruhc'
rho rioneers Of the Pacific home builders ""o
loft the then far West to make new homes on inc
Pacific 1t Is romance, that story OF how O'r
was made American and the Willamette resi'" """'
formed from n native Eden to n land of orchards anu
homes, Az early rs l843 immigrants took appe
seeds with them and planted them. ""e' Wv
seedlings grew they procured sclons ana sraitca 'i,
When the gold era came they had already haa
rchnrds and the fame OF the oregon red apples went
ou over tho coast The weary miner, Threatened VIII"
sciryy and ovcrburdened with god'dust' tno"s"'
nothing Of weighing out dollar TO secure p'pp'
Vessels came to tho Columbia ana Doueh' 'so'
upplcs: pack trains from Northern CaIior''' ''"
Southern Oregon camp6d in the Orchards iouco '"e'I
mules with golden fruit nGd made the tosome ih"i0'
hack TO the dIggings." They paid $40 Dusiei
nCe who were boys then. tell their children ho" '"e
uscd 70 play "pitch7 with $50 slugs, hexagohai
sbopcd coin invented to supply the local neeis.
As gold hunting became played OUT the prod"c'
OF orchards Increased. the price dropped ah" WITH
only 81 n bushcl could be lad. orchards were ne
elected There always enough LOT 'hc "o",o
demand and some for export, but Ichabod was writ
on the Oregon apple It, glory han dephr'ci. 1"
California placcrs wore out her people were forced
IN fiji The soil fruit growing became paying re-
o,rcc for orchards and vineyards proved more proht
able thnn ever golden placcrs had been ore"oi''r'
too hcgnn the industry anew. Within n Jew year"
furore for fruit growing has taken pace ana sun
nblc locations of hill and prairie have been pia''eu
to trees until millions coming into bearips
California Is largely scml-tropcal; her vineyards
orangc and lemon groves and olive plantations can
have no ,iyal on the Western Shore They also grow
The apple pear peach. cherry, plum ana pruhe' o"'
irritation the Hight volcanic soils am the cohduo"S
q, droth render OF these fruits tough OF sR'h
and dry Of meat That lacks flavor. so that your
merchants and many Of yonr consumers also. nhu
room for complaint. This meets one at every tnrn
in New York. Is echoed BY all fruit dealers. a. tn green
;r,,ts and by groccrs rs TO cured products. There
l. no need 10 bellttle California products, for many
~ them are sui g;tris, the scmtroplcal fruits ana
~. grape even tho apricot. California alone can
produce on that. coast
Tho romance OF the red apples Of Oregon In the
gold decade IS OF the idylls OF our past one tn'
no revrr cxpec, 10 revived. dearly rs we cherish
IT, II was part and parcel Of the extravaganza OF
that period. and rs graphic In its way as tales oi
Ormu, md OF Ind--ntting accompaniment 10 'ah-
roruia's dream Of COLL Tho ore:onian OF the Iou's
Is Incoming scarce; only enough arc LETT Tor OBJECT
Icssons There IS come 10 the Pacific generation
TINT knew little or nothing OF the rhapsody OF inc
golden age. These are practical: 81 buShe
seems price enough for them. Years ago few men,
p.L IN M n
culture and planted trees to vary the monotony OF
scdcntary life. They often professional men,
Tho writer made a relaxation OF tree planting TO
vary tho monotony Of journalism and saw the cherry
pum and prunc come into bearing. The prune
especially became OF interest. because It could be
cnred and kept In store. There. on the Atlantic.
every variety Of plum IS subject 10 attack OF the
curcnIio m insect that stnrs the green fruit and
causes II 10 fall Our climate and conditions-wet
seasons pcrhaps-secm unsuted to this pest. 80 the
prrrc Is grown with average success and very great
excellence The coast valleys north OF California In
Guiding British Columbia. possess similar conditions
eous,d by the Japan current the Gulf Stream OF the
Pacific the same fruits adapted to all THIS coast
inc lying between the Cascade Mountains and the
Pacific.
six years ago the writer was almost the
only producer OF those fruits near the capital OF
oregon The scenic wonder OF location and the
ylstas that eliminated I'm snowy peaks on the east
spread below In growing might and beauty-made
enterprsing real estate operators use the place Tor
nm object lesson. They brought the "tenderfoot' to
this hilltop showed linn Pomcnas world IN irultage,
let him take In the grand coup douiel OF valley ana
mountain then sold him land 10 plant TO trees
There are now hundreds OF small and large fruit
farms in that region. Elsewhere the same result
has taken place There are fruit farms and prune
orchards all through the Willamette Valley around
Portland on the bank, OF the Lower Columbia IN
Waslincton's Valleys and on Puget Sound
In no country fruit always be grown with GER
taintv There Is where all varieties VIII thrive
Mt their best The north winds of summer bring us
cool nights that do not suit the peach. and 1t must
SEEK some favored and sheltered location 1t Is luscious
when well grown, however. all fruits. because
conditions favor tender and rich meated perfection
not possible IN too dry climate or under lfrigatoh'
The Rogue River Valley. southern Oregon, cultivateS
the peach on her hlsdes. and the apple and pear on
the valley lands; the grape does fairly well. North
are Umpqua and the willamette. where the fruits OF
the temperate zone all thrive especially the cherry.
apple pear, prune and plum. Small fruits do we'll
everywhere. While general attention Is bestowed on
the prune ms most reliable they also grow fruit TO
supply canncricS. Calornlans tell ms that when the
canned products OF region known In the words
markets they must command preference. Another
year Will hundreds Of orchards begin to bear ana
older ones Will bear more heavily. Here. as In Call
fornla the foot hills the choice spots for fruit also
the hin ranges favorable. as above frost some
fruits do well on the higher rolls OF prairie The
quanty land adapted 10 fruit I'm any country Is not
great but these valleys contain enough to support
n large population Good workers buy small tracts.
twenty acres Cor Instance plant ten or twelve acps
to pruncs and to garden and meadow; one can
plant any cultivated crop among the trees until they
are In good bearing, say five years. Canneres ana
cities create demand for small fruits and vegetables,
that can be planted among tho trees and be made to
yield a quick return. The real estate man Will sci the
biggest story he to retail to his customer. such
people are unreliable and sometimes draw on imagn
alton for their facts. In years when prunes did not
average more than 300 an acre above expenses.
have sold 800 to 5000 worth OF prunes from some