Capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1893-1895, 1894-01-01

this valley are, as you know, second tC
none; while the prunes, both the ltal
ian aud Petite, are superior to those
grown In the state of California. This
has been proven wherever our prunes
have been we'll cured, properly sorted,
and put into competition with the Cal
ifornia prune. The reports of the agri-
cultural department of this govern.
ment show that the largest and best
Favored plum grown ia the United
states is grown 10 the states of Oregon
and Washington.a The prune is a
plum. What fruit-growing has done
for Santa Clara county, California, IL
will do for Marion county, Oregon.
Changing a country from grain grow
ing to fruit-growing means that from
ten to twenty times the number of em
ployes are furnished employment.
This means good times where times
were hard before. But, says one, this
means over production and ruin TO the
grower. You always find men in
every community ready to prophesy
trouble, disaster, and ruin. AS gen.
tleman said lately, every one must
have an occupation, and it does not
take much money nor brains to be-
come grumbler. 1t is an easy busi-
uess to get into.
Some ten yeare ago the amount of
fruif nd onafahloa ohinnaA from tho
southern States was so Insignificant as
to be deemed unworthy of place in
the census. We find now that over
sou, 900 carloads are shipped annually
to the Northern States. The growers
of these fruits aud vegetables have not
met with disaster, and the market still
keeps good, and with this immense
amount shipped annually there has
been no over production. A prominent
Californian told me last fall that he
had been growing prunes for sixteen
years, that he had heard talk of over
production all that time, but that the
business had been more profitable to
him as the years rolled by, and better
methods of cultivation, pruning, and
grading prevailed. His ptunes last
year brought him over $500 per acre.
Apples have been shipped from this
state for several years across the ocean
to England. 1t seems to me that the
planting Of the proper kinds ofapples
has not been carried TO the extent that
other fruits have been planted, and to
the extent that Is justified by reason of
It's keeping and shipping qualities.
Grape-growing is in its infancy here
bu: it 10 commencing 20 look up,
Smaller fruits have proved remunera.
tive where intelligent and thorough
caie has oeen given them. Rlspber-
ries and blackberries should be planted
moe extensively, and when the local
markets ke suppl ed, the balance
should be died. This can be done
quite extensively aud prohtably. There
are fruits that have been considered too
tender for this climate, that Ivy proper
urial may prove 20 oe we'll adapted to
cultivation in this valley.
There is still room In Oregon for
thousands OF intelligent fruit growers,
such as will plant the right thing in
the right place, take proper care Of the
trees when growing, prune properly,
when bearing thin properly, pick at
the right stage of ripeness and
pack nicely in clean boxes, fight all
damaging insects and fungi with the
best implements and insecticides to be
had, and otherwise use all the intelll-
gence they have Ia their business. l
believe eternal vigilance Is the price of
good fruit In this or any other country,
and for that reason think there will
always be a good price for good fruit.
Concert Of action and union of purpose
among fruit growers Is all that is Bec-
essary to make fruit shipping profit
able, and maintain 1t so.
Ten Thousand square miles Of the
valleys and foothills of Oregon are In
every way adapted to the culture Of all
the fruits grown In this latitude, of the
finest quality and in the greatest luxu-
rance. Before the advent Of the white
man and cultivated fruits, this country
had demonstrated its capacity to pro
ducing wild fruits abundantly, Of fine
favor and great excellence. The In
dians, trappers, and pioneers valued
these fruits highly and made good Use
of them. AS they were IN some sense
evidence of soil and climate adapta-
tioD, aud prophetic of the great fruit
industry now growing up among us, II
will not be out Of place to briefly make
some mention Of them; and this seems
important 10 view Of the fact that the
Pathological Division Of the Interior
has taken up the subject and Is making
collections and urging the improvement
Of our indigenous fruits by selection,
hybridizing, and cultivation, and that