The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-05-22
BITTER ROOT FRUIT
Ravalli County Has the Largest Apple
Orchard In the United States.
1T CONTAINS 4O,S4O TREES
They Z re set Out 20 Feet Apart
and wake a Beautiful Forest
The ystem of irrigation
other Large Acresges.


Special Correspondence of the Standard
Hamilton, May 20.-The year 1896 will
probably witness the setting out of
more fruit trees in the Bitter Root val
ley than have ever before been set out
during any previous year. The ranchers
all through the valley are beginning to
realize that in the apple crop there is a
fortune to be made. and that the gen.
eral adaptability of this county to fruit
growing is wonderful. The ranchers in
this locality are paying particular at
tention to fruit raising and the MAORI
~ OF them have already good orchards
whilst those who have not are making
great endeavors to get at least an acre
or two set with fruit trees. 1t may rot
be generally known that. to RavaIli
county belongs the honor of possessing
the largest apple orchard in the United
States, but such is the fact. The Bitter
Root Orchard company's ranch, situat-
ed four miles south of Hamilton and
just across the river from Grantsdale,
contains 400 acres. $50 acres of which
are set in apple trees. This is undoubt-
eddy the largest apple orchard in the
United States. The work of setting out
the apple trees on this ranch was COM
pleted during the latter part of last
week, 100 acres having been set out last
year and the remaining $50 acres this
year.
The orchard contains 4o,s4O trees, set
out 20 feet apart, and in such a manner
that taking any one tree as a starting
point, a straight line of trees can be
traced looking i'm any direction. Out of
the 10000 trees set out last year, only
272 died and had to be replaced this
spring. The trees that were set out last
year have been pruned four times and
in such way that when they begin to
bear any portion of the tree can be
reached by using an ordinary step-lad-
der. Before setting them out, every
tree is dipped in solution of tobacco
and soap suds and as soon as they are
set out, each tree is washed in coal oil.
The first washing is to destroy any in
sect that may be brought from the nur-
sery and the second bath is intended to
kill an insect which at times during the
last two years has made its appearance
in some of the orchards in the valley.
In addition to this treatment, last fall
the ground around every tree was dug
up in order that any borer at the roots
might be eXterminated. The trees have
grown remarkably since they were first
planted, some of them up to the present
time having grown 80 inches, notwith-
standing the fact of their having been
pruned four times. The location of the
orchard is a most excellent one, the
land lying at the mouth of the Roaring
which there is a continual breeze blow /
ing, which removes all danger of frost
destroying the fruit while the trees are
in blossom. The lay of the land is such
that irrigation is rendered remarkably /
easy, and there is a superabundance 7
of water in Roaring Lion creek, out OF
which the orchard company has right I
to 900 inches. During the spring $50 |
acres have been set out in apple trees |
and in order to complete the work in /
good time. from SO to 40 men have been |
employed, and from IS to 20 |
acres have been set out every day since |
the work commenced. The ground in |
which the trees are planted is covered |
with powders ranging in size from that |
of a hens egg to that of mans head. |
These powders are all to be collected |
and removed from the orchard and will /
be used in building a fence around the 1
place. The trees set out last year were |
brought from Bloomington, Ills, and /
the ones set out this year came from |
Atlantic, Iowa. They will all bear when /
three years old, If permitted by the I
but this will be prevented I
by picking off the fruit as soon as it |
forms on the tree.
The work of preparing the ground
and setting out the trees has been su-
president and treasurer of the COM
pany, and John r. Markley. secretary
and general manager.
About :. mile north of the Bitter Root
Orchard companys ranch lies a 400
acre tract of land belonging to Sam
Lucas. This land is also well adapted
to fruit raising. an abundance of water
running through IL and being in such
a position that irrigation will be easy.
Mr.. Lucas has during the past year
done some blowing and fencing prepa-
ratory to setting out trees and will dur
ing the next year have quite a nice
young orchard set out.
The Bitter Root stock farm, which
adjolns Hamilton on the east, has also
a large number of acres i'm fruit trees.
some of which bore fruit last year and
made good returns on the original in
vestment. The fruit business is no ex-
pertinent in the Bitter Root valley. for
in a number of instances ranchers have
found a small orchard OF five or six
acres to be a much better paying re-
source than the rest of the ranch.
There has never been such a thing
known in this end of the valley as an
absolute failure of the apple crop and
the ranchers knowing this 10 be a tact
are each year giving more attention to
fruit raising IL will be but a few
years until Hamilton may well be
,alled the Orchard City of Montana.
lows This