The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1897-08-27

visited few of the orchards this
week and found the owners happy
over good crop, but in doubt as
to its disposal.
Prot. T.. B. McElroy, of the
stale university, mas a splendid or
chard near Monroe. 1t is very
favorably loc ted and has been
well cared for. The farm contains
44O acres of rich rolling land. Of
this amount 100 acres are under
cultivation and $50 acres have
been slashed and pastured down
with a band of 400 goats, and in
another year Will be ready for the
plow. During the time Mr.. Nc
Elroy has owned the place he has
turned all the rents and other rev.
enues of the farm back into tei-
terments and the ranch with its
many substantial improvements
now represents an outlay of sew
eral thousand dollars.
Exerything about The place
4! hows thrift aud enterprise. He
has Il large painted barn 52xl1S
feet. located some distance from
the dwelling on an elevated spot
and is splendidly drained from all
sides. The dwelling is large
roomy structure and with its beau-
tilul location, together with the
numerous skade and fruit trees
surrounding it, presents an invlt-
ing appearance and is really an
ideal country home.
Prof. McElroy has 20 acres oi
orchard on his place, or something
over 5000 trees, about two third,
of them being six years old. Oh
this number 1900 are Italian
I runcs, 1000 Petite prunes and
the balance are peaches, Bartlett
pears and cherries. The orchard
has been untler the direct super
vision OF Dir. Geo. Snyder, who
has displayed a deal of energy
AMI intelligence in the pruning
and cultivation of troes. There is
no orchard in Benton county, &C
lar as the writer has been able
to judge, that will compare with
it in the size of fruit. The yield
will be something remarkable
Twelve hundred six-year-old Ital
ians, it is estimated, will bear no,
less than 5000 bushels this year
which is certainly an extraordin'
ary yield for trees the age of these
The nearest railroad shipping
point is Junction, ten miles dis
tant. so Mr. McElroy has about de
cided to dry his fruit this year.
Some five miles distant from
Mr.. McElroy's place is located the
the Bellfountain orchard with 15t
acres in fruit and the Excelsior
prune farm with 22OO trees. Th,
latter orchard will not come int,
bearing for year or two yet. Th'
Rellfountain people will have
between 1000 and 5000 bushels o
Italian prunes this season and arr
erecting an Allen dryer to handle
The crop. About one-half the or
chard is planted in Bartlett pears
and winter apples. The soil i
well adapted TO the growing o
these fruits and the orchard ha
great possibilities. The majorit,
OF the owners are Corvallis citi
z-ns, and they have a fine proper
~ that is bound to pay handsome
r ly.
The orchard of Hugh Finley
.. the pioneer prune grower of Ben
ton county, is we'll worth seeins
He has 1000 prune trees nine an
!. seven years old that will bear thi
! year not less than 5000 bushels
r Owing to Mr.. Finley's being cor
siderable distance from railroad h
2 has concluded to dry all his irui
He has two Kuriz dryers, erecte
: two years ago by Henry Ston.
Mr.. Stone, who has had extensiv
experience in handling fruit, wi
; again superintend the drying
Mr.. Finley's fruit this year and
will keep him busy, for the crop
prunes dried. will weigh not LEI
t than 100000 pounds. Mr.. Finle
$ believes that the market for drie
: fruit will be better this year tina
for the past two or three season
sfx, ,