The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-09-22
MOUNT HOODS
FRUIT FARMS

Oub u low bbubiRo 1h'
completing ditch to drain off the seep
age water that runs down from the Bon
ditch on to the fat. Mr.. Hillstrom ha
q fine ranch Of zoe acres, about so acre
OF which is in cultivation. For lack o
water he is not getting the best OF result
in either orchard or grain, but will en-
deavor to bring water in as soon as h
can. On the bottom land is a depos
of fine brick and pottery clay tina
onght to be the location Ofa big indus
try. Mr.. Hillstrom moulded piece OF thu
fire clay for his stove and used it fol
seven years, a pretty good test OF Its
value. This clay would make fine
quality of tile drain, potteryand brick
There are apparently several grades
that could be put to use in that line,
and it covers large area OF ground. Mr..
Hilstrom will set out new orchard oil
six acres next spring, and has two acres
OF young orchard now. His old orchard
is not composed of the best varieties,
and will be abandoned.
o, Ia. Rlioadess was building new
hay shed to take care Of his increased
acreage, and his quarter section is be-
ing improved each year. His land ID
under the Bone ditch, and is producing
very satisfactory results.
Calkins, Fellows a. Co., Portland
firm, are improving O quarter section
east OF the Rhoades place, and have
named Il sRlppag Orchard" They have
six acres OF orchard set out, and are
clearing the land as fast aspossibie.
J. M. Lenz.adjoins Mr.. Rhodes and
has fine place with about 10 acres
cleared, mostly in hay. His SECOND
cutting OF clover amounted TO 81 tons
off nine acres.
J.R. Steele Is one of the progressive
Mount Hood farmers, and IN addition 70
taking care OF l8acres Of llis own land,
mostly in hay, has rented the Paul Au-
bert and Louis, Nix places adjoining,
cutivating the hay land. HeexPeets TO
put up 100 tons Of hay this season, and
will winter several head OF stock.
M. Dumas has large ranch OF 200
acres, OF which about 90 acres are in
cultivation, and the most OF it in hay.
He has four acres OF orchard and two
Of strawberries. Mr.. Dumas Is building
new house on the main road, and will
probably get his brother out from
France TO take part OF his farm. Among
the interesting experiments being made
by Mr.. Dumas is patch Of strawber-
ries that bear continuously until the
frost kills the vines. He brought over
flve plantsdrom France, but only one
lived. From this small beginning he
now has q patch OF about 70 feet square,
and next year will have q commercial
patch of these berries. He has enough
this year to supply his table two or three
times week all summer The berries
are OF Z, fine quality, and will be very
profitable for market long after other
berries are gone. He is endeavoring TO
get raspberries from France that will
bear continuously, and brought over
some plants last year, but they did not
survive the Journey. His pumpkins,
raised from seed from France, aIe the
finest We have seen this year. Belgian
hares and rabbits are raised for the
table and his large rabbit shed was also
the home of a faOck OF wild quail last
winter. With the opening Of spring he
turned them out, but expects them back
the first deep snow. They became quite
tame, and showed no desire to leave
last winter while the snow covered the
KTOuuu. 4uC Ucb vi fTGuCIl bhhitb 10
one of the most interesting products OF
the Dumas ranch. A bed about Skis
feet is closed IN with wire netting, and
little rock piles and board shelter are
placed at intervals in thepen. Lettuce,
cabbage and other green stuffis planted
for feed, and the snails work around in
and out of the rocks and boards and
multiply and grow fat. The place is
kept damp during the dry season,
and that ID about.the only care neces-
sary The mature snais are about two
inches in diameter. and are o French
delicacybeing served similarto oysters.
MIR. Dumas assured the writer that they
we're worth about rs cents dozen in
the Portland market.
l. u. Lafferty is working the Ruhnke
place OF 2OO acres,a cut about'5O acres
OF hay this year. There is also 5.acre
orchard on the place.
Il. G. Miller is clearing up his ranch
and has nearly 10 acres in cultivation.
He put out 500 blackberry plants last
spring, which are doing nicely.
II. G. Rushis very pleasantly situat-
cd on 100 acres Opposite the Davenport
mill, and has very attractive home.
He has ten acres of hay, two of orchard
and one OF berries.
John Vauthiers has 40 acres left OF the
old Graham ranch, and is making fine
showing. lie ie clearing large piece
OF ground out to the main road, and set
ting out a good-sizede orchard. On this land
is located the famous cold spring, which
is sliberally patronized by the travellers
along the road.
Paul Aubert purchased l04 acres adj
joining Mr.. Naathiers on the Graham
raneh, andis improving it. He has
about22 acres In hay and small orch
ard in bearing, besides setting ont new
orchard Of good varieties. Some OF the
finest peaches in the valley are Just
getting ripe on this ranch. His young
trees are makiag fine showing.
W.S. Gribble ,one of the store-keepers
and postmaster OF Mount Hood, lie hav-
ing bis ranch cleared aud putting it into
cultivation.
A. Leroux is located about half q mile
east OF the main road, and raises some
Of the best berries in that district. The
Bone ditch goes through his place and
gives him plenty OF water for his land
jesse Davidson came from Ohio last
year and started to improve his claim
south Of the Mount Hood store. His
Improvements are of substantial kind,
and will make the ground work OF a sub
stantial ranch. With the help of his
two boys he is clearing up the land, set
ting out apple trees, and is contemplate
ing setting out q peach orchard ON the
west slope of Bald Butte, which rises up
2OO0 feet from his house. A tine spring
up the canyon from his house is furnish
ing about six inches of water which will
irrigate quite piece of ground about
theheuse. TheB0Re ditch passes along the
lower side OF his ranch and Is not being
used by him at present. He is using a
portable fence OF his own manufacture,
and instead Of holding ii up by means
of posts, is anchoring it to cordwood
with baling wire, and this makes the
fence portable in every sense of the
word. At the time of the Heppner food
large volume of water came down the
canyon and deposited about ten inches
OF soil on a gravel bed below his house,
and has made him fine clover patch
on what otherwise was worthless
ground