Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1904-10-06

The picking of Newtowns and
Spitzenbergs will not commence un-
til October. The apples are left on
the trees as long as possible, so that
they may mature and attain perfect
coloring. The rich coloring Of the
Rogue river apples has been a great
aid in their marketing abroad at
fancy prices. The fruit is carefully
handled from the time of picking un-
til it is placed on the cars. An apple
which is bruised in any way; be-
comes a Gull Throwing of apples
from one hand to another in packing
is not permitted, and apples are not
rolled or dumped out of baskets or
packing boxes. They are as carefully
handled as eggs in each stage, IRON
picking to shipping. After picking
the apples stand 10 days before being
graded. After grading they are
stored in readiness for packing, and
they are sent to the packers IN the
order in which they were stored-the
first in the first packed. The graded
apples are trucked to tie packers-a
ton load TO the truck. The packing
is done by girls and they face win
dows which give abundant light
The packing houses are floored aud
are high above the ground. With
side paper racks and box lining and
layer paper in front of boxes, and ap-
Piles at hand, the. packers have every
thing needed in the right place
Zach packer has number, and that
number is stamped on each box an the
packer is held responsible for the
quality of pack. The apples are
graded in size from the center each
way. the largest being in the center
and the grading down being uniform,
so that each box has big bulge.
The apples are delivered to and taken
from the packers by men. The pack
ers are paid four cents per box, with
limit of 30 boxes per day. They
work from A. m. to p. IN. A floor
walker or manager has supervision of
the packing, and uniformity in size
and quality of grading, and wrapping
without a crease in the paper is in
sisted upon. The apples aie carefully
passed to the shipping wagons and as
carefully loaded on the cars. In
methods of picking, packing, grading
and shipping apples, the Rogue river
valley growers are not surpassed, and
it is evident that the leaders in this
great work and the persons to whom
most credit is due for this showing,
are the dwell Bros, pioneer orchard
lists and fruit handlers of Central
Point and Medford.
In the old orchards of the Rogue
river district, apple trees we're plant
ed about 90 feet apart, They are not
planted so close Ia young orchards and
much thinning out Of trees has been
done in the old orchards The
growers in that district do not be.
lieve in having their trees grow to.
gether. They favor ventilation and
sunlight for all sides of a tree, They
keep the tops down, bat are sparing
in pruning. The oenters are not thin
ned out. Their trees have foliage.
There Is contraction in number- OF
varieties planted. II Is the high
priced apple which has the oall-thc
Spitzenberg and Newtown. with the
former as the leader. None Such,
Ben Davis, BALDWIN and some other
are planted for pollizing uses mainly,
Props are seldom seen. The Rogd,
river orchardists thin their fruit, ant
thin again, aud then thin some more
They say that the limbs Of tire,
can bear all the fruit tree shoulC
have on at maturity. As result thu
showing of smaller than four.tie
stock is exceedil gly small. In fact
the iour-tier is the small size. Abou
80 per cent Of the Newtowns and Spit
zenbergs are larger than four-tier
and sales are made on n basis OF Il
per cent four tier and 80 per cen
three and three and half tier stock
As the trees are kept down all thi
spraying can be done with ease. II
fact high ladders are not used
There is no need for them. The tree
are so shaped that much Of the worl
OF picking is done from the ground.
The Rogue river district, near Med
ford, is rapidly becoming the Red
lands Of Southern Oregon. Tn
climate is pleasant the orchards ar
prohtably productive, and man!
wealthy people from Portland anl
Salt Lake have invested In orchard
and make their summer homes there
The improvements they are MAXIM
are extensive and costly, and within
a few years the rolling land south
west Of Medford will be dotted will
handsome homes. Some Of these In
vestors have large orchards holdings
running from 100 to $50 acres.
The orchardists Of Rogue river hiv
about all Of the tree pests TO conten,
with, bat they wage successful an,
profitable warfare against thei
enemies.
Sub-drainage is a feature Of Olwel
Brothers orchards. They have II
: four miles Of tile pipe for sub.drain
age They consider it most yaluabl
, and sucoessf Investment
Parts Of the Rogue river district ar
irrigated, and more will be. Water /
abundant, electric power cheap, an
the orchard pumping plant is going l.
, become as much Of feature there a
! In the Santa Clara valley. 1rrigatio
} IL needed in the orchards Of the Parai