The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-09-15

mentioned, so that no further action
with the Investigations, and possibly
ere this article has reached your read
ers favorable and final decision will
have been made. Then the present set
tiers will begin selling "relinquish-
ments" of ten, twenty and forty-acre
tracts to those landseekers who have
not as yet used their homestead rights,
for the activity in railroad building
in the northern part of the county, the
mineral-lined hills, the rich stock
ranges, the large grain-growing areas,
and the prolific fruit lands of Okla
hogan are attracting the gaze of the
homeseekers.
Will Okanogan prove a good fruit
country? That is question that was
recently asked the horticultural editor
of The Ranch, and Editor Walden,
while disclaiming any personal knowl-
edge of Okanogan, ingeniously proved
the strong probability of it's fruit pro-
ducing qualities by showing that the
adjoining sections, both to the north
and the south, are fine fruit districts.
In the fall of 1903, while en- route
to the Sound, stopped at the Murray
fruit ranch, on the Okanogan river,
and while there l was much struck
by the size, the beautiful colors and
the high quality of the apples. With
out being too particular, as my Time
was short, l gathered six or eight spec
linens and took them with me to We
natchee. Having for years taken con-
siderable interest in fruit culture, ana
having lived about a year in Wenat-
chez and made something of a study
of her fruits, I thought l knew good
fruit when I saw it, When l reached
Wenatchee I displayed these apples
in a drugstore window, before caro-
bearing the following legend:
"Okanogan County Products.-Not
Better Than Those of Wenatchee; as
Good Is Enough"
These apples attracted considerable
attention, and their excellence drew
from the spectators remarks OF sur
prise that the products Of any other
section could equal theirs. With no
greater degree of care in their selec-
tion probably no finer lot of apples
could be secured in America. So much
for comparison made in fruit Sec
tion widely acknowledged to be I'M
surpassed anywhere.
AS to Okanogan's ability to produce
AOAeSSO -
cident which occurred during the Visit
of the board of engineers that recon
sidered the government irrigation pro-
iect The reclamation department had
been repeatedly assured by the OKa-
hogan Irrigation association tnat tneil
district was very rich and prollnc
fruit section, and, naturally, Wnen tne
engineers arrived, they desired 10 NC
shown. While we were escortlng Inc
board about we made very Dr1eI III
spection of the orchards or senator
Pogue and others, the apricot ana some
peach trees being then in bloom. Inc
following day Mr.. Davis said TO sen
ator Pogue, Doctor, what particular
variety of fruit do you think does pes.
here?" For an instant the DOCTOR
who is a doctor as well as senator,
and still retains the older title among
his neighbors-made no reply, then
he remarked, 81 hardly know what re-
Div to make to that question, Mr.. Da-
Wis.," and then, after a moments
thought, he continued, Il don't tnlnK
any one variety does better than an
other. Peaches, pears, prunes, apples
apricots. cherries, all the trees are al
ways loaded-in fact, they bear TOO
heavily"
The Okanogan Irrigation association
hastily gathered display OF products
for the benefit of the board OF engl-
neers while they were here, which,
though it was then the month or APRIL
contained potatoes, beets, turnlps'
parsnips, mangels, carrots, several va
rieties of apples, black walnuts, En-
glish walnuts, two varieties OF Japa'
nese walnuts, butternuts and flberts,
new radishes and lettuce, as we'll as
forage specimens and grain on the
dried stalks.