Lincoln County leader. [volume] (Toledo, Lincoln County, Or.) 1893-1987, 1906-03-09
10 Save the Fruit.

~' " oAS ulU.
An indication of the growing thrift
OF oregon farmers is seen in the effort
being made in Linn county to establish
a cooperative fruit cannery by means
OF which the surplus products of small
orchards may be saved. The attempts
OF pioneers of the thrifty class during
the early years Of orchard planting and
irultgrowing in Oregon to save the tre-
mendous surplus Of the yield of their
vigorous orchard trees is well remem.
bered by those who survive that era of
mo market" not only for its industry
and Tor the primitive methods en-
ployed, but ior its disappointing results.
In those days apples, peeled, cut and
strung on twine Shy hand" festooned
the rafters of many pioneer kitchen
in the late Fall, while during August
and September fruit prepared bv the
same slow and laborious process was
spread on scaffolds in every farmyard-
covered by night for protection from
the heavy dew, and uncovered at sun
rise Early rains played sad havoc with
these dried apple and pear harvests.
Yellow jackets were their enemies and
flies their pests, and when escaping all,
the product was packed in boxes or bar
rels and sought market, no market was
to be found. No wonder that farmer
folk came to look upon the rotting of
their surplus fruits on the ground with
unconcern, since saving it was so diff
cult and Improbable.
But old things have passed away, and
with them-sad to say--the clean.
thrifty, bountiful orchards of forty and
fifty years ago. New orchards have
been planted, new methods of protect
Ing and caring for them prevail, new
processes for preserving fruits have
been established, and a wide and CON
stantly widening market is open for the
surplus products of the orchard.
1t seemed a criminal waste to the
thrifty pioneers when the bounty of
their early orchards lay rotting on the
ground. But under primitive condi.
tons and with narrow market. or no
market at all, they finally grew indf.
ierent to the waste. 1t is not surpris-
ing II this indifference reaches down
to the present time and causes MANY of
the early strugglers in fruitdrying to
look with unconcern upon the messy,
gnarly, pest-infested orchards about
their homes. But new era in fruit
growing and fruitsaving is on. The old
orchard must go; the new has been
planted and is coming into bearing, and
farmers are wise who are preparing to
make the most of the surplus product
Of these.
The commercial orchards are, of
;ourse, managed according to CONNER
,ial methods. Their owners do not
need to be urged to spray and prune
and cultivate the trees. 1t is the man
with the small orchard-the home or
'hard-who will find advantage in CO.
operation with his neighbors in taking
care of the surplus products of his fruit
,rees. AS stated in the Albany Herald:
The products from each small farm
orchard now go to waste to large ex-
,ent; it is poor business to feed hogs on
lpples and pears" And when il is add
I'd that the cost of fruit and vegeta
Die cannery on a moderate scale is SO
mall that any community OF prosper
'us farmers can afford to install one,
he ways and means whereby the an
lual waste of orchards and gardens can
70 saved is simply and plainly stated
)regonian.