Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1906-10-05
POLK'S BIG FRUIT FARM
Wallace Orchard Near Salem Is
Second to None In the Will
Iamette Valley.

The Wallace fruit farm, four miles
from Salem, on the Polk county side,
midway between the picturesque Polk
county hills and the broad waters Of
the Beautiful Willamette is one Of
the most ideal and delightful spots in
all Oregon. The farm consists Of
several hundred acres Of some Of the
best land in the world and large
percentage Of it is in fruit trees The
only fruits grown for commercial
purposes are apples and pears. OF
course there are the usual by-products
and on this farm, the chief of which is
hogs.
AS has been said this farm is one Of
the most beautiful spots in the state.
About half Of it is the richest Of river
bottom land and will produce any
thing that will grow in the temperate
zone. There is no finer garden land
in the world In fact most Of the land
that is set to fruit trees is too valuable
even for fruit. The other half of the
farm consists Of undulating hills and
is ideal fruit land. On the hill land,
the dwelling, a pretty bungalow, is
situated. Just below the dwelling,
and in the direction Of the river, is a
beautiful natural lake and there are
patches Of timber scattered about In
different parts of the farm.
Most of the pears grown are Of the
Bartlett variety. This is the staple
crop. The other and later varieties
arc the Buerre Claigau, the Buerre
Bose, the Duchess, the Comice and the
Fall Butter.
Three hundred tons Of Bartletts
have already been saved this year.
The average price per ton this year
was $40, but it is generally understood
that about $40 was paid for the pro-
duct Of this farm.
The later varieties Of pears are
already nearly picked, too, but most
of the Comice crop is on the trees yet.
The later varieties are not sold by the
ton, as they do not go to the cannery,
but by the box. The late varieties on
the farm will yield about 5000 orchard
boxes.
Only two varieties Of apples are
grown on the Wallace farm, the Spitz-
enburg and the Baldwin. There are
few red checked pippins grown for
pollenizing purposes.
The apple picking has not begun
yet, but it is estimated that there will
be from 10000 to $1,000 boxes in the
crop, and these will bring in the
market considerably more than a
dollar box.
Although it has been generally con-
sidered that the barns and packing
houses on this place were ample, it
was ascertained this year that the
crop could be moved with more facility
If there was more room in the packing
houses, and the management is having
the packing house capacity more than
doubled. These additions will be COM
pleted before the work Of picking and
packing apples begins.
Since the unfortunate death Of the
late Professor McElfresh, there has
been no foreman on the farm, but the
management has been vested In the
hands Of the administrator OF the
Wallace estate. However, the active
work of managing the picking and
packing the fruit is being ably looked
after by Mr.. E. @. Armstrong.
AS has been before mentioned, one
of the chief by-products is swine. No
one on the farm knows how many
hogs are on the place, but the woods
are full of them. The place is literally
alive with hogs. These animals are
allowed to run all over the place and
live and fatten on the fruit that falls
from the trees, and late in the Fall
are grain fed for short time, and
then are sold to the slaughter houses.
Thousands Of dollars worth OF hogs
are sold from the place each year. 1t
is one of the big things for the farm.
The hogs are good stock and are OF
the Poland China breed, and they
thrive, although no one pays any
attention to them.
The Wallace fruit farm was selected
for this preachment, not because 1t IL
, any better or any more judiciously
managed than dozens Of others in the
valley but because it is the easiest t
drive to Of any Of the large farms
when starting out from Salem.-Capi.
tai Journal.