Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1908-01-17
TELLING ABOUT
ORECON'S ATTRACTIONS

The Portland Commercial Club mas
offered number Of valuable prizes as
" as seen in the last Courier and Rev.
W. G.. Smith is competing for Que or
more Of these. Here are some ex'
tracts from one Of his best articles,
which is taken from the Williams
port, Pa, News:
"Oregon apples and pears, who
knows their equal? Do you know their
quality and the profit Of the fruit in.
dustry in favored sections of Greg on
Other parts Of the state may eqoslly
surprise you but this article is in
tended to acqaint you with the won
ders of the Rogue River valley as
fruit producing paradise, and that
you may be convinced concrete exam
Piles will be given. You need not ac-
cept tue estimate of the producers,
but rather that of the consumers, as
expressed by the prices they are will
ing to pay for fruits coming from
this valley, priced not only for their
excellent flavor but also for their un-
eIcelled keeping quality, pears being
annually shipped tothe Ieinotest cities
of the United States and Canada, and
apples to these and the principal
cities of Europe.
This fertile valley, comprising
400, 600 acres adapted to the product
ION Of various kinds of fruits and
nuts, only 80. 900 Of which is yet set
TO trees, lies Just west OF the Cas-
cade mountains, the southern end
almost tosching the California line.
Just before descending into the valley
from the soutL the Southern Pacific
crossing the Siskiyou mountains,
spur OF the Cascades extending to-
ward the coast, reaches an elevation
Of 4125 feet and at the head Of the
valley. the streams flowing north,
passes A. D. Helms orchard. which
has been pronounced by an expert
New York fruit man as the finest ap-
pie orchard in the United States, and
for which the owner has refused an
offer of 5000 per acre. 1t is expected
to net $1,000 per acre this year. Six
miles beyond this orchard is the city
Of Ashland, elevation 2000 feet, which
because Of its rare and healtbful
climate, pure water, crisp and juicy
fruits and vegets bles, which are COM
mon throughout the valley. 10 fast be-
coming a resident city to which peo-
pie are resorting from sll parts Of the
United States. An eIcelleHt ana
we'll attended Chsutauqua 10 main.
tanned here sach summer.
In 1906 II was tbsught by many that
the climax had been reached in the
prices received for the fruit crop and
that such prices could not be hoped
fer 10 the future, bot the crescent sea-
son has again changed the worlds
record. which for pears last year was
held by J. W. Perkins. OF Msdford.
whs received ss. 20 per 80 pound box.
$3.50 for . car load in New York
city. being about l2 cents per pound
wholesale. This year G. A. Morris
received s.. 40 per boz IN the same
market. On the D. B. Soliss place 10
q single tree, 40 years old, which
has borne without m IS since the fifth
year, and last year yielded SO boxes.
and this years crop brought 1924 in
the New Yerk market. Think Of
hat an acre Of such trees would
yield each year, pears raining from 60
to 70 trees to the acre. Last year f.
H. Hopkins sold the crop from 15ls
acres fer $4,000, and this year from
rs acres for $40, coo (. o. b. shipping
station. Last year ]. G.. Gore re-
ceived for the crop from seven aCrts
si045, and this year ss50o.
The financial stringency has some
what delayed the sals of this years
apple crop and returns from some CT
the best orchards are not in yet, but
prices are better than last year, when
c. h Heimroth received 1918 from a..
acres of Spitzenberg and Nswtown
Pippin apples, W. II. Norcross $500
for six acres, J. q. Gore S4252 for 5is |
acres and S. L. Bennett SlSSS for u |
acres.
1t is not strange therefore that or
chards coming into bearing are sell
ing at from $500 to 5000 per acre, and
good fruit land at $3.50 to $3.50 Per |
acre. Pears begin 10 bear in the third |
or fourth and apples the ifth or sixth
years. About two years ago +. E, |
Payne bought 10 acres for $1,000, kept |
it one year and sold TO J. f. Watt for |
Sl9 coo and tue latter sold the same
the past summer for s25, 900.
Five years ago J. A Perry, score
tary ard manager of the Medford |
Fruit association bought 54 acres for
$500. set 20 acres TO trees and sod |
the place recently for $4,000 Less