The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1909-09-13
TELLS ABOUT The
UMITALA VALLEY
FRED HEATH, WELL KNOWN
MARKET GARDNER, GIVES DE-
scRiPTioN or FAMOUS OREGON
LANDS sELIEvEs THEY ARE
A GOOD INVESTMENT.

The following is q tier written by
Fred Heath, the well known horticul-
turist OF Fargo. whose large green
houses and gardens. north OF Fargo.
supply the city with many Of IT'S early
delicacies:
Having just returned from my tour
of inspection OF the Furnish Coe ir-
rfgating prospects at Stanheld, Umi-
tala county, Oregon. am happy to
state that found the conditions there
in every way ideal for the raising OF
alfalfa and the various fruits for
which North Yakima has become ia
nous, having all the benefits Of the
latter with the added advantage Of
being two weeks earlier, thus insur-
ing to the grower the top price for
his products on the early market.
The tract situated In the fertile
Umitala valley consists of about TO-
600 acres. having a beautiful slope
and void of any mounds or hills.
Water is made accessible t. every foot
of land with but little labor and ex-
pense. The soil consists OF a volcanic
ash varying in depth from 10 to 100
feet and rich in all the elements for
The production Of fruits both for
quantity and quality.
Great skill and much labor have
been employed in the construction of
the large bitches that surround the
whole tract and perpetual water
right accompanies a deed for each
and every tract purchased Splendid
shipping facilities are furnished by
the o. r. & N. which hoad runs
through these lands and splendid de-
pot of brick is erected at Stansf1eld.
Here the greatest building activity is
already started, twenty four town
lots having been sold by DR.. F.. e.
Ball last Tuesday in three hours
time.
The important matter in this whole
project, however is the water, supply.
In dry country like Oregon you may
have rich land. fine climate and a
good railroad service, but an INSULT
cient supply Of water would mean fall
ure to the whole enterprise. With
this fact in mind I visited the main
dam, having spent part of two days
on the ground.
First, / was impressed with the
sight of an immense concrete wall
whose base starting from the bed rock
is to be carried to % feet above the
level, the length being 1900 feet, with
gates to regulate the flow Of water as
needed. In addition to the construc-
ton of this wall In which fifty men
are as work heavy steam shovels are
to be used to fill up and grade from the
highest point. thus taking every pre-
caution against and disastrous out
break in the spring.
If you can imagine body of water
in valley twenty-five feet deep, 1, 800
feet wide at the lowest point and run
ming up the valley for two miles, and
covering several hundred acres. you
can form good idea Of the immense
amount Of water stored up for an emer-
gency, and which is in itself a suffi-
cient guarantee for plentiful supply
throughout the entire season and for
all time to come Y
To every prospective r,.-.c- --,c.-'
say first visit the Hood River and
Yahama valleys. where you viii lem
the price of these lands run up into the.
thousands, then upon visiting the
Fornish-Coe Project you will be bet
ter enabled to forecast correctly the
future of the Umitilla valley.
You may, however. put me down as.
venturing the prediction that the lands
bought today for the sum of 1925 per
acre. planted in fruit and properly.
cared for. will in three years bring.
$500, and in five years by which time
good crops can be hand viii &c for
$1,000 to $4,000 per acre. And In the
meantime the expense Of working the
land can be made. out of potatoes,
strawberries or alfalfa between the
fruit trees.
l know Of no better investment this
side Of Alaska than is offered by the
Furnish Zoe Co. for which the Col
umbia Land Co. of Fargo is fra local
agents. Yours truly,
Fed Heath.