The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1910-04-28

Facts About the Country Around On-
tariO.
The land in this vicinity is all less
than 1900 feet above sea level; at On
tario 2,143 feet high. This is 1900 feet
lower than at Twin Falls and 1000
feet lower than the land under the Sal
mon river tract.
There is less wind there than in any
valley in the west. With the exception
of short time in the spring there is
not breeze enough to start a windmill.
1t blows at Twin Falls 300 days a
year. Ontario 60 days.
When it was below last winter at
Twin Falls it was IL degrees above at
Ontario. There is no finer climate in
the west.
No fevers at Ontario. The drinking
water is the best.
There are 10000 acres in alfalfa.
sugar beets and fruit
Alfalfa is cut three to four times
each season, and the land yields from
7 to 8 tons per acre. Andrew Lackey
cut 1856 tons of alfalfa from &c acres.
A J. Quackenbush, living 2 miles
from Ontario, raised 297 tons of sugar
oeets from 10 acres.
There are 100000 acres of land that
is not yet watered, but will come under
ditch in the next two years, surveys
Tor same having already been made.
This land is the finest of soil and all
within 10 miles of town.
The irrigated lands, in alfalfa and
sugar beets, can be bought for 800 to
s125 per acre. This land produces a
net income from alfalfa alone OF s25
to $50 per acre, and is cheaper than
raw lands at $40 per acre.
They have a 7-acre apple orchard
within 3 miles OF Ontario that pro-
duced 1000 boxes OF apples that sold
al $3.50 per box f. o. b. there. There
is ten acre pear orchard that pro-
duced $4,000 worth of pears last year
and that for the past three years has
never netted less than $500 per acre,
that could not be bought for $1,000 per
acre.
They are not bothered with frost
there, and raise peaches, apricots,
cherries, pears, apples, berries. grapes,
canteloupes and watermelons.
They took the prize with a box OF
apples from Ontario for the best box
OF apples at the Lewis and Clark lair
at Portland five years ago. This was
IN competition with exhibits from va
kima, Wenatchee and Hood River.
AT the Irrigation congress, held at
Sacramento. Cal. they carried off the
Governor Pardee prize for fruit, with
an exhibit sent from Ontario. Every
state in the west had an exhibit OF
fruit there, but the cup went to On
tario.
There is no valley in the west that
can beat the fruit raised there, either
for color or size and yet fruit land is
being sold at 20 per cent of the price
; asked for the same lands in Hood
River, Yakima or Wenatchee. They
have just as good market and the
apples bring the same price that theirs
do. Why is it? 1t is because this val
ley has never been advertised before
and few people are aware of the con
ditions.
In addition TO the large body of land
that will be reclaimed by the Owyhee
project there is movement under way
the have the section known as the
Dead OK Flat irrigated. This COM
prises about fifty thousand acres join
ing Ontario on the north.
The Caldwell Milling company is
arranging to build an elevator here
to handle the grain of this section.
The side track and site for building
has been settled on.
Representatives of the Hazelwood
Creamery company have plans under
way for the establishment OF a branch
house here to handle the dairy pro-
ducts.
A Boise man has purchased a site
for steam laundry and plans for the
building are about completed.
The big Owyhee Irrigation system
is incorporating thorough drainage
system with their irrigation so that all
lands will be thoroughly drained as
well as watered. Drainage has now
become recognized of as great import
ance as irrigation. Where drainage
exists alkalied lands are soon re-
claimed by the washing out Of the
salts in the soil.
Location.
> When Ontario and Malheur county
} are mentioned, at once must be stamp
ed upon the mind The Home Of the