Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1910-01-04
WHERE NATURE IS kind
OREGON SOIL NOT EQUALED ON
EARTH FOR PRODUCTIVITY.
No Other State In Union Offers Such
Advantages to Farmers, Fruit
Grower or StOckmnan.
tNew Years oregonian.)

II Inc apple is not tie Oiily variety VI
| oregon fruit that has a worldwide rep
utation. In season on the menus of the
best hotels in Winnipeg and Montreal
may be found the Inscription, Hood
River Strawberries" Hood River and
Mosier strawberries, too, are known in
London, and have been put on the
markets of Yokohama, Japan; Hong
kong. China and Vladivostok, Siber-
| ia, This record has been obtained by
oregon for fruit that is ordinarily
supposed to be eaten within As hours
after picking.
The fresh fruit car record for the
world is held by the Rogue River VAL
ley, and was obtained in January,
1909, when a carload of Doyenne du
Comice pears sold in London for
$1O.0S a box. Bartlett pears from the
Rogue River orchards are also shipped
to England.
Oregon's fruit area is bounded only
by the limits of the state, for Hood
River is in the extreme northern sec
ton and Rogue River in the extreme
southern section. For the entire
breadth of Western Oregon, north and
south, fruits are grown with profit
and of a par excellence in color, flavor
and keeping qualities In addition to
apples, strawberries and pears, the
range includes raspberries, loganber-
ries. blackberries, cherries, prunes,
peaches, apricots and grapes
In the Hood River and Mosier Vail
leys, where the apple is first, the
strawberry takes second place, and
the district is noted for its Clark
seedlings. Land newly set out to ap-
pie trees is cultivated for several years,
between the rows, with strawberries.
Although the valley produces 10000
crates of strawberries yearly, the
Hood River berry has never been
sent to the cannery. The demand is
always just ahead of the supply, and
the price has never fallen below $1.75
crate.
All Small Fruits Thrive.
Rogue River apricots bring prices
25 to 40 cents crate above the mar
ket, and Rogue River cherries, which
just precede the Willamette Valley
crop, are shipped to all parts of the
United States without refrigeration.
In the same valley the most deli
cate of European grapes thrive. The
Tokay, grown in the hill districts, is
pronounced by experts to be un-
equaled in the world. 1t is estimated
that is 1909, ATS acres were newly set
90 4, 0f s,,a
gregating 265,OO0. The varieties in
clude Malvoisies, Concord, Rose of
Peru, Black Hamburgs, Folden Chas-
selar, Emperor, Malaga and Black
Cornichon. An immense acreage in Jo-
sephine and Jackson Counties is avail
able for grape culture. For the last
four years, Tokay and Malaga grapes
have sold in the Portland markets for
$3.50 to $1.75 a crate. At these prices
the net to the grower after paying ex-
pressage and commission is $1.20 to
$140 a crate. 1t is claimed for the foot
hill lands of these counties that 10
acres in matured Flame Tokay or NAL
aga grape vines will give the grower
a net income of $250O annually.
All varieties of American grapes are
grown profitably in the Willamette
Valley counties. The Italian prune is
produced in better size, quality and
flavor than in it's native land of Italy.
Near Creswell, in Lane County, one
orchard of 1875 acres has produced
$4,000 worth of prunes in one year.
Six million pounds of cured prunes are
turned out annually from the district
tributary to Roseburg, Pears, with the
Bartlett as the leading variety grown,
are produced with perfect flavor and
shipping qualities. The Winter Nellis,
Great d'Anjou, du Comice and Louisa
Bon de Jersey are also successfully
raised.
Famous Willamette Cherries.
In the central part of the William |
cite Valley the cherry is a standard |
fruit, and every year there is a cherry
fair given at Salem that attracts Ma
tional attention. Cherries have been |
grown in Yamhill County q inches /
in diameter, and no such Royal Annes
are produced in temperate Southern 4