Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1910-01-07
SALE OF LARGEST TRACT IN HIS
TORY OF VALLEY
W. B. SHERMAN IS SELLER
To Be Cut Up i'm Small Tracts and
Planted with Apples, Pears
and Peaches.

The Oregonian of last Sunday
gives the particulars of the purchase
of the large tract of fruit lands be-
tween this city and Merlin. 1t also
gives the incorporators of the new
company and the intentions regard
ing the clearing, planting and culti-
walton of the lands included in the
purchase. The article mentioned
| follows:
For the purpose of irrigating and
placing on the market a tract of fruit
land in the Rogue River valley,
company has been formed and is
now Incorporating under the name Of
the Rogue River Orchard company.
The incorporators are F.F. Williams.
S. ID. Williams, w. T. Reed. +. f.
Reed and w. B. Sherman. The first
two are Portland business men. the
Reed brothers are recent arrivals
from Kansas City and Mr.. Sherman
is resident of Grants Pass.
These men have just completed a
purchase of 3040 acres between Mer-
lin and Grants Pass, a quarter of a
mile south of Merlin and three miles
north of Grants Pass, at an expendi-
ture OF $150,000. 1t was secured In
blocks of from so to 92O acres and
at prices ranging from $40 an acre
10 $40 an acre. 1t is all raw land al
present, but before being placed on
the market will be thoroughly deyel-
oped.
The tracts are all contiguous and
iorm a complete block. No other
purchases are yet contemplated bv
the company. The tracts bought are
as follows; The Chamberlain tract.
26O acres; the Riggs tract. 100
acres; the Thompson tract. 24O
acres; the Leroy tract, 800 acres.
the Reynolds tract, 100 acres: the
ohurchill tract, 800 acres; the Harris
tract 40 acres; the Sherman tract
s2o acres; the Scovile tract. 100
acres; the Francis tract, 1870 acres
'he montgomery tract, 80 acres, and
the Frier tract, 22O acres.
The entire property will be thor
oughly irrigated from the Rogue riy-
en- There are several small streams
across the property which will he
used partially until the larger pro-
Ject Is completed The water will be
taken five miles from Rogue river
but ii Is not the intention of tbe hor-
ticulturist in charge of the work to
irrigate any Of the trees the first
year He believes the trees become
harder when forced TO make their
own way at first.
The company will handle this
land on a plan whereby the develop
ment of the orchard is in its hands
for five years after which Il is
turned over to the purchaser. The
entire district will be plated into
small fruit farms, an expert horticul-
turist will oversee planting apple and
pear trees an dthe land will then be
sold but developed and cared for
by the company until the trees are
bearing. In this way the purchaser
is really buying fully developed
richard on which, however, his re-
turns are deferred for five years
IF. ID. Eismann, an expert horticul-
turist, has been retained About
one-fifth OF the land is cleared, while
the rest is covered with brush and a
small amount of timber. The entire
tract will be cleared at once with
donkey engines and stump pullers,
and about 400 acres will be ready
to be set out with young trees in the
spring. II Is expected to put the land
on the market by March I OF this
year.
"A railroad line passes directly
through the purchased ground for
three and one-half miles and along
this road certain parts will be set
aside for community purposes to
handle the product as Is done in the
Hood River, Mosler, wenatchee, va
kima and other successful apple dis
tricts."