The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-05-16
MRS. KAUFMAN TELLS
OF PAJAR0 COUNTRY


Watsonville, Cal, where she and Mr..
Kaufman are spending a short time
ITO the Glacier:
''lt may surprise you TO know that
we are still on the Pacific coast. But
YOU know Watsonville is only So miles
from Palo Alto, where is located Stan
ford University, and it is at that seat
Of learning that the other member Of
our family will take his college degree
on the Goth of this month. Hence. st
least one of the attractions Of this re-
gion for Us for yet little while.
I'VE made d brief visit to Watson
Vile and the Pajaro valley, in which
this little city of 8. 500 IS situated, dur
ing our trip to this coast in 1909. at the
same time we made our first visit to
Hood River, and decided then IN favor
of an orchard in the famous Mount
Hood country
Before our return home now we
thought we would like to take another
look at this region and see what is
doing in here at this time. F. h..
Stanton, after his return last autumn
from his three weeks solourn here as
one of the judges of the Pajaro Valley
Second Apple Annual, told US much of
this valley and that they were making
money here raising apples. Since we
are in this neighborh0od il has inter
ested us TO see how this is working out.
1.-THE PajarO valley is probably the
Oldest apple region of the Pacific coast.
An immense eucalyptus tree stands or
the Rogers orchard tract, about mile
out from Watsonvile, on one of the
choicest tree tracts, which was planted
by the owners in 1868. This is said to
he the frst-planted eucalyptus on this
coast. Some Of the finest orchards are
along the road near this great blue
gum tree, and are from fifteen to
twenty-five years old, some of the fam
lily orchard trees being older, as much
as thirty-five years, and bearing heav-
lily. An orchardist near this neighbor-
hood, oil another road, told us the other
day that his eighteen-year-old trees,
Belleheurs and Newtowns, are paying
net ten per cent on a $50, 600 valuation.
and fifteen acres in all, including his
building site. And he added that his
trees were Just coming into their best
bearing. This orchardist had come
here, he said, from the middle west
about twenty years ago aud had bought
this tract for $3.50 an acre. He then
set il out to prunes, only to find in four
years that prunes were not profitable,
so he took them out and set his ground
to apples. meanwhile teaming, etc, to
keep things going. One finds there is
usually reverse side to everything in
life
"Most of the orchards are of good
size, few being less than twenty five
acres in extent, and some ranging from
thirty, forty, seventy acres to one, two,
and three hundred-t these larger ones
being nearer the foot hills and set to
apricots, grapes and a variety of prod
ucts, and growing hay also.
''The show orchard of this valley is
one five miles out on the Corralit0s
road. 1t contains forty acres of Belle
feurs and Newtowns, and is owned by
Mrs. Monasco, widow. 1t is leased
for term Of years to Slavonian for
500 per year. The owner has no
expense whatever with the orchard,
except the taxes The trees are about
twenty-three years old though another
orchardist told us yesterday that these
trees were about four years old when
he came to this valley to live, and that
had been twenty-five years ago. Any
way, the orchard is a handsome sight,
indeed
''The Slavonians, who came into this
valley some years ago, and who are
very thrifty and industrious people,
make business of leasing orchards for
term OF from one to three or five
years, sometimes for the same sum
each year. and sometimes on a gradu-
ated scale. In some instances they do
all the work on the land and trees, and
in some cases the owner does the win
ter spraying, the pruning, the cultivat.
ing. OF course. depending upon the
terms of the lease. These men are
making money on their leases. though
not many of them pack with the care
they should. Many Of the orchardsts
would like to have their apples packed
more in the Hood River style, and their
annual apple show will probably bring
this about. Then, however, they will
have to get higher price for their
apples. which may interfere with their
markets. Most of the fruit is solo
abroad. That is, the apples.
''The products of this valley for 1915
were 4, 023 ears of apples. 1900 tons Of
eyaporated apes; 1900 eases Of
canned apples l40, 900 chests of berries
(strawberries, loganberries, backber
ries, Hmalayas) 1000 tons of sugar
beets; 100, 600 sacks of potatoes 200
600 pounds of dried apricots; 1900
barrels of vinegar and cider. Straw
berries are irrigated. and are sold usu
ally from April to December. Grapei
and many other kinds of fruit ar,
grown for home use and for shipping il
small quantities, and the same is tru,
of vegetables.
Land values are still going up, bu
perhaps are reaching their highest lin
1t. The best orchards sell for about
thousand dollars an acre, but it is diih
cult to purchase any of the trees tha
are planted in the best SOIL as most 0
the good land was bought by the poop
who first came into the valley and i
is held still largely by those first-com
ers, or by their heirs. The apple
bring less per box, you know, than tn
best Hood River varieties, so the lam
should not go so high. though the yiel
mere ls very great anu tue crop IeBuld
usually. Apples have sold here thi
year from SO cents to $l.i5 mostly
though few have brought Sl.25 pc
box. We have eaten some Newtown
that were wintered in a woods he'd an
some that were kept in cold storage
Both were of most excellent quality
though not so fine and smooth in az
pearance, nor so shapely. as the Hoo
River Newtown.
During last winter, Professor Law
renee asked Mr.. kaufman for his az
sistance in securing from the Unite
States department Of agriculture, br
reau of soils. a soil survey of the Hoo
River valley. Such survey has bee
made in sthe Pajaro valley, and il eel
tainly is an admirable thing to hay
done. We have a copy of the soil SUI
vey Of this valley, and | wrote to tn
department at Washington for them I
send copy to the Hood River Glacier
the Hood River News, the secretary q
the Hood River Commercial club, an
friend or two besides in Hood River
You will all be interested in examil
inc il and seeing what grnat hpuef