The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-09-12
A VISIT TO LEWISTON.
IDAHO, ORCHARDS

AD1ilO, OltOllHltDS
A visit to the Lewiston orchards is
well worth while to any one, and es-
pecially to Hood River man inter
ested IN the orchard proposition. The
1laeler man had the pleasure of a ride
through the vast orchard tract of the
Lewiston Land Co., where 5000 acres
nave been set to apples in one body by
THIS company. The first trees were
planted in the spring of 1907, and are
beginning to bear. The trees are set
5O TO 80 feet apart, the early trees
mostly with peacn filters, and the late
paintings with pears, while some of
the tracts are growing corn, which is
recommended by Prof. w. S. Thornber.
The tract is laid out with wide
streets. mostly in ten acre tracts, with
good roads and uniform white fences,
shade trees of chestnut and walnuts
being set out along many of the
streets. The orchards are being cared
for in uniform manner by the com
pany, except where few individual
owners have built homes and are car
ing for their own places, and these
have the benefit of advice and assist
ance OF the company and its experts,
SO that the work of scientific care and
cultivation is fully maintained after
the land has passed out of the hands of
the company. Many tracts have been
sold and are being cared for by the
company for nonresident owners, who
do not care to turn the land over to
the owners until the orchard has
reached the bearing stage and ready to
make living for the owner. These
tracts are priced from $425 an care for
yearling trees to $1,000 an acre for the
older paintings located close to the
city.
One of the principal attractions of
the district is the perfect system of
irrigation. an abundance of water from
the mountains being piped under ground
| through the entire tract, giving plenty
OF water for irrigation under pressure.
This is supplied free for domestic use
and So an acre per year for irrigation
purposes to owners of the tracts Con-
sidering the convenience, together
with the abundant supply of this man
ner of furnishing water, the price
anhCu 10 very EtdSUHdDit.
About six miles from the city a
small reservoir reduces the high pres
sure to the lower elevations of the
tract and around this reservoir park
is being laid out, and large assembly
hall will be built which can be used
| for entertainments or conventions dur
| ing the summer months. With the
building of hundreds of homes after
the orchard tracts are ready for the
owners, this beauty spot will probably
be a civic center, with postoffice,
| stores, etc. The main thoroughfares
in this vicinity are now being sprinkled
daily by the company, as it is favor
ite run for automobiles from the city.
Adjoining the city is tract laid
out in acre lots, which are now on the
market at $1,000, and will make ideal
suburban homes within walking dis
tance until car line is built, which
will become reality in the near
future.
The location of the site of the Lew
iston orchards is very similar to the
mob Hill" district of North Yakima,
which has developed into a suburban
residence district of elegant homes,
and where the land is now being sold
at very high figure. The attractions
of the Lewiston orchard tract for a
home must appeal to those who wish
for country life with many advantages
of the city. and the value of such
place to the city of Lewiston cannot
be overestimated. The commercial
possibilities of the orchards have as
yet hardly been tested, as the Oldest
of the trees are just beginning to show
fruit, but the trees show good growth,
are well taken care of, kept free from
disease through the vigilence of Prof.
Thornner and his assistants, and alto
gether present an attractive appear
ance.
A more detailed description of the
project follows from report made by
Prof. W. S. Thornber, professor of
horticulture, Washington State Agri-
cultural College, who is now located at
Lewiston:
These tracts are located just east
and south of the city of Lewiston,
extending from the corporate limits
back to the southeast eight to ten
miles in distance, and overlooking the
cities of Lewiston, Idaho, and Clarks-
ton. Wash.
"The Clearwater river is to the
north of the tracts, and the Snake river
is to the south and west, thus forming
a most beautiful landscape, with the
high bluffs of the Snake river with its
many dull eolors in the background,
and the low range of mountains, the
source of the water supply, sparsely
covered with evergreens to the south
and east.
''The orchard tracts, as indicated in
the location, are situated on a COM
paratively level, but gently s'oping
bench overlooking the river and cities. |
The slope from the orchard tracts down
to the valley and river below is suffi-
cient to insure first class air and water |
drainage. Good drainage, largely, if |
not entirely, eliminates two great diff |
culties occasionally found in orchard |
soils, i. e.. alkai deposition and too
much water for the best results. and |
in the second place, securing the best
obtainable protection against frosts at
blooming time. While smudge pots and
orchard heaters are good insurers, |
perfectly air drained orchard is by far |
the safest policy. AS proof of this,
one need only remember that great |
law of nature that deals with the rise
of warm air currents and the fall of |
cold ones, to realize that low, poorly |
drained areas are sure to collect all the |
cold, frosty air from the surrounding
higher lands, while the higher lands |
receives the WI rm air from the lower |
levels.
''The soil is deep. rich basaltc |
loan, carrying a small amount of
gravel only in few places on the en-
tire tract, and sufficient sand in all |
parts to make tillage easy. The soil |
is highly retentive of moisture and is
very rich in all necessary plant foods |
as shown by the splendid healthy |
growth that is produced on young