Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1913-06-10
LOGANBERRY PATCH
COVERS EIGHTY ACRES
L. H. Roberts Will Raise Ber-
ries Where Only Dog Fem
mel Grew Before.
CROP NEXT YEAR 400 TONS
Splendid Illustration of What Well
Directed Energy and Enterprise
Can Accomplish.
CROP NEXT YEAR 400 TONS

rev Salem people reallze the extent
TO which the country near it is being
developed, how fast meadow and grain
field are being turCed into orchard and
berry farms. In company with L, IL.
Roberts and in his big touring car, one
of the Capital Journal staff visited the
big farm owned by the Sunset Fruit
Company, of which Mr. Roberts is tue
head and front. The farm is on the
Garden Road, about four miles north
east of the city, and as we slid along
over the smooth roads, the improve
ments made in all directions were such
that the places were hardly recogniza-
BILE. Old orchards, that for years have
not raised much of anything except
worms, bugs and fruit pests generality
that were run down and practically
. abandoned, have had their whiskers
trimmed, their hair cut have been Civ
EN- shower bath, and had their clothes
brushed, and are scarcely recognizable.
Fields where Indian pinks, a magnifi-
cent crop showing the richness of the
soil, were in full charge, or were fight
ing it out with the dog fennel for pos
session are a.bloom with clover or an
emerald sea of wheat or oats billowing
beneath the gentle west winds. At the
Sunset farm there was still further evi-
dence of the extent of this develop
lnent. Where two years ago pink and
dog fennel grew in riotOus profusion at
first glance one would think a crop of
two hundred miles of vine wreathed
fence posts had been grown, Over so
acres, these posts stood planted two feet
in the ground and about 800 of them to
the acre, and on these were strung
heavy wires, regular three strand wire
fences, set about eight feet apart and
running in parallel lines across the big
field. To an easterner it would look as
though some one had gone fence mad
but these posts and wires were but the
skeleton, waiting for their flesh in the
shape of loganberry vines, already
growing beneath them, and which next
wear will cover them with festoons of
verdure, with nearly 200 miles of emer
aid wreath and snowy blossom, and lat
er with the big, juicy, red'brown ber'
ries. Next year these now bare wires
and posts will carry load of not less
than 400 tons of this, the newest, and
some say the best, certainly the most
prolific of all the berry family Then
in another year there should be added
another hundred tons to this and then
they will be practically in full bearing,
and the product will be about 800 tons
enough to make, with 10000 pounds
to the car, train of 25 freight cars.
On a part of this same tract is Al
acres set to loganberries, but with cher
~ trees in place of every third row Of
berries. This Mr.. Roberts says is just
an experiment, and of course in few
years one or the other will have tt
come out.
Berries in Place Of Dog Fennel
Sunset farm is splendidly located
slightly rolling, but only just enougl
90 to give it perfect drainage and tn,
soil is the very best, a rich black loan
The young vines now year Old are re
markably thrifty, showing that ricl
black green indicative Of perfect plan
health. and the stand is a splendid one
at least 80 per cent of the vines beinl
strong and vigorous. Mr. Roberts ha'
hard battle with the pinks and do
fennel at the start, but now the Who'll
field is as free Of weeds as a Japanes
garden. The berry farm is an assure
success, as all that is now required
cultivation to keep the conquered weed
from again asserting themselves,
The Sunset farm is an ideal one an
is practically managed but the con
pany has another problem to solve, an
that is the marketing or caring for ii
crop. This problem must be worked o.
within the next twelve months, for Il