Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-05-08
MAKES HIS TRACT PAY
Mr.. Ashcraft Answers the Question,
"Can Man Make Good on Five
Acre Tract in Oregon"
CWritten for the Oregon Journal by
Fred Lockley.)


Probably one of the most frequent
questions asked the secretaries of
the various commercial clubs
throughout the state by intending
settlers is, do you think can make
good on a five or ten acre tract in
Oregon?" 1t is one of the hardest
questions that the secretaries have to
answer, since so much depends on
the individual as well as the location
of the tract. Given a fertile soil,
a good climate and a man who has
experience, industry and intelligence,
the question can be answered in the
affirmative.
Recently l visited P L. Ashcraft
at Ashland. Mr. Ashcraft halls from
New York state but went to Kansas
in 1870, where he lived until seven
years ago, when he came to Oregon.
He purchased a four-acre tract in
Ashland for $2,75O. The place was
very much run down, the house be-
ing badly in need of repairs and the
fruit and almond trees very much in
need of attention. After making
the necessary repairs on the house
Mr.. Ashcraft and his boys got busy
with the orchard. Some of the older
trees they took out entirely and
those that were still good they cut
back. The younger trees were al
pruned and sprayed thoroughly. The
larger part of the four acres had
been used for gardening and on most
of this he planted apples, pears and
cherries. The trees are now seven
years old and have borne fruit fol
the past two years. In speaking OF
his cherries Mr.. Ashcraft said: ''I1
1910 l sold my Bings at IL " cents
and my Royal AIMS at 10 cents a
pound. l packed the cherries in 10
pound boxes, using only the highest
grade of sound, ripe fruit, selecting
cherries of uniform size and facing
them carefully. | shipped them to
St. Paul, Chicago, San Francisco and
other points.
in addition to my fruit trees
put out loganberries, raspberries
blackberries and gooseberries so that
/ would secure more immediate re-
turn than from my fruit. When the
census enumerator came in 1910 he
! asked me what l had raised. l told
him that / had raised nine children
and that this year l had raised oveI
| 1000 worth of produce in addition
| to what we had eaten. He seemed tC
rather doubt my statement, and as
handle all my produce through the
fruit packing association, took the
| trouble to hunt up my receipts, and
| together we figured up what had
| taken in during the season. | haC
receipts for over $1,000 worth o.
fruit, berries and produce delivered
during the season to the association
One of my most profitable crops wa.
my strawberries, since | secured two
crops. While the spring crop has
more berries than the fall crop, the
berries command higher price il
the late fall, so that my October
berries bring me fully as much a!
the berries / sell in May and June
Every Foot Made to Count.
Shortly after buying the four
acre tract and after having fixed il
up in pretty good shape, l sold one
acre of it for $1,000 and gave {
quarter of an acre of the remaining
three acres toward a road, so that
now own only two and three-fourths
acres, but, as you see, I make every
foot of what land / have bring il
some revenue. For the past sever
years l have supported my family
on this place and average to cleal
and put in the bank between $1,000
and $1,000 year. You can readily
understand that my wife and myself
my two daughters and seven sons
make pretty heavy inroads on what
we raise. In addition to the frui
and berries we raise each year {
large crop of turnips, potatoes, cab
bage and carrots. l pay particular
attention to the winter cabbage