Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1913-02-10
SUNCREST IS
fine ORCHARD
BIG FRUIT RANCH NEAR TALENT
WILL BE GREAT PRODUCER.
SCIENTIFIC METHODS APPLIED
Tidings Representative Shown Over
Model Orchard Tract-Every Con-
venience is Being Installed-Tilled
Without Irrigation.

venience is Being Installed-Tilled
Without Irrigation.
A representative of the Tidings
had the pleasure of visiting the big
Suncrest Orchards, across Bear
creek from Talent, one day last
week and was much impressed not
only with the magnitude of the un-
dertaking, as an evidence of faith in
the fruit industry of the Rogue river
valley, but because of the fact that
it is being handled in an up-to-date
and scientific manner. The Suncrest
Orchards consist of a tract of 400
acres of black sticky" soil lying on
the north and east of Bear creek
! and is titled without irrigation, Mr.
H. F. Meader, the manager, holding
that irrigation on the black soil is
not only unnecessary but undesir-
able, except perhaps for garden
! truck.
The ranch is owned by w. V. B.
/ Campbell OF Medford and is what is
known as the old Page Orchard, a
portion of the tract having formerly
! been owned by DR.. Page of Medford,
who planted a portion of the or
chard.
OF the 460 acres only 20 acres is
in bearing, and that is yet young
trees and only bore comparatively
lightly despite which 13 cars of
first-class fruit was shipped, besides
large amount which was sold To-
cally or is still on hand.
The equipment OF the place is up
to date in every respect and the
bunk house recently completed was
mentioned in detail few weeks ago
in this publication. In addition tC
the bunk house there is large two
story managers residence which il
is expected will in the near future
! dlSO NC uoCu dS a dOl lillN'l anu "a
up-to-date bungalow built for the
manager.
A large addition to the presen
packing house was built last fall
which contains a complete black
smith shop to enable repairing
horseshoeing, etc, to be dom
promptly and on the place. TIL
present packing house is also use'
as a storehouse for tools, sprayini
outfits, ETC., and will probably here
after be devoted entirely to that pur
pose as it is expected that larg
: packing house will be erected a
soon as the route of the interurbal
railway is definitely located. TIL
location of the holdings of the M. 7
Minney Company would seem to in
dicate that the interurban will pas
: close to the Sunset Orchards, il
which event the packing house vii
; be located if possible as to permi
! ull GU W anu II yin lllC NGll
Not only in the way of building
is the Suncrest Orchard up to date
1t is equipped with the latest in tn
way of machinery. A heavy gasolin
tractor engine has been purchase
which will be used this season to d
cultivating in the orchards, and i
addition to about IA head of horse
and mules which are kept busy duI
: ing the most of the working season
The horses are housed in a larg
barn with capacity to carry practical
ly enough hay to last them the er
tire year. The Suncrest Orchar
buys all its grain and forage, thu
furnishing a home market for
number of the alfalfa and graf
: ranches in the neighborhood.
In speaking of fruit raising Nj
Meader stated that while for a larg
ranch like the Suncrest Orchard h
believed it the bes: policy to specia
ize on fruit and buy all feed an
grain, he believed the small farme
. should endeavor to raise all his ow
stuff, especially if his means wer
such that the loss of a crop, if h
confined himself to one article
would cramp him.
Mr.. Meader has also disproved tn
theory that Gull apples are not goo
I hog feed. He killed last week tw
I. year-old hogs which weighed re
I spectively 272 and 276 pounds eac
I dressed, and they had had a die
! largely of apples augmented by
small amount of corn.
! No expense has been spared b