The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1913-10-31
IR|GHT ANO|WR0NG WAY
Examples Of How Orchard
[andIs Used and Abused
In the Okanogan Valley
lOOkON THIS MODEL ORCHARD
And That One Across the Way
Where Neglect Discredits the
Fertile and Willing Soil

tors Of this paper take pleasure in
mentioning it often. and for two i'm
portant reasons. In the first and
foremost place the presence of such
an orchard is indubitable evidence as
to what can be done with Okanogan
valley land when intelligence and in
dustry are applied to get the best out
Of 1t; and in the second place to
point out the shocking contrast where
growing trees right is compared to
adjacent orchards where neglect, in
doence and ignorance have made
complete failure of fruit culture. II
there were only those occasional weed
covered orchards. or excuses for or
chards, with stunted and ragged trees
here and there half OF the original
planting dead for the want of care,
the whole showing inexcusable re-
missness on the part of the owner,
the natural inference to be drawn by
strangers passing through the country
would be that the land was Ill adapted
to the production of fruit, that those
who had attempted it had become dis
couraged and abandoned the effort.
1t is deplorable to admit. but the
mark of failure is a blot upon many
orchard tracts In the valley. How
ever. the vigorous and thrifty Or
chards in the same stretch of ter
ritOry. where the land has responded
prodigally to cultivation and proper
care, shows that the fault is not in
the soil, but with those who fail in
properly treating the soil.
Nowhere is their more conspicu-
Gus Illustration of how to do it and
how not to do 1t in orchard culture
than few miles south Of Oroville.
The Ellis Forde orchard tracts are
taken as a beautiful exemplification
Of how to do it right, for there the
soil has responded generously to the
exertions of those who have the care
Of the tracts. A mile or two south
Of this model orchard is to be seen
tracts once set out to trees, after
wards neglected and now a very eye
sore Of desolation, q shameful illus
tratiOn of how to do It wrong. On
one hand an exhibition of ideal re-
suits from application of knowledge
by experienced orchardists: on the
other an exhibition OF almost criminal
shiftlessness, neglect and ignorance.
TO see the lower orchards first a
stranger would declare the land
worthless for tree growing. To see
the unper orchard first the stranger
would be convinced that for the
growth of wood and the production
Of the perfect apple no locality in
the west would compare with the Okla
hogan valley.
What this valley is to be when
proper methods of cultivation and
care are introduced, and when water
Is distributed over the surface 30
that 1t will do the greatest good. Is
shown in the Ellis-F -Forde Orchard
Tracts. The ground is as free OF
weeds as we'll travelled road, and
Is intensively cultivated with the OBJ
iect Of conserving all the moisture
natural or artificial. The trunks OF
the trees are robust, showing that
care in pruning young trees has been
taken in order to give the trunk sturd-
mess, the limbs are trained to symme-
try. the foliage abundant. the fruit
rich in color, OF large size. and OF
flavor that causes the palate, like
Oliver Twist, to constantly clamor FOL
more. All of the trees. whether Of
this spring planting, or vigorous under
The accumulation of four years. are
in a healthy condition and making
wonderful growth. The four year Ole
trees are few in number, and bore fol
the first time this year. Severa
hundred boxes of apples have beer
gathered from them. Next year there
will be several car loads. From tina
time on there will be steady In
crease in output until It will require
whole trains of cars to convey th'
trop to market
All of the Ell1s-Forde Orchar'
Tracts m tho waot aide Of the river
except few acres. have been sol'
in small acreage. Under the contrac
OF sale the orchard remains in charg
OF the original owners until the tree
are in full bearing. Then the pun
chasers take over the land, and II
order to handle the crops profitabl