The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1914-07-03

the old farm, although they have been
transplanted and have been Killed
down by various causes a number Of
times.
Two or three years later, after Mr..
Madoens hrSt orchard was DESTROY
ea' he again sent for another supply
OF trees. He fixed the same site Of
land that was used for the first or
cnard in Canyon county, and there
planted his trees, among which stood
the three black damson plums that
were saved from his first growth.
This orchard was really the first
orchard in Canyon county that exists
at the present time. 1t was planted
IN lSI9 or 1880, during the same time
MIR. Robert White, ST., put in his or
chard. Mr.. White was a neighbor
of Mr.. Madden's.
Mr.. White sent to Ohio for HE
trees, which were brought to him bv
railroad as far as Kelton. Utah. and
from their the trees were brought bv
stage coach, which crossed this
country at that time. His was lust
small collection of eighteen trees,
having twelve different varieties of
apples, two peaches, two sweet cher
RES and one pear. These trees have
surely proven their worth for the
White family have enjoyed the first
trees very much, and choice fruit in
the early days was very uncommon.
During the long hard winter of 1875
when the Boise river was frozen so
hard that teams crossed on the ice. in
March, and snow was so deem that
the snow drifts reached into the
branches of the trees, feed became
very scarce, so the rabbits ate the
orchard almost to the ground; the
high snow drifts gave the rabbits a
chance to reach even into the
branches and to gnaw the tops so bad
tnat the trees died. However, most
OF them came up again the next spring
from the roots. What ever the var
lety OF trees that came up, the fruit
was Just as good, and has been ap-
preclated just as much as if it had
been the same trees. Some of the
old apple trees are still bearing, while
the other Yarities were being perserv-
ed by being grated upon some of
the roots of their newer trees.
The first orchard of Mr., Madden's
that is now living, has been protected
more and kept under better condi-
tons than the White orchard, because
the Ten Mile creek runs Just by the
orchard, and the land upon which the
orchard stands will never alkalie
While the land that the White or
chard is planted on has gone to al
kali because of the lack of proper
drainage; then too, the land is al
most level with just little fall.
The White orchard met with the
same fate, that of being injured by
rabbits, as the Madden orchard. but
owing to its few years of age it had
better chance to survive. The eli
mate was at that time the best in
the surrounding lands, and the dew
elopments were very good in both of
the orchards before and after the
grasshoppers and rabbits.
Both of the orchards have borne
large abundance of good fruit, al
though looking somewhat forlorn in
their old age, are still bearing a good
supply. Mr.. Madden still owns the
old place, although he does not live
on it at the present time.
just few of the old trees can now
be seen, although Mr.. Madden has
more living trees than Mr.. White at
the present thine, as the former had
a much larger collection in the first
place.
Written by Sylvenia Pechance.
Information given by Mr.. c. F.
Madden and Nina B. Whifin.)
(The work Is being directed by one
of the teachers of Washington High
School, Miss Jennie L. Hall.)