Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-04-23
One Thousand
Dollars Per Acre


desire to start another boom in the
fruit industry. Southern Oregon is
still suffering from the reaction
which followed the unhealthy infla.
tion of land values caused by over.
boosting our horticultural resources
Although no place in the world car
produce better apples, pears, peaches
plums, cherries and berries than
those grown in the Rogue River val.
ley, many costly mistakes have been
made by assuming that most anyone
can make big money here by growing
fruit for market
The fruit boom above referred to
was made possible by the fact that
enormous profits were really earned
in the orchard business Conspicu-
GUS successes were the except on
however, and not the rule Failure
to take into consideration this i'm
portant fact explains why so many
people came to grief in growing or
attempting to grow fruit.
Since the slump in the fruit market
some seven years ego stories Of large
horticultural profits have become ex-
ceedingly rare. When apples sold at
81 TO $3.50 per box it was compara-
lively easy to show profit, but when
the price dropped to $1.25 or less
most growers failed to find any mon
ey in the shade Of the old apple tree.
The fact that it is possible to make
big profits at even the latter figure
proves that apple growing can be con-
Quoted on a basis which will insure
success even in an era of low prices,
such as has prevailed here for the
past half dozen years. Men who can
do this not only add wealth to the
community but show how the soil can
be made the source of comfortable
incomes. For this reason and with
the above explanations the Tidings
is glad to tell something of o. H..
Barnhills orcharding experiences IN
Ashland during the past few years
When Mr.. Barnhlll came here from
Montana and bought the three-acre
Pellet orchard on Winner street for
$6,500, including half-acre resi-
dence property adjoining, paying
81, 900 in cash and giving mortgage
for $4,000, predictions Of failure
were freely made. It was assumed
that to make living on three acres
was impossible, considering the
heavy orchard expense Of taxes, in
terest, etc, to say nothing Of making
payments on the mortgage, The high
price for which the orchard sold was
secured largely because Of crop
which brought 81 ,920. It was gener-
ally believed that an equal sum could
never again be realized from single
crop from such small orchard But
the man from Montana, who had al
ready had more than dozen years
of successful orchard experience, be-
lieved that what man had done man
could do again. Prices might de-
crease, but the productive capacity
of the trees would increase, II they
were given the proper care, since few
Of them had reached maximum size.
After cultivat'ng the ground one
year to get 1t in good shape the
orchard was seeded to vetch and clo-
yer, which made an immense growth.
No cultivation has since been given
the trees, the clover and grasses be-
ing mown twice each year and left to
lie on the ground. Professor Reimer,
director of the Southern Oregon Ex-
pertinent Station, says this is the
ideal way to manage an orchard,
where there is abundant rainfall or
where water for irrigation Is avail
able. The latter Is obtained for the
orchard in question, which has been
appropriately named Winner Cove, by
tapping a city main near the highest
point on the property Three fertil-
izer experiments made in the orchard
under the direction of Professor
Reimer failed to produce any appre-
cable. results, showing that the soil
contains all needful constituents.
For the past four years the trees
have made splendid growth, consider
ing the age of the orchard, which is
now 22 years. Some trees have in
creased in size at least so per cent
and are still growing. 1t is estimated
that only about one-third have
reached maximum size and several
will in time become twice as large
as they are now. In 1915, when the
new wood got into action, a crop
equal in size to the one previously
mentioned was secured, but did not
bring quite so much money, on ac-
count of lower prices. The perform
ince of the orchard the year follow ,
ng this last big crop and the year
Ifter the first large Yield affords a l