The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1923-06-08
A new SOURCE
OF INCOME
The Plebisn GOOseberry Promises
Great Possibilities to the Land
Owner OF the Valley.

there is more things in heaven and
earth, Horatio, than was ever dreamt
Of in your philosophy" and the same
statement has its application. when We
say that there are more things that
can be produced from the soil OF this
valley at a profit than has ever been
dremt Of in the philosophy of the
entire population. Every once in a
while something new in the way of
profitable fruits OF the soil is coming
to light to make one wonder II the
possibilities of the valley have yet
been half tried out.
Paul Mohler, who is a great hand at
spying out what may be grown with
a fair prospect Of repaying the grower
for mis- efforts, has just brought to our
attention a new venture in the small
fruit line that sounds mighty good
and is amazing in its possibilities. 1t
pertains to the humble mOuth-pucker-
ing gooseberry. Now the gooseberry
has never been looked upon as table
delicacy, although when concealed be-
tween pie crusts becomes quite a de-
lectable addition to menu. yet the
demand for this berry at the canneries
is far greater than the supply. AS an
experiment Mr.. Mohler set out two
acres of gooseberries two years ago
on mis- valley ranch short distance
south of town, and this season the
yield is simply marvellous. Mr.. Mohler,
who has faculty Of doing things that
are advantageous to the grower, went
out and found a market for the goose
berry and the crop will be marketed
this year at cents pound. That
might not be considered to be an at
tractive price to the man growing a
few bushes, but where the grower has
an acre or more Of these berries the
total income from that acreage is 60
ing to run up into big figures. Goose
berry bushts are not only sure OF an
annual crop, but they bear most pro-
lifically. The two acres owned by Mr..
MOhler are sight to behold. The
bushes are loaded down with fruit.
Mr.. Mohler in order to form some idea
of what his bushes would yield this
year stripped single average bush
and the result was 10 pounds OF ber-
ries.
Now Mr.. Mohler has 2,700 bushes
on his two acres and IL they all turned
out as we'll as that single bush from
which he took 19 pounds that would
mean $4,000 pounds, or trifle over
25 tons. At 8 cents pound that would
bring In $4,04S. But for fair per-
centage of shrinkage say we cut OIL
ten tons of this estimate, leaving Mr.
Mohler Is tons, and at cents he
would receive $2,4O0 for the product
of the two acres. AS the method EN-.
ployed in stripping the bushes is sim.
pie and the crop can be gathered al
la minimum cost, with little or no de.
teriation in the fruit during handling
and shipping. is there any thing tle
valley tract owner can grow that viii
bring in more money to the acre?
| Mr.. Mohler states that there is NJ
danger of an over supply of berries
as the canneries are ready to take 20
80 or SO times as many as have beer
so far contracted for and 1t would bt
we'll If others would set out bushes IL
large numbers. 1t is fruit that ont
does not have to wait for several years
to obtain returns. This is the secOn,
tseason since Mr.. Mohler set out hi
bushes. There are others In the vale
THAT will profit through gooseberr.
lproduction. Among them is w. B. Sex
lson, and he is going to be able t.
market several tons from singl
acre.
The possibilities of this valley ar
as yet but partially known and i
lyears to come there will be land own
ers profiting from products that the
now look upon with contempt, an
others that they have never befor
given a fair trial.
As a postscript to tlis item 1t ma
be added that Mr.. Mohler has alread
commenced shipping his crop
gooseberries and shipping them b
parcel post. The mail route
chosen because the berries can be dt
livered at Everett, the point of dest
nation, by mail, 63 cents per 10
pounds cheaper than by express. Tn
rate to Everett by express is SIT
cents per 100; by mail $1.0S per 10
Thursday morning two and half tor
of gooseberries passed through tn
local postoffice. The berries were pl
up in so pound sacks. The entire Gro
.. will probably go to the canDery VI
the postal route.