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About The west shore. (Portland, Or.) 1875-1891 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 1, 1889)
THE WE8T SHORE. 427 AN ENTERPRISING NURSERYMAN. WIIH the rapid development of the fruit produo ing interest! of the northwest that has boon in progress daring the past few years, and is gathering force from its own momentum, there has grown up a demand for first class nurseries to provide stock for the young orchards. The Faoifio coast has had nurs eries ever sinoe it began to raise fruit, and the mild ness of the climate tended to encourage the establish ment of fruit propagating farms, but the number of nurseries that have an extensive business and a stand ing reputation is limited. Clearly at the head of the list stands the well known nursery of J. H. Bottle mier, at Woodburn, Oregon. Mr. Sottlemier was born in Jersey county, Illinois, February 5, 1840, and at the age of nine years re moved to California with his parents, who were at tracted there by the gold excitement of 1849. They crossed the Missouri river at St Josoph, and at that time there was not a settler between the Missouri and the Sacramento valley. There was not a wood or brick building in Sacramento, and Ban Francisco had scarcely attained the dignity of a village. The moth er and one of the boys died in California shortly aftor arriving there, and the rest of the family came on to Oregon the next year and took a donation claim in Marion county, where Mount Angol now is and whore the father still resides at the age of eighty-throe years. Oiegon City was then the metropolis of this uncertain empire, and Milwaukee and Portland wore rivals for second position, with the chances of success in favor of the former. Young Bettlomier spent his youth on the farm and in the small nursery which his father had. The nursery absorbed the attention of the young man, who obtained a thorough knowl edge of the business and at length started on his own aooount Going to Woodburn, in the same county, he laid the foundation for what has sinoe grown to be by far the largest nursery in the northwest Woodburn Nursery is the name Mr. Bottlomipr has given his fruit propagating plant It occupies the whole of one hundred acres of ground situated on both sides of the railroad track at the pleasant little village of Woodburn, which is south of Portland thirty.five miles and at the junction of the Southern Paoifio main Oregon line and the Oregonian narrow gauge railway. Mr. Sottlemier is the founder and proprietor of this town. It is six miles from the Wil lamette river. It baa the best publio school outside of Balem in the county, and, though it is quit. an iu portant shipping station and a local trading wnU-r, the nursery of Mr. Bettlomier constitute the most extensive enterprise there. This is constantly ling enlarged, increasing about fifty per cnt auuually. There are now in the Woodburn nursery one and a half millions of trees and plants. These consist of a full line of fruit shade, ornamental and out trees, and vines and plants from different scotlous of Amer ica and Europe, including a most extensive assort ment that could not be enumerated in anything short of a voluminous catalogue, and the quality of the stock is the choicest on the Pacific ooaat Last sea son Mr. Bettlomier import! from France seventy thousand young trees, mostly of the jiJumom forvma family, one of the finest evergreens known. Among them are the most popular trees of foreign nativity double white and red flowering horse chestnuts, Italian chestnuts and Norway maples. Ills impor tations also inolude eleven varieties of apples and twenty varieties of winter pears. Mr. Bettlomier cul tivates many rare and curious plants for his own en joyment, among which are Asiatio and South Amer ican specimous, and it is well worth one's while to look through the very interesting collection of this class, as well as the general stock of the nursery. Mr. Bottlomlor personally receives visitors and is al ways pleased to show the nursery to those who may call Catalogue mailed free upon application. The trade of Woodburn nursery extends through out California, Utah, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and British Columbia. Supplying nurserymen aud deal ers is an important feature of the business, and it is rapidly increasing. The removal of the tariff oo trees shipped to British Columbia has opened an impor. tant field there for this business. Many California orchard iits and nurserymen buy their stocks of the Woodburn nursery, because the trees are found to be superior to the California production. Trees and plants propagated by means of Irrigation, which is the rule in California, are of inferior quality and never yield as satisfactory results a those grown where the natural conditions are entirely favorable. The clU mate of Oregon is peculiarly adaptad to the success ful prosecution of the nursery business, ss well as the general cultivation of fruit The prior prevailing here for first class nursery stock are about one. fifth leis than those quoted by eastern catalogues, and east ern competition cuts no figure in the business. This summer four hundred and fifty thousand trees are being budded in Mr. Bettlemler's nursery, thin method being preferred to the more common ons of grafting. Budding serves the same purpose, Is more quickly and easily done, and is attended with Ui risk. A little grafting is done lo the spring, when any defective buds are attended to. Mr. Bei. Homier Las mads a study of his business, and his long f xperience and uneieelled facllitU for keeping up with the times in all improvements place him In the front rank of nurserymen.