Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 28, 1909)
MEDFORD MAIL TRIBUNE Second Section Pages 9 to 16 FOUKTU YJ3A.R; MI5DFOKD, OREGON, SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 3909. No. 215. 1 if in THE ROGUE RIVER VA LLEY. 1 APPLE KINGDOM OF THE WORLD No more delightful or fnHolmiling lifo tin 1 1 lie iiiiiiKiMcd than tlutt of tin Roguo Rivor orohitriHhlM. A lour through Hi" k' i on I fruit iojioii tribu Inry lo Modford will convince m v oho of tint truth of thin iiMHirlioi). lMulifnl huino commanding i i i i viuws of tho vnlloy not nliotil by i'm! Ium row r f Indon fruit trees can lii jtoHii on ovi'iy luiiiil, uiul tho ooeu-J pnnla come from nvory .Foetiou ol tho country n oultutml, InlolliMit oImnm (lint would gineo any region The Mini Juttuu nnd tho iilunl I 2m that of iliu orcliHnlint, tho mm who mnko n good living nnd n lit ' inoif, hi on n Iiomn, freu mix! i iliwnut, with oimrtunity for In" ., (tt tIvf)umioiil living bin lifo in (tod' MUM MIIUnllltH), lliulnt All1 .N'rcdcil. Do not think, howevflr. that Intel : ligiioe nd drain nru not needed on i the orchnrd. It wiik no accident that , the Kokuo Hivor vnlloy tipplex went the firxt prize t tho National nppfo 1 show. Tho bout thought of I'm hrniniovt men Iiiih boon applied h'iiico tho pomdbilitioH of tho lim-iiie- have hoen nppnront. In tho light of thuir cxperienco tlicro need not lie n ninglo failure among Uioho who1 now embark in thin buninosH. It U not an ouotipnlion especially udnptcll to tho wants of n luzy man, for ill require tho closed attention at all times, hut its nwnrds aro ho great that It in very alluring to men of in telligence. Since early day when ovcry farm had itH orchard, producing many kiudh of fruitn, Roguo Itivor npplos havo Wen notctl for qunlity, and only a week ago a body of compe tent men at the N'ntiounl applo hIiow judged them tho finest produced in tho world. It Ih n far cry from tho homo or chard.. with its hundred varieties, good, bad am indifferent, to tho modern commcroinl orchard with its one or two variolies only yet, for scientific commercial reasons tho Roguo River grower jjnH cj 0( 0f calculation all but two varieties, which aro standard tho world over, and produced in perfection in an ex THE WORLD'S LARGEST APPLE At tho Spokane Applo Show a Spokane Beauty apple, grown by F. L. Post, of Chelan, Wn-h., wns said to bo the largest apple in the world. It measures 17 1-8 inches in circumforcnco nnd weighs over -11 ounces. A Wolf River npplo from Sharon, Wash., is 18 3-8 inches in circumference, but weighs only 87 ouncos. Horo is an npplo grown, in. tho Roguo Itivor valley of tho Red Cheek Pippin variety, that measured 18 inches, showing that if local growors had entered their products, they would havo carried off the prize for producing tho world's largest apples. started commercial apple nnd pear jrri.vivjf in the Rogue River valley, v !ih at the prosont time has reach ed nn acreage that neither of the two pioneers ever dreamed of when they planted their orchnrds in the early pionoor days of tho '50s. To day apples from tho Rogno River I valley go to all the corners of the globe. With her product soiling on the markets of the world at top 'prices with fruit growers of the ontern nud contral states discour 'aged and destroying the worthloss jorrhnrds which have boon a cum brance on the ground for yonrs, it i apparent that the world will look 'to the northwest for future major (supply of apples and to the Rogue River vnlloy when wishing to receive j the, best. Still In Infancy. ' But tho apple business in the ' Rogue River valley is as yet but in iits infancy. This year the demand J for fniit troos 1ms far exceeded the available supply from all sources, ' nnd thousands of acres will not be planted to trcc3 because the young j sapling could not be secured. Next I year the mnrkcts of the world -will again be found waiting for the high class fruit of the valley. The sup plv will be greater and the demand with it. Growers afe careful in ranking their pack, nnd every box that goes out is a good advertise ment. In this way it has carried the news of the vnlley to millions of peo ple in the eastern and central states, as well as in foreign lands, who eat the fruit praise it, but know ns lit tle of tho country which produces it ns the American people know of the Isle of Pines. It is an impossibility to overdo the fruit business. Unless radical changes in other sections of tho united States are made in the culture of apples, the American peo- ooodingly small area, tho cllow Nowtown Pippin and tho Aosopus Spitzonbnrg, both of which aro pro duced in perfection hero. Yellow Newtown Pippins. In the npplo markets of London tho highest prices for nny vnrioty of npplo aro obtained by tho lollow Nowtown Pippin from tho Rogue River vallyy. There is n marked oharnctorUtic of this noted npplo of which many aiv ignorant. With nil its merit nnd it is thought by many to bo tho ideal npplo of tho trade today tho Newtown is in most sec tions the fchyest benror nnd the most capricious cropper of tho wholo list only in Virginia !b it at all a suc cess in tho eastern stntos nnd out sido of tho Roguo Rivor vnlloy it will novor ho produced on a commorcitil ficnlo to cut nny figuro oven in the host orchard sections of tho north wostorn confct. Horo it is almost ns prolific as tho Bon Davis itself, nnd thoro has never yet been n total failure of tho crop. Sinco cnrlond shipments begun from this vnlloy in tho Into 'l)()s, tho New town npplo from this district has practically driven tho intorior prod uct of cortaiu valleys in Cnlifomia nut of tho London market, nnd tho high prices havo ovor prevailed. In tho Now York market tho Spitz- eiiliurg is the reigning favorite. In tho Roliiq River vnllov it is most pro ductive nnd of tho highest grade. In some sections it not only outyiolds tho wonderful Newtown, but appeals to tho horticulturist becnuso of its 'fine flavor and high color. The American buyer prefora n red applo and tho Spitzcuhurg is tho grcnt fa vorito for tho holiday trado. Acreage In Orclinnla. At present thoro aro 25,000 acres of apples in tho Roguo Rivor valley. Of this ncrengo, 2000 ncrcs aro in hearing, 1000 carloads being pro duced. It was late in tho '00s before tho first cnrload shipments woro sent out, nnd tho industry hns incrensed over since. This year f000 acres of apples will bo planted. When tho rnilrond first reached tho Roguo River valley in 1881 tho only orchnrd of nny sizo woro tho npplo and pear orchards of 13. K. Andorson of Tnl out, of about ten ncrcs, nnd tho np plo orchnrd of James . Vnnoy, four and one-half milos west of Grants Pnss, which contained about oight ncros. Thoro wns no nmrkot for tho apples and pears grown in thoso two orchnrds, nnd tho surplus not re quired by tho owners wns freely given away to pioneer neighbors who woro without fruit. Tho Andorson nud Vnnoy orchnrds which woro in thoir primo in 1881 mndo both of thoso pionoors rich, ns tho demnnd cronted by transpor tntion possibilities crontod high prices for tho limitod product. Thoso orchnrds woro tho primo factors that AN APPLES PICKING SI2CBNK IN O NE OP THE FAMOUS ORCHARDS OF THE' ROGUE RIVER VALLEY. pie will bo forced to import apples instead of exporting them. Many of tho middle western nnd eastern states reported small yields this sea son, duo to failuro in numerous in stances, but generally becauso of posts. Orchnrds have been neglected nnd in scores of places tho trees have been permitted to die becnuso of the lack of even ordinary attention. In 1890 the total crop of tho conn- try was 77,000,000 bushels. Sinco thon hundreds of thousands of ncrcs have been added nnd methods of frpit growing have improved yet the government reports show thnt tho nggregnte crop in 100S was about 02,000,000 bueheR Always a JinrkCf, There will always be a market for apples. There never can bo nn over production of first-clnss stock. It i in fact impossible nt tho present time to produce tho qunntity of good apples requisite to meet the demand. This is evidenced bv the fnrt England, Germany, France, Den mark', Australia and tho Orient nro already drawing upon tho orchards in the northwestern states. There is no section in the United States that is as free of 'nesfs ns i the Roguo River valley. This is not tne result of accident. Tho Roguo River vnlley irrowers nro th mnf. intelligent in the world." Tho Roguo River vnlley is tho first and only section of the United States nt tho present time in which the depart ment: of agriculture has permanently iMnuoncn an export to assist in tho cultivation of fruit. So many de mands have been made upon tho de partment that Professor M. B. Wait, in chargo of the bnrenu of plant in dustry, hns named the Rogue River vnlley the star section of tho United States in the matter of fighting fruit pests. The Roguo River valley is as regulnr in its crop production ns nny part of tho known world, p.nd ono can bo certain that ho will li laborod in vain if ho concentrate his efforts on tho right variety of fruit on tho right kind of land here. Manager Georsro Rae. of Ann k ITatficld, of New York City, tho largest firm dealing in western fruit, says: "Tho finest fruit in tho United States, without exception, is produced in tho Roguo River vnlloy. Some years ago I thought that with mo constant plantiner of new nrch. ards there would be nn overproduc tion nnd thnt tho fruit could nnt hn marketed at a profit. Exnorienoo. however, proves that thero is no-such thing ns an overproduction of high quality fruit such as is produced about Medford. With tho incronso of tho country in populntion nnd wealth has come also nn increase in the demnnd for fancy fruit, nnd only a few places grow it. Tho demand exceeds tho supply. Tho enst can not produco tho quality of apples and pears grown m tho Rocruo Rivor vnlley. Whorcvor your fruits aro of- lereu tho highest prices aro paid, and it js always in demand at fancy What tho future can mean to tho fniit industry in tho Rguo River vnlley cau only bo conjectured. Her pears havo smashed nil records in prices paid for fancy fruit. A board of competent judges havo named her apples tho finest grown in tho world. Tho demand for fancy fruit cannot bo mot. Judgo, then, for yourselves ns to her future What the Victory Means j& jz? Views of J. A. Westerund Onq of tho most onthusinstio or chardists in tho Roguo Rivor vnlloy is J. A. Wostorluud, prosidont of tho Westom Oregon Orchard compnny, who owns tho largest commercial or chard in tho World, no is woaring tho smilo that won't oomo off. "Think of it," ho snys, "I havo booon in tho vnlloy only n short timo, yot a fow npplos from our orchards, which nro not yot in full bonring, onrrlod off ono of tho prizoB at tho socond nn ttonnl npplo show, nnd that on a pinto oxhibit, whoro wo hnd 1323 competitors, 43 of thorn competing for tho prizo of tho snmo vnrioty,, Yollow Nowtown Pippins, ns wo hnd on oxhibit. "Troii8on & Gulhrio's succoss in carrying off tho grand awoopstakos prizo of $1000 makos Roguo Rivor vnlloy tho applo kingdom of tho world. In my opinion thoir task was onsy. Thoir carlond of Spitzonhurgs wns so far suporior to any othor that tho gonoral public's opinion nt tho show, pronouncod it tho host, oven boforo tho judgos pnssod on its mor ita. "This cloarly domonstratos thnt tho Roguo Rivor vnlloy is tho homo of tho Nowtown and Spitzonbnrg npplos, Thoro is no othor locality that can produoo thoso vnriotios to porfootion liko tho Roguo Rivor vnlloy. It wns unfortuniito that our npplo growers did not tnko inoro interest in tho untional npplo show. I am fully con vinced from whnt I snw nt Spokn.no that hnd our growors b5en thoro with tho different vnriotios of npplos, tho Roguo Rivor vnlloy would havo car ried off tho majority of prizes. Wo have, of ourso, tho "Applo King of tho World" horo now, Our growors should got togothor and show the world whnt tho vnlloy can produco nnd hold this honor in tho future Tho Roguo Rivor vnlloy can do it, but it will not continuo to hold this honor if wo do not tnko moro intorost in demonstrating to tho Vorld nt nn ex hibition liko tlio national npplo show, tho splondid vnriotios of npplos that wo grow horo. ''Wo nil know whnt wo havo and can do, but tho rest of tho world doesn't know it, nnd if it knows, it is so npt to forgot, becnuso tho othor follows nro making so much noiso nbout thoir particular locality. It is by constant demonstration nud proc clniming tho nows thnt you can hold tho attontion of tho gonornl public. "I hnd a convorsntion with ono of tho onthusinstio grovoi-s from tho Wonntcheo valley, and ho told mo thnt boforo thoy enrriod )off tho sweopstnkos prizo Inst yenr thoir np plos wont hogging for buyors at from $1.25 to $1.50 por box. This yonr tho bulk of thoir crop sold for $2.50 a box nnd up. IIo snid tho wholo world soomod to think that tho only spot on earth whoro you could grow apples to perfection wns in tho Wen atcheo vnlley. Thorefore, tho buyers this yenr stood rondy to pay most nny price. ITo snid tho sweepstakos prizo had tho snmo effect on their lnnd vnluos. Orchnrd Inuds thnt sold for $800 to $1000 por aoro boforo tho prizo was captured, has sinco sold for $1500 to $2000 per noro, and in somo instances orchnrds ovon brought tho enormous price of $3000 por noro. "In my opinion," Mr. Wostorluud continued, "tho Roguo Rivor vnlloy hns n most brillinnt fuluro boforo it, particularly now whon tho world at largo will rond in all nowspnpors nud mngnzinos that tho Roguo Rivor valloy enrriod off tho grand swoop- stakes prizo at Spokane, nnd nlso Columbia rivor or in Washington will know that tho finest npplos and Brititsh Columbia, and that is grown como from this vnlloy. our climntio condition. Tho wintor "In tho noxt 12 months wo shall horo is very mud. In Washington sco nnd hoar fronuhomoscckcrs nnd and tho northoro part of tho Pacific cnnitnlista from nil tinrts of tho 'northwest, tho onrlv frost nnd win. world. Tho publicity that tho swoop-! tor gives tho fruitgrowers consider- stakos prizo will givo this valloy can nblo Gnxiety at timos. Tho Roguo hardly bo estimated. At another np- Rivor vnlloy fruit industry is yet only nnd tho wildest plo show tho othor localities will try, in its infancy, thoir host to win tho prizo thnt wodroamor can hardly predict what a havo captured. It behooves tho .brilliant futuro thoro is in storo for growors, thoroforo, to begin early and tho progressive people in this valley. proparo for tho noxt npplo show, so .Wo nro busy building a beautiful city ns to hold this prizo, if possible Wo ( horo now, nnd thoro is no ronson why can boat tho world on pears, apples Modford should not grow to bocomu and grapes. Thoy can bo grown horo, an important oommorcinl center, to a degroo of porfootion. Wo havo ( What Spokane is to Washington, ono condition absolutely in our favor jMedford will soon bo to Southern thnt is not to bo found nlong tho Oregon nnd Northern California."