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THE MEDFORD MAIL, Friday, March 9, 1906.
ROGUE RIVER VALLEY PEARS ON TOP.
A Medford Fruit Grower Breaks the Record on in the
New York Market What He Says on the
Subject of Fruit Growing.
Tbote cau be no question, lu the i cbe fruit is shlppnd from or what tte
mind of any one who baa carefully
posted himself ou the uubjsut, as to
the uuequaled quality of Southern
Oregon pears, and In particular pears
that are grown lu the famous Koffue
River Valley. The Boverest test tnnt
fruit oau be put to, in the mutter of
quality and peek, oonBlsts in its sulo
upon the open market and its pur
obase upoD its own merits by a class
of buyerB and merchants who, for
sharp brains and a perfect knowledge
of fruit In its every state, uio not
equated or at loast are not surpuBsed
among fruit men in the United States
Jinurlng the above in mind, 1 would
oall attention to a certain side of fanny
pears made in the onstoru markot this
full.
On October 0, 1005, a car uf Cornice
pears from the Kugue River Valley,
shipped from Alodfcrd, Oregon, was
sold at auotion in New York City, on
the open market, by Mofsrs. Sgoble &
Day, oomiuissiou merchants, and real
ized the sum uf 83,429.00, being an uv
erago of 3G 85 per box. Tho car con
tained live hundred boxes of fifty
label is on the box, as 1' is quality cf
the fruit that they are after and tbat
they are wil'ing to pay tbelr money
for. That is exuetly what is produced
in the Rogue River Valley, in the
state of Oregon quality, and this one
word answers the above questions,
namely, quality.
Tho next question tbat naturally
arises Is, why Bucb fruit upphreutly
oau be grown aloue in .the Rogue
River Valley. Tbis is a more diiiioult
question to nus.ver. but basing'oi.r
belief on the uutural luw of cauie
and effect, we think tbat it 1b 'not be
yond solution.
I3y taking a oirtls-oye view of the
Rogue Klver Vuliey you will Hud that
it is located in the extreme southern
and western portion of Oregon, be
tween two parallel ranges of the oouBt
range of iuouiitn(iiu, huviog u leugth
north and south of about twenty-five
mik'B and a varying width east and
west ot from six to ten n:l'e. It Is
ostimatud to oonttiin ovet a half mil
lion acres of laud tbat could be profit-
ubldy put into orchard. Its southern
t iani, and bard at times tbo
ground heomes thoroughly saturated
but during the rainy season we al
ways have uuys, weeks and even a
month at a time of the most delight
ful bright, clear, mild weather. Ths
temperature during the winter season
ranges from 30 to 70 d- grees ne'er
approaohr zero, uud as to snow, it is
not beie Sometimes we have a sl'gbt
flurry of snow, but It is air. ays grne by
uoou Ice we sometimes Hud early in
the mo"nlup perheps to the extent of
u quarter 'f an inch, but no more
Sur ly Providence hao been rery
grac'nns in givi: g us a perfect climate
p. ui'ld. short winter, aud a delight
ful Bummer We have none ot tho e
humid H-griay? in mid-summer
whlub u.ake the eastern part of our
fanoy fruit In faot, by
by analysis has proven the richest
Boil known.
Imagine a soli that without a drop
of rain trom May until October, with
the mercury ranging from DO to 1C0
degress in the day time, f. iow?d by
oool evenings aud nights, ran retain
enough moisture to raise premium
oorn and "nubbins " That Is what
is done right along in Rogue River
Valley
To return to the origfiiRl question
under disousslcn, I auswtr tl e Bame
by stating tbat Rogue River Valley
rroJuces pears which bee the v orld,
becuuu- of its geographical Iccr.tion,
its or rreot altitude, its perfect cli
mare. U9 p-culiar soil aud finally yet
of the utmost importance, its auib.t-
reauits and ing prevents di. ease and wormy
fruit; fanoy pioking pleases the eye
and makes a eonirlete whole tbut
oommunds the buyer. Were we uot
so particular lu every detail, would
Wo be holding the hotiors today?
judging by the pr'co that our pears
command on the market?
Just a word about the apple produc
tion of Rogue River Valley before en-
to profit. Only in a very few serous
in the United States are these oadi
tious to be found, and yet, they jxlut
In Ro!ue River Valley. Due tO uu
tural blessings that we enjoy, ills a
well known fact tbat both pearsaud
apples grown in this valley are uiex
celled as to flavor and keeping uiali-ties.
To return to the pear question, you
tering more into tne detail of pear will Hnd upon olose examination jtbat
culture in this distriot. ' fauoy boxed pears wbloh comicanl the
Think of seven and a half acres in highest prices on tbo market are
Yellow Newtowu Pippins that gross ! grown in three sretions: Rogue fiver
every year from 87,000 to id OVO to I Valley, California aud Idaho; aid as
the owner, with buvprs Hocking to already stated, Rogue River Villey
him for the fruit Tjis has been the. produces the fauclost of all. I The
r"omdofiMr A D Holms, who has
an orchard about lifceeu miles south
of Medford, and is a record that has
pounds each. This Is the highest I terminal is witnlu u fuw miios of the
price ever paid in the. United States
for a oar of pears. As eaob box aver
aged betwoen 00 uud 100 pears to the
box, tho prloo per pear was botween 7
and 8 cunts.
Compared with pricos paid lu the
east and othor sections for pours, these
figures may seem beyond belief, yet
hundreds of jars of pears from tho
Roguo River Vulloy have boon sold on
the open markot ut priuoB which ap
proximate the ubovo.
Tho question immediately springs
up Why this vast dlllooruoe lu
prices? Why does Rogue Kiver Val
ley fruit bring euuh Ugures and why
do merchants uud dealers pay luoro
for It thuu for fruit from any kuowu
distriot lu tho United States?
It is to be assumod that thoso mor
ohants aud dculers are not in the
hubit of paying out largo sums of
money merely for u label or for a
uamo. It is a business with thorn uml
they aro willing to pay fancy prices
only for striotly luuey fruir, it makes
no dilforonoe with theso buyors whero
stato of California.
To the south is California, with Its
suuuy skies aud long, dry, hot sum
mer, while in tho oppoalto direotlou
is tho "web-foot" northern Oregon
and Washington ollmute, consisting of
a rainy season from seven to nine
mouths duration. We are thus mid
way between tho two opposites, the
dry and the wet. and from each wo
draw the best. California gives us
from four to six months of hot, diy
aud sunny period, so ueoessary to the
produutlon of rnnoy fruit aud the
moisture that California lacks is fur
nished us by tho north. Ordinarily
we bavo heavy aud oopious ruius dur
ing tho winter season, which often
lasts as long as May or ovou June. It
then olenrs np with no more moisture
or rain until the lust of October or
Xovombor. Tills year our rains did
not start until the last of November.
Tho rainy susou Is our wiut.r. By
rniuy seasou Is uot meant a stoady
downpour of raiu or a steady drizzle
during tho entire period. To be sure
. A$!&mm wit
OriCHAKD OF J W PERKINS, MEDFORD, OREGON.
country altiot nnnudurable at times,
tu n!i oi sl-p ih; nadir a blanket lu
J ly; Au xat uud September.
Our H.tUudu ruigott from 1.300 to
2.0C0 ft ei Hbovo 8'ti ievel. Any ouo
fuuiiliar with tho rabitiK of fauuy
fruit will appreciate the t ati of ulti
tutle the rifrK altit uric uml chat
mouDtaiu or bill ido fruit is consider
ed the very uhoioctit
As to soil, iv u also clnim u reat ad
vautao Nature has provided us with
a rich, black uoby oil. known locally
as "stieky. !
analysis to
ious and progrosrivo orobardists. io- aepeated itself yeLrly for tho liwt Hve a PeP famine
where are tbuy etcellud, nor aro j yeai-B, with no oif season and oonse- j tau future.
orchards bo well taken care of aud so j quout short crops. This year his There is uo known remedy for this
Krorjs receipts are aoour ta.mju, 'mere disease. Uulitoraia for yera has had
are mauy apple orcburds in Kogue j salaried experts at work endeavoring
River Valley that cau tell the same to remedy the trouble. The United
main varieties grown In this ulley
are Doyenue du Cornice, Ben r re jlosc,
lieurre d'Aujou, Winter Nellis, jlow
ell and Bartlett,
There is uo fruit known thatls as
delicate and as exacting in tie re
quirements of sail and climate, but
more especially the latter, as the )ear.
Unless all conditions are perftotly
adapted, the raising of pears can not
be a successful venture, for which rea
son the greatest of care should be
used in planting a pear oroharri, to
know to a certainty that these condi
tions exist, otherwise a disappoint'
ment is probably In store for you.
The worst enemy to be found in the
production of pears is the pear blight,
which in the last fow years has been
i wiping ont many of the choicest pear
, districts in the United States. It it
j estimated that forty por cen of tne
i pear trees in the stato of California
have been killed in the last three
years by this dread orchard peat. The
result, although to be greatly de
j plored, is very apparent, as California
i bus heretofore furnished at least ulne
, ty per cent of all iho fancy boxed
pears produced in this country. The
; California pear production is growing
less aud less each year, with a corres
ponding advance in the prices of fancy
pears. If the present fatality of the
pear blight continues, thero will jure-
ln the not dis-
up-to-dato in every minute detail.
Here you will find cultivation, prun
ing, spraying and packing demon
strated in its most perfect and scien
tific form Are we not borne out in
tn'.s claim by results? "Tho test of
the pudding is chewing tho string,"
which also applies to pears.
With us a wormy pear is a cull
which baa no comiuerciul value The
It ivid been shown by j same is true of any imperfection,
be exceedingly rich in j cither of shupe,sizo or coloring. Cul-
lrou, potash, lime, nitrogen and other ( tivatiou, pruning and tu nniug the
elements neceseai y to fruit ruigiug fruit produces sizo and color j epray-
stoiy.
Here are a few facts in general con
cerning aprle prtductiou wnich I
thiuk yen will find in the maiu cor
rect. The two vaiietics of apples
universally conceded to bs ihe most
difficult of production and honco the
hignest pricad aro tho Newtown Pip
pin. Certain climatic aud soil con
ditions are required in order to grow
those apples to perfeetiou aud hence
States government, at all of the exper
imental stations, has been endeavor
ing to solvo the question, but with
out success, other than the use of the
kuifo aud the ax. Finally, California
in tho extomity of her loss, amount
ing to millions of dollars, appealed to
tho government at Washington and
there was sent from Washington to
California one of the most brilliant
niiids in the hoiticultural world, who
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS.
W.I. Vftwter, hvskkmt; U.
F.'Adkins, Vice President; G.
R. Lindley, Cashier; L. L.
Jucohs, Assistant Cashier; K.
H. Whitehead, T. W. Hutchi
son nnd A. A. Davis.
if
So
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Founded by VILLIAM I. VAVVTER, in 18S8.
Corner C and 7th Stoeets,
Operating Under State Charter.
Capital Fully Paid $50,000
Surplus, $30,000.
THE MANAGEMENT OF THE
Jackson County Bank
Ever since its Organization has endeavored to pursue
a progressive policy; to be liberal in treatment and
to adhere strictly to the legitimate lines of banking.
Nearly twenty years
undergone" management
and the oldest financial
Institution'in the City.
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