12 Fall 2014 Applegater
Notes from a Rogue entomologist
Introducing the Paragon, a pear
born and bred in southern Oregon
by richard j. hilton
released. We call it the Paragon, and it lives
up to its name. It is a rather unassuming
pear—its looks much like its Bartlett
parent, but like its Comice parent, it is a
glorious eating experience. Unlike Comice,
the skin is thin and very palatable. When
ripened it will melt in your mouth and the
flavor washes over you like a wave at the
Oregon coast.
At SOREC, a pear tasting has
been held annually since 2008.
In recent years participants have rated
the cultivars they taste, with Paragon
consistently receiving the highest overall
rating (see chart). This cultivar was
overlooked for so many years because
its appearance is so ordinary, but it is no
ordinary pear. With the release of this
cultivar our hope is that some grower will
champion it. But if that does not happen,
at least it will be available to the public
to plant and enjoy. To quote Thomas
Jefferson, “The greatest service which can
be rendered any country is to add a useful
plant to its culture.”
Richard J. Hilton • 541-772-5165
Senior Research Assistant/
Entomologist
Oregon State University
Research and Extension Center
richard.hilton@oregonstate.edu
I have now been working
good taste and red skin color.
with pears for more than a quarter
Many crosses were made,
of a century, and I will be the
almost always with Comice
first to say that pears can be a
as one parent and often
tough sell. There’s an old French
with a red Bartlett pear as
saying, “You eat an apple when
the other. Three red pear
you are ready. You eat a pear when
cultivars were released from
it is ready.” Or, as Ralph Waldo
this program: the Reimer
Emerson put it, “There are only
Red in 1961, Rogue Red
ten minutes in the life of a pear
in 1969, and Cascade in
when it is perfect to eat.” Needless
1985. While these pears
to say, in a world where the
were planted locally to some
demand for instant gratification
extent and the Cascade was
becomes ever more resounding,
patented and planted more
the elusive secrets of the pear seem
widely, they never really
further and further remote.
caught on.
In order to ripen a
But from the breeding
The Paragon, a cross between Comice and red Bartlett, is literally
European pear correctly, you
program in southern Oregon,
a Comice in the skin of a Bartlett.
must store freshly picked fruit in a
two cultivars were selected
cool place for an extended period of time. unripened or crisp and crunchy. One such not for their appearance, as they had no
The exact amount of time varies with the pear, called Gem, which I have sampled, red color, but for their eating quality. One
cultivar and the storage temperature. For is being developed by the US Department was planted by Mike Thorniley, a local
instance, a Bartlett can be held for as little of Agriculture and is being tested in orchardist, and he dubbed it BestEver. It
as a week while an Anjou must be stored for Hood River. Being partial to fully ripened is now grown
over a month. After this period of cooling European pears, I was quite prepared to and marketed
Annual SOREC Pear Tasting 2013
the pear is placed at room temperature dislike Gem, but it was very nice with a b y M e y e r
Average Rating (Scale of 0 to 5)
for up to a week. You know that a pear is good pear taste.
Orchards in
5
*
There are those (one of my sons Ta l e n t a n d
ripe when the flesh near the stem yields
**
4
to gentle pressure. Some cultivars, like among them) who prefer their pears has been such
* * *
*
*
Bartlett, will turn yellow as the fruit ripens. crunchy; however, I do not think the pear a good seller
3
*
If the fruit has not been cooled for long can beat the apple at its own game. So in t h a t m o r e
2
enough then it may never ripen. But a order to promote pears, we need to educate acreage has
1
perfectly ripe pear is a wonder, sweet and folks on how to ripen pears properly. I have been planted.
juicy, with a melting texture. The pear found that kids love sweet ripened pears
A n d
0
cultivar that is universally acknowledged when they are provided. We also need to this brings
as the premier eating pear is the Doyenné develop good quality pear cultivars. The m e
t o
du Comice, better known locally as Harry Southern Oregon Experiment Station (now t h e f i n a l
part of the Southern Oregon Research and s e l e c t i o n
and David’s Royal Riviera.
But the difficulty in ripening Extension Center or SOREC) conducted f r o m t h e
* = offspring of Comice
pears has led to the development of an extensive pear-breeding program until b r e e d i n g
Underlined
cultivars developed at SOREC
some newer varieties that can be eaten the 1960s that focused on two key factors: program to be
AGRiCULTURE
variety of lavender products, from lotions
and soap to culinary delights.
Applegate producers sell their goods
to local restaurants, at farmers’ markets,
in on-site stores, and to friends. Lark’s
restaurant in Ashland buys lambs irrelevant
to the genetic pool from the Weavers
and beef from Peter Salant. Morning
Glory in Ashland, the C Street Bistro in
Jacksonville, and New Sammy’s in Talent
also buy Salant beef. Mike sells hay by word
of mouth, the Owens’ store is on their
farm, and Whistling Duck sells produce
at the Medford and Ashland growers’
markets, in the Ashland Co-op and Food
4 Less, and at the on-site store, now fully
staffed in a new building.
Cougars, bears, and coyotes
can be a problem for livestock in the
Applegate. But, Peter says, “The predators
were here first,” so the farmer pursues
prevention. Dogs are valuable guardians
of livestock. Hay farmers are plagued by
unexpected summer rain, and labor (not
bugs, which, Mary says, just come and
go) is the main problem for the vegetable
FROM PAGE 1
farmer, since the Applegate does not have
a large Hispanic community or access to
other labor pools. Water is only a problem
for Applegate agriculturists depending on
location and crop. Sue and Derek Owen
use drip irrigation from a well, but they
are lucky (or wise in their choice), for
lavender is not a thirsty plant. Whistling
Duck Farm is on the Applegate River, so
water is no problem.
Farm work repeats itself. Soay
sheep need new pasture every four days.
Whistling Duck crops are rotated yearly.
In a good summer, Mike cuts alfalfa four
times. Peter needs six days every two weeks
to flood the pastures for the good grass
that makes the good milk that makes the
big calves.
All in all, whether the farmer is
raising livestock or growing crops, the
Applegate is a pretty good place to be.
Sheep, cattle, hogs, lavender, vegetables,
hay—everything thrives under good care
just like the rest of us in the Applegate.
Diana Coogle
dcoogle@laughdogpress.com
Sue and Derek Owen grow fields of
lavender on their English Lavender Farm.
Peter Salant raises cattle on
the old Kleinhammer Ranch.
4-H: Youth development for 100 years
The earliest record of 4-H activity in
Jackson County comes in 1913 under the
name of the Industrial Club. Members
took part in local projects, the state fair,
and the Panama Pacific International
Exposition in San Francisco. Two of
Oregon’s ten delegates to the Exposition
came from Jackson County.
In 1914, Congress passed the
Smith-Lever Act, expanding vocational,
agricultural, and home demonstration
programs in rural America through land-
grant universities. By 1916 the program
was being called 4-H and had extended
into Josephine County. In 1921, 4-H
exhibited for the first time at the Josephine
County Fair. (The 4-H emblem, patented
in 1924, is still a green four-leaf clover with
a white “H” on each leaflet, symbolizing
Head, Heart, Hands, and Health.)
The organization languished during
the lean years of the early 1930s, but in
1935 club work picked up. In 1939 a
new organizational plan led to increased
activities including, in Jackson County,
a skits festival, a countywide picnic, and
the first annual leaders’ banquet. Energy
slowed during World War II, when the
shortage of tires and gasoline meant fewer
meetings. After the war, activities picked
up again.
Today the 4-H mission is the
same as it was when 4-H started: youth
development. The most significant thing
4-H does, says Sue Hunt, a leader of 4-H in
Josephine County,
is “assist youth
in finding their
passion and equip
them to become
healthy, confident,
competent, caring
and contributing
members of their family, community, and
society,” a goal that is voiced in the 4-H
pledge: “…for my club, my community,
my country, and my world.”
Now as from its inception, 4-H uses
agricultural and other projects to “hook”
youth. “Then, with the assistance of
many volunteers and using research-based
materials, we help youth develop life skills
that they can use in many areas throughout
their lives,” Sue says. Anne Manlove, of
4-H in Jackson County, enumerates some
of those skills: how to use time wisely, how
to keep records and fill out forms, how to
make good decisions, how to interact and
communicate well. Projects like raising
steers—having to get up every morning
and take care of that animal—teach kids
good work ethics.
The agricultural career choice
is only one part of 4-H. Students who raise
koi are learning the same kinds of things
as those who raise hogs and cows. There is
also a foods component, horticulture, and
expressive arts. All of it works towards the
same goal: positive youth development.
—Diana Coogle