Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1908)
TTHE MORNING OREGONIAN, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1908. 13 VAST EMPIRE AWAITS THE IRRIGATOR Though Oregon Already Has 600,000 Acres Under Ditch, Double Tha,t . Area Can Be" Made Productive by Irrigation Plans of Government Br rrank In White. rITH an area approximating 600,000 acres of land under existing ditches, owned by Individuals and corporations, or Included In United States reclamation projects or Carey act segre gations completed or under construction, Oregon is rapidly advancing to a high rank among the Irrigation states of the Union. According to the estimates of authorities there is more than 1.000,000 acres and possibly as much as 1,500,000 acres of land lyiag East of the Cascades that can be. brought under Irrigation at a cost more than Justified by the produc tive power 'of the land and which will be gradually added to the highly profitable areas of the state as soon as railroad transportation is afforded. Two Government projects, the Umatilla and the Klamath, the first at the north end of the state, near the Columbia River, where transportation facilities are afforded by both rail and water, and the Klamath, an interstate project, with the greater area In Oregon but a portion of . the land to be reclaimed and watered lying within the Stato of California, com prise about 220,000 acres. The various Carey act segregations approximate about 250.000 acres, of which the greater area is In Crook County along the course of the Deschutes River. The remainder of the total Irrigated area of the state is watered from canals built by private en terprise or corporations formed by In dividuals Interested locally and these are chiefly in Umatilla. ( Baker, Wallowa, Union, Crook, Klamath and Lake counties. In each of the counties named, together with Grant, Harney, Wheeler, Morrow, Gilliam and Wasco, are considerable dis tricts with favorable topographic condi tions and water supply that could be utilized- with conservation for making land of low value under natural con ditions very valuable and fit for intensive agriculture. Valleys and plains of these counties upon which water will eventually fce distributed through canals and laterals are at altitudes varying from a few hun dred feet above sea level to 40u0 feet, but at murh lower elevation than hundreds of thousands of acres of proline lands of the Rocky Mountain states where irri gation has been developed most scientif ically and the results are entirely satis factory. Where the mass of population, as in the Pacific Northwest, lies near sea level there is a predisposition to the -belief that elevation proclaims impossibilities in the growth of vegetables, fruits, grains, grasses and vegetation, common to the same latitudes throughout the world. This is an erroneous conclusion as demon strated by the marvelous yields and variety of crops grown at high eleva tions in Malheur, Klamath, Crook and Lake counties. At the National Irrigation Congress ex hibit of Irrigated lands products at Sacra mento, Call., September 2-7, last, Malheur County won first prize on fruit In com binatiqn with the display from Klamath County, entered as the Oregon exhibit, and Klamath County won first prizes on wheat, oats, barley, forage and for the best display from a single farm and the best from a single garden. This was in competition with exhibits from all of the Irrigated states and with displays aggre gating a valua of many thousands of dollars. From the enactment of the National Irrigation act, under which the reclama tion service operates, Oregon has been the largest contributor to the fund realized from the sale of public lands and which constitutes the reclamation fund. The state has therefore been awakened by this fact and the projects approved within the borders of the commonwealth, to a realization of the Importance of develop ment and its consequential benefits. While the ratio of receipts for public land sales have declined for a year or two as compared with the previous years, Ore gon still holds second place in the ag gregate contribution to the fund. The proposed Malheur project, designed to bring more than 100.000 acres under water, which was investigated and finally abandoned by the reclamation service, it Is deemed probable will be revived In time and carried to successful consummation by the Goverlnment Engineers. The Silver Creek, Ana Creek, Chewaucan, Silver Lake and Owyhee projects are also pros pective enterprises that at the proper time may be taken up by the service. After prolonged negotiations between the principals in the Carey act projects and the state officials whose duty it is to supervise such irrigation works and se cure compliance with the law under which such enterprises have been organized, matters of difference and misunderstand ing regarding the price to be charged for water and paid by persons who acquire the lands by homesteading, were adjusted during 1907 and owing to increased cost of labor and material the acreage price within some of these projects has been considerably Increased. Questions in volved In the controversy and the prog ress of the adjustment were fully cov ered m the news columns of The Orego nlan during the year. Within the past month patents have been issued toy the Government covering 38,000 acres of this land. In the Willamette, Umpqua and Rogue River Valleys, where the annual rainfall would seem to preclude any need for Ir rigation, it has been demonstrated by progressive farmers and fruitgrowers that yield may be greatly augmented by the application of water during the dry period of the Summer and Fall seasons. Many garden tracts and some hay and alfalfa fields and a great many orchards . of these valleys of Western Oregon are watered from laterals brought from streams that come from the slopes of the Cascades, Calapooias or Coast Range Mountains. Doubtless the future will witness the building of great works to. distribute wa ter over acres that have annually grown splendid cereal crops since the pioneers first came to the Oregon country, but under the magic of scientific application of moisture during the dry season will re spond with greater tonnage and better quality, diversified in character, the soil enriched by a silt making thee favored regions more than ever before compara ble with the fields of the Pharaohs. Lying East of the Umatilla River and south, of the Columbia, surrounding the towns of Umatilla and Hermlston is the region to' be quickened by the waters of the Umatilla project. ' About 20,000 acres In extent, the canal and distributing sys tem is to be fed from t..e Cold Springs reservoir, under construction by the Rec lamation Service aid to be completed early lu 1908. The reservoir is to be sup plied by a canal 25 miles in length con veying the water from the Umatilla River at a point about three miles above Echo. The feed canal has been constructed un der contract, as bave portions of the dis tributing system canals and laterals. Larger areas may be embraced within the Umatilla project, that having been con templated from the advent of the Gov ernment In that district. If so, the water supply will be secured by pumping plants operated by electric power. The Klamath project was originally planned to place water upon a total of about 250,000 acres, including swamp lands and lake beds of lower Klamath Lake, Tule Lake and along the Klamath River. The project is about one-fourth In Cali fornia and three-fourths in Oregon, but owing to the exclusion of certain por tions of tha mmg lands the acrease, will probably not be in excess of 200,000. The first unit of the main canal was com pleted in the Spring of 1907 and water furnished through the new canal for the acreage under irrigation previously from the.Ankeny Canal, which the Government had acquired by purchase. Water was not in readiness as early as necessary for the best results in irriga tion, and incidents of first use of a new canal system prevented fall irrigation of the acreage already under cultivation. However, the distributing system is now completed and the canal In condition to furnish water as desired for the 15.000 acres or thereabouts . that is included under the first unit. The first unit was constructed under contract, but owing to inability to secure what were regarded as satisfactory bids, the work done dur ing 1907 was under force account, includ ing laterals of the distribution system and work on the Keno canal on the west side of Link River at Klamath Falls. The Klamath project Is unique among Government Irrigation works, embrac ing as it does the drainage of large areas of swamp land, the soil of which is peat and of such - extraordinary fertility that when reclaimed It will be adapted to the most intensive and profitable character of crops. The main source of supply for this vast acreage Is taken from Link River, a mile above the town of Klamath Falls, just below the lower or southern end of Up per Klamath Lake. Headgates of the Main Canal and Keno Canal are located on opposite sides of the stream. The Main Canal Is a veritable river, measur ing 44 feet wide on the bottom and 65 feet wide at the surface when flowing full capacity. It skirts the eastern side - ' - - - ' - v 'w i aA-... rim,,, ift-n .,.s...-A.. .Jt ,..,... ....h-yA... .1 ,..,.i,'v' -a-, imr. n , -rmfotim , mntti ifnra Si i,,.t m k COMBINED HARVESTER AT WORK IN W HEAT FIELD, MORROW CODNTT, OR. Photo by Slgsbee, Heppner. Or. GROWS SUPERIOR GRAVENSTEINS . - j : . Coos Bay Country Becomes Producer of Early . Apples Finds New Market in Alaska for Them By Walter T,tn, Secretary of Manhfleld Chamber of Commerce. THB outside world has heard of the Coos Bay harbor,' with its many mag nificent timber and coal resources; but little is known of dairying, fruit-growing, market gardening and poultry pos sibilities. To the present time, timber and coal have overshadowed the other resources in the public mind, but be cause of these leading lndustrjes the others are being developed and brought into prominence. The mills, mines and factories must be supplied with the products of the soil and the growing home market for the product of dairy, orchard, garden and barnyard Is at tracting attention to these resources. The past year the Coos Bay apple and the possibilities of that portion of Ore gon lying west of the Coast Range Mountains as an apple-growing dis trict, attained considerable prominence. In September the Marshfleld Chamber of Commerce offered a prize for the best box of apples grown In Coos County. It was the Gravensteln ap ple season and the collection of Gravensteins the offer brought out was astonishing. In passing, judgment. Professor Lewis, horticulturalist of the State Agricultural College, and Dr. James Wlthycombe. In charge of the Government experiment station at the same school, who were selected as Judges, declared: "The world cannot beat the Coos exhibition of Graven stein apples." The prize box, pro nounced by all who saw It to be the finest specimen of the Gravensteln var iety ever shown, was purchased by P. B. Walte. of Portland, for 20. Until the past year, the Gravensteln crop of Coos County has been. handled exclusively by commission men from San Francisco. Every Summer and Fall It has been a race among repre sentatives of San Francisco commission houses to get into the field first and engage all, or as near as possible alt of the entire crop. It has not been to the Interest of these commission .men to spread the fame of the Coos Bay Gravensteins and Invite competition, for San Francisco furnishes a ready market for. all this section produces and the commission agents have been able to fix tlielr own buying prices. The past year growers realized 40 to 0 cents a box in the orchard for their Gravensteins, a lower price than Is likely to ever obtain again. The fame of the Gravensteln has now gone abroad and Inquiries now come from all quarters about "that Fall apple of Coos Bay, of rich yellow color with here and there a dash of red." The past year an Australian exporter discovered the home of the Gravensteins that have held first place in the San Francisco market and through him 10,000 boxes found their way into the markets of Australia. Another waiting market for the Coos Bay Gravensteln is Alaska. This apple ripens at a time when there is a dearth of apples on the market. Alaska requires an apple that can be shipped in during the Summer months, and the gravensteln is that apple. Other Summer and Fall, and also Winter apples, thrive In Coos County. The Spltzenbergs, Rubicons, Grimes Golden, Baldwin, Newtown Pippin, Starks, Northern Spy, Arkansas Black and kindred varieties do 'well. In No vember a display of 24 boxes of Fall and .Winter apples grown - in Coos of the basin, one branch passing through Lost River Gap" to reach lnnds In Poe Valley, and the main flow -be carried under' Lost River by mean of an In verted siphon, for placing the water on lands in the Merrill section. At Clear Lake, the head of Lost River, will be built a storage reservoir which will Impound flood waters that annually inundate the swamp lands and flat areas bordering Lost River In Langell Valley, from which will be carried a canal through Lost River Valley and Irrigate the greater portion of the section tribu tary to Bonanza- Lost River empties Into Tule Lake,' a broad expanse of more than 94,000 acres In extent at the north ern side of the famous Modoc lava beds, and having no visible outlet, until very recently, when an underground opening waa revealed by the forming of a whirl pool near Scorpion Point. , At some time Lost River found its out let through a channel that made It trib utary to the Klamath River, but this channel, now known as Lost River Slough, has united the waters of the two streams in recent years only during the flood-period of the smaller stream. Part of the engineering work contemplated in completing the project la to make an open drainage cut between Lost River and Klamath through the old channel of this slough, thereby diverting the flow of the stream from Tule Lake, which would be dried up by evaporation even tually, and the greater part of the lake bed reclaimed. Whether or not the new opening through which the lake is draining will render unnecessary - this portion of the projected reclamation remains to be- dis closed by lapse of time. County waa placed on exhibition In Portland the week following a similar exhibition from Hood River and the Willamette Valley. The Judgment of those who witnessed the display from the. different districts was that the Coos County apples were equal to any shown. Apple-growers familiar With condi tions at Hood River, Wenatchee, Yak ima Valley and the Willamette Valley, and also conversant with conditions here have no hesitancy in predicting that the great apple producing section of the country will lie along the Pa effle Ooast of Oregon west of the Coast Range Mountains. The climate Is peculiarly adapted to fruit. Pe&ts that are so destructive to orchards In other districts, cannot flourish where the evenings are cool and the breath from the sea Is felt every day. There are no Insects or worms that affect Coos Bay apples. Of course, It is not ex pected that the district will always be entirely free from Insect enemies, as fruit-raising Is engaged In more ex tensively, nor can orcharding be fol lowed successfully without attention to preventative measures. But apple-growers along the Coast will never be subjected to the expense of spraying and fighting that Is neces sary In other sections. There has never been a killing frost and the country never saw snow enough to even amuse the inhabitants. There are no .jack rabbits in the Coos Bay country and trees are never nibbled by these pests. There Is never a failure of the apple crop. The horticulturist needs only to put his trees in the ground scientifi cally, cultivate and prune properly, and In a space 'pf five years they will yield him good returns. Trees grow rapidly in this soil and climate and begin bearing at three years old. The yield of a Gravensteln tree ranges from 10 to 15 boxes. ' Al lowing 13 boxes to the tree and 80 trees to the acre, yields a crop of (60 boxes. At CO. cents a box, the former Cooa Bay price, ' brings la lnoome of ........... t if.,.M ,,, ,j - -feT' THRESHING CREW IN EASTERN OREGON WHEAT FIELD. Photo by Slgsbee, Heppner, Or. I..... .............. ...... ............... ...... 4 1576 an acre. But It Is not likely the Gravensteins of Coos Bay will aver again be sold at that low figure. The lands within the area- tributary to Coos Bay which are specially adapted to fruit growing; Include many thousand acres. Apples are grown on either bottom or up-land. but the or chardlst' who has given closest study to apple-growing In this section pre fers bench or upland. This land can be had at (20 to $50 an acre, and the pre diction that all the west slope of the Coast Range mountains will ultimately be covered with orchards. In harmony with the economics of nature. APPLES OF MOSIER VALLEY UNEXCELLED Even Hood River Orcbardists Ad mit That Product of Nearby Dis trict Equals Their Own. By J. M. Hosier. OSIER 1s the one place In Oregon that raises apples equal to those of Hood River, so says the Hood River Glacier of November 14. The reason for this is. apparent because M osier Valley la only six miles east of Hood River and has the same advantages of . soil and cli mate which. In connection with the fact that there Is a great quantity of Hood River Valley fruit grown farther from the shipping point than Mosler, accounts for the similarity of the product. Tne only difference, therefore, is In the plan of shipping. .' ' So well has the fact become known that Mosier apples 'are of exactly the same quality as those produced at Hood River they are no longer required to compete with each other as 'to quality, but rank together In competition with all others, and there Is nothing that can be said about one of these places regarding the apple that will not apply to the other. The growers also exercise the same care as the Hood River orchardist ("per haps following and profiting by his ex perience) in pruning, spraying, cultivat ing and thinning, methods are also Iden tical in grading, sorting and packing. The VALVE OF A FEW OREGON PROD UCTS FOR 1807. Lumber JO0.OOO.00O Vheat. 18,300.000 bushels.. 15.355.000 Dairying- 16,000,000 Wool, 20,000,000 pounds. ... 3.KO0.00O Fruit 4.275.185 Salmon . 2,081,700 Hops, 130,000 bales 1.924.000 Gold. 171,000 ounces., 2.855,700 Total .115,891,585 Mosier Fruitgrowers' Association allo-vs no man to pack his own apples, thus eliminating the passible desire to put In inferior fruit.. This is In accord wth the Hood River method except the Mosier association pays packers by the day in stead of by the box thus obviating the necessity of haste on the part of the packer. There are in the Mosier Valley 50,000 acres of land of which at least half could be made to produce fancy fruit, not only apples but all other fruits commonly grown In this section. Cherries in parti cular grow to the highest degree of per fection. Of this amount of available land for fruit culture only about 500 acres are now set to trees although at present a large acreage is being cleared, prepara tory to tree planting. There is at least one-third' of a bill'on feet of pine and fir timber in this sec tion which is only awaiting the sawmill to toe converted Into lumber and fruit boxes, a large amount of which will find a ready market at home. Many cars of building material and fruit boxes are shipped in each year instead of being manufactured here. - The price of land In Mosier Valley is not so high as to prohibit the man of moderate means from acquiring suffi cient to engage in fruit culture, the at tractive industry which in the proper locality, will always bring the greatest re turns without fear of overproduction. And now a word to those who desire to engage in this profitable business, have a care where you locate, overlook the places just as good and choose that sec tion of which there la no doubt of Its be la the beet Hosier. . CITY LEADS IN WHOLESALE TRADE . Natural Advantages Make Portland the Distributive Center for the Entire Pacific Northwest Jobbing Business of at Least $200,000,000 Annually PORTLAND, Jt Is said, has the larg est tributary territory ' of all American cities. At Its gates lie the entire state of Oregon and large sections of Washington , and Idaho. More remote, yet destined to play a role of ever Increasing importance in Its commercial growth, and Northern California,' Montana. Alaska, Hawaii, and that great market of limitless pos sibilities, the Orient. A glance at the .map makes it obvious that Portland will become one of the great jobbing centers of the United States and of the world. Years ago were laid the foun dations of the wholesale business, as the surrounding country has developed this trade has extended; to what vol ume It ultimately may grow can only now be conjectured. . Nature made Portland the distribu tive center of the great Pacific North west. Its site is the one logical loca tion for a metropolis within a radius of hundreds of miles, and though other prosperous cities in her territory are sure to grow in population and trade, Portland will always lead. With the only water grade into the great Inland Empire, and with the rich Willamette Valley spreading southward from its very 'doors, Portland's position is In vulnerable. This city's fresh water harbor and central location gives It In comparable strategic advantages, and when the channel to the sea Is deep ened. It can meet all competitors for the "Mastery of the Pacific." Portland has made a point to tell of Its' rapid growth. Its splendid scenery, mild climate and other advantages, but little has been said directly concerning the extent of the wholesale buisness. Tet this trade has grown rapidly to gi gantic proportions. The volume of the Jobbing trade is more difficult to esti mate than any other, because - there are no records, except the private books of individual concerns. The ac cepted estimate;, however, place Port land's wholesale trade for the year Just ended at $200,uu0,000. This is the estimate of the Portland Commercial Club, In which most of the jobbers are enrolled as members, and It Is the esti mate given by many Important whole sale houses. In order to obtain reliable informa tion on the Jobbing trade of the city. The Oregonian recently nailed a list of questions concerning - the various lines of business to a large number of firms. The replies that have been re ceived make a remarkable showing. Not only is the volume of business great, but it Is rapidly growing, and no year has shown greater progress than the one just ended. The estimates given show that dry goods, hardware and groceries lead, each with annual sales amounting, to 115,000,000. These figures, it is be lieved, are very conservative, and if exact Information were at hand. It is not unlikely that they would be higher. Other estimates that have been re ceived give the annual sales of various lines as follows: Implements, $3,000,-" 000; vehicles, 13,000,000; drugs. $3,000, 000; shoes. $2,000,000; millinery, $1,000,000. Besides this, there Is a long list of commodities. Including liquors, build ing material, furniture and many other lines for wnlcu no figures are avail able. All the dealers report that 1907 was by far the best for the jobbing trade In the history of the city. . On the whole, it Is shown that there was an average over 190 of 20 to 30 per cent,' and in several lines a still 'larger gain was made. It Is probable that the average advance would have been at least 30 per cent If it had not been for Jthe general financial stringency toward the close of the year and the. legal holidays that considerably handicapped trade. Portland's main markets naturally are In Oregon. Washington and Idaho, 1 but lejjte quaoUtlee of food are eent to other states, and shipments to Alaska and Hawaii are an appreciable factor. The reports mentioned show that the city is more strongly en trenching Itself each year in the dls- tant markets, and the growth of thle trade is only limited by the extension and improvement of transportation fa cilities. . The hf ad of one of the largest whole sale firms In the city makes this re sume of the needs of the trade:- "Transportation facilities to districts In which wholesale houses operate at a disadvantage u?l reason of our dis tance from such districts.' as, for in stance, Puget Sound country, could be Improved if Portland Jobbers would all work the trade thoroughly, increasing the volume of business sufficiently to justify, and then insist on, and pro cure, from the railroad companies through car service; through cars loaded full each day at Portland and go to such remote districts without stopping, thus, giving quicker delivery. "Portland jobbers should have addi tional or more Improved transportation facilities as- follows: "A more direct line into the Taklma country, without going via the Sound, either by going up the Cowlitx River and across, or going up the White Sal mon, skirting the base of Mount Adams and down some stream on the other side. By extension of tne Yakima, Vancouver and Klickitat railroad, or the Columbia River & Northern. We lie as close to the Yakima country as the Sound and there Is no reason why we should not get up there more eas ily than we do. "Improved and more direct transpor tation facilities Into the Big Bend coun try. Tills will probably follow the com pletion of the North Bank railroad, as without question, the Northern Pa cific or the Great Northern will sooner or later, and we think very soon, find It to its interest to build from some point on the main line on the Northern Pa cific, north of Pasco, directly north into the Big Bend country, pulling wheat out of that country down hill to the Co lumbia, and down the Columbia to Port land, and at the same time putting us in a position, by reason of a more direct grade and better route, to com pete for the jobbing trade. "Opening up of the Central Oregon country, and more particularly do we need at this time, such a line as the Harrinian - interests have talked of, starting from, say Natron, going south east across the mountains into the Klamath country, with a line extended across the state east and west, with a spur down Into the Lakevlew district. Such a line Is more essential at this PRUNES FOR THE Big, Juicy Italian Variety Oregon The Dried Fruit By H. C. AtwelL THE dried prune output of ' the United States Is confined exclus ively to the Pacific Coast Cali fornia's production' of this fruit is lim ited to the French, or Petite, variety, which Is a email, red, sweet prune, and Is dried In the sun. The Willamette Valley, in Oregon, and Clark County, Washington, fur nish the bulk of the Italian prunes, which are larger than the Petite, black and of a tart flavor, and are dried by artificial heat. A considerable quantity of Italians are raised In Idaho and a few in East ern Oregon and Eastern Washington, but are mostly shipped green. It is estimated that Clark County produced this season 6,000,000 or 6,000,000 pounds, and the output of Oregon Is placed at 25,000,000 pounds, of which Marlon County is credited with 7,000,000 pounds, Douglas County 5,000,000 pounds, Yamhill County 4,00, 000 pounds, Clackamas County 2,000,000 pounds. Lane County 1,800,000 pounds. Polk County 1,500,000 pounds, Linn County 1,200,000 pounds, and Washing ton County 700,000 pounds. Thus it will be seen that the most of the world's supply of this fruit, in the dried form, comes from the compara tively small district extending from Roseburg, Or., to Vancouver, Wash. I say the world's supply, because so few of this variety are produced In Europe .that practically all the competition from prunes encountered by our evap orated Italians, in the old countries, as well as In the United States, comes from the Petites. The comparatively limited area which has proved congenial to the growth of the Italian prune is an im portant factor In predicting a prosper ous future for the prune industry Of the Willamette Valley. The Italian is so unlike the Petite In flavor and appearance that It stands in a class by Itself. It has -been com pelled to establish a place in the mar kets as a distinct fruit. Prior to the last decade. Its identity was lost. In the market quotations, under the gen eral term of "prunes," and dealers looked upon It with disfavor and an unwarranted and unpromising Innova tion, the only standard for prunes be ing the Petite. Consumers who were tired of the in sipid little combination of pit and skin presented In the Petites usually served at cheap boarding-houses, were loath to believe that there was any differ ence in prunes. : la late years, however, the popu larity of the Italian prune has grown immensely. The public has become educated to the fact that there la a difference In prunes, and the wide spread demand for thle variety hai - time than a line Into Central Oregon that would lie north of this route, for the reason that - the trade of tho Klamath and Lake regions, because of th.e Harrlman Interests pushing lines north will soon be absolutely tributary to San Francisco and California jobbing centers, unless access is given from this srde. "There is no end of room for elabor ation on this matter of Improved trans portation facilities, including the deep ening of our bar; establishment of trana-Paclflc line oi steamers; Alaskan line; completion of the Celilo canal: direct steamers, with Tehauntepec and Hawaii. The establishing of a line from the Pacific Coast of Tehauntepec, along the west coast of South America would admit of our catering to that trade with many of our products by simply one transfer at the Isthmus." Undoubtedly a large portion of the Alaskan trade would be gained by Portland If direct service were insti tuted, according to the opinion of many Jobbers. "Portland can secure a very large part of the Alaska trade." says one, "if the merchants will go at It In a systematic' manner, by covering the territory with experienced travelers who need not expect to get all the bcsl ness the first trip. Jobbing and manu facturing business is built up by hard, persistent work." At present the Alaska business la an Important factor In many lines and there is no question but- that it can be increased. Without, exception. Jobbers urge the necessity of a line into Central Oregon. This rich territory will become one of Portland's great markets when it is opened up, and a line from the north Into the Klamath country la imperative If Portland is to hold her own with San Francisco. Portland-la now com peting with San Francisco for- the Southern Oregon and Northern Califor nia trade and merchants feel confident that this city's share will grow. Although Portland has many old wholesale houses, a very great pro portion of the business has originated within the last few years. In many lines the business originating within the past ten years amounts to an In crease from 100 to 300 per cent, ac cording to the Information furnished by the business men themselves. In some lines It has exceeded this and In several departments the entire trade has developed during this period. The Jobbing shoe trade, for lnstace, now amounting to $2,000,000 a year, had no headquarters whatever here, ten years ago. This rapid development only shows what may be expected in the future. ENTIRE WORLD Reaches Perfection in Staple in All Markets Insured It a regular place In the mar ket quotations. It Is known to the trade as the Ore gon prune, while the Betlte is classed as the California prune. The prune, even at the high price prevailing at this season. Is a cheap article of diet, as compared with other fruits, whether dried or fresh. ' Leading medical and scientific au thorities have demonstrated its dietary value; and, now that its liberal con sumption has been found to be a sure cure for baldness, we may expect a marked Increase in Its use. ' The production of this fruit has not been overdone. Few additional prunw orchards have ybeen planted In recent years, owing, probably, to the consid erable outlay, of capital required for evaporators and machinery, and to the fact that thes expense of harvesting -and curing is considerably larger than in the production of other fruits. The bulk of our product Is consumed in the United States, north of Mason and Dixon's line. Chicago, Boston, Philadelphia, and New York are the principal distributing centers, the lat ter city being largely In the lead, and being the center o the export trade, which is rapidly expanding. Most of the output Is packed in 25 and. 50 pound boxes by the packing-houses of Portland, Vancouver, Salem and Al bany. The packers have paid, this season, an average price of over 5 cents a pound f. o. b. local station, and not over 20 or . 30 cars remain in growers' hands. An encouraging feature of the mar ket this year, aside from the satisfac tory price to growers, was the fact that, although the crop was lighter, the shipments East up to November 1 were double those of last year. A mature and thrifty orchard, under proper management, should net its owner from $100 to $150 an acre. ENGLISH WALNUTS THRIVE IK OREGON Iadtutry V St"1 ,n Its Infancy btnt Gives Promise of Becoming Im portant and Profitable. it MONO Oregon's industries that are as yet in their Infancy, but which promises much for the future, is the crl ture of English walnuts. Only during the past few years has walnut growing commanded wide attention In this state. So encouraging have the results been up to this time, however, that numerous groves have been set out and the. public Is beginning to realize that walnuts will probably become one of the state's Im portant and remunerative products. So young Is this Industry that there are comparatively few matured plantings In the state. From such trees that have grown to bearing, those who are making a, study of their cultivation believe that the .walnut in Oregon will be a complete success. In some cases matured trees have failed to produce the crops expected, but it Is believed that this has been due to the planting of Inferior varieties, poor cultivation and the selection of soil not suited to the walnut. The walnut groves of Thomas Prince at Dundee are. the largest in the state. Mr. Prince planted 350 trees In 1897, and 2000 trees the following year. From these' he harvested last year between four and five tons of nuts. He has had great suc cess with his groves and has been import ing large quantities of seed nuts for hit plantiirgs. Other planters have hail equally encouraging results and the groves will be carefully watched from yeaV to year as the ultimate fate of the Industry depends on the bearing capacity of the fully-matured trees. Walnuts grown in Oregon are of un usual size and of excellent quality. At first the California walnuts were taken for seeding purposes, but developments indicate this was a mistake, and rr iw ; are now importing the more vigorr -s French varieties. Among the varieties that promise most here are Mayette, Mcy lan, Franquette, Parlslenne, Chaberte and Parry. Profits from walnuts are large after the trees come Into full bearing. The market Is constantly becoming better, . r the consumption of nuts In 'the United States la etKrwln a, rapid Increase.