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About Morning Oregonian. (Portland, Or.) 1861-1937 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1909)
; t-V i iff - WALNUTS New Industry Promises Much, and By Profsor r. Orno Ajricul- turml College. DURING the last frw years walnut Kronir.c has passed throuirh a won derful development in the Paciflc Northwest, and this development haa been the greatest In the Willamette Val ley in W'eMtern Orenon. while Yamhill County is probably' the banner county. Nevertheless every county in the Valley ha the condition that will make the growing- of this very valuable nut highly aucressfu!. ' Southern Oreson is giving some atten tion to this industry, and today bearin)? trees are to be found in every city and villa" from Ashland to Portland. Un doubtedly there are thousands of acres of ideal walnut land to be found in West ern Oregon, extending from an elevation of Joflft feet on the slopes of the Cascades to sea level. An yet the regions east of the Cascade Mountains have not de veloped walnut srowlng; to any reat ex tent, while much of the resion is not adapted to this industry. Nevertheless the rich, fertile valleys offer an inviting field for experiment. Although the acre age of bearing trees is yet small, the new plantings that .will soon be in bearing amount to many thousand acres and the Willamette Valley alone will see the plantir? of joo acres to walnuts during the present year. To the person who contemplates engag ing in this industry there is one point that must be understood at the very out set, and that is that there are two strains of walnuts. The first is often known as the soft-shell type, and Is grown suc cessfully In Southern California In some of the coast counties. It is of Spanish origin and does not succeed In the Pacific Northwest. When planted in the North. It comes into bloom an early as February or March and Is caught by frosts. The second strain is generally known as the French type, and nearly all the varielies have been imported from Kranie. The center of French industry is at Grenoble and here the nut k grown very success fully, even to an elevation of feet, quite near the snow line. Here this nut has battled with the elements, and tiie result Wi a hardy, late blooming walnut. As Is characteristic with most fruits and ' PRUNES AN IMPORTANT CROP rruit, Once Slighted, Has Won Its Way Into Wide Markets Where the Demand Is Constantly Growing Stronger. B7 W. K. Newell. President Oreson State Board of Horticulture. TUB prune is an important factor in Oregon horticulture. It is surpassed in value of crop only by the apple In this state. Other standard fruits may be grown in many localities, but the Italian prune finds a congenial home only In cer tain, sections of the Pacific Northwest. The Italian, or, as it is now generally called, the Oreson prune, is by far the best of all varieties. We may well claim the name. Oregon, for this prune, as SO per cent, at least, of the total production of the variety is produced In Oregon. Prunes are grown on a commercial stale irt Jackson. Douglas. Lane. Linn. Benton. JlHrion, Polk. Yamhill. Clacka mas. Washington. Multnomah. Columbia, Wasco. Umatilla. Union and Malheur courties. In the four counties east of the Cascade Mountains the bulk of the crop Is shipped to Eastern markets In its fresh or grn state- and usually brings hand some returns. When the fruit is shipped fresh, it is picked as soon as it is well colored and is packed in what are known to the fruit trade as four-basket crates, in packing the prunes they are placed in the "buckets" in layers with white paper between each layer. Packed In this way they carry well and present an attractive appearance. j The prunes grown west of the Cascade Mountains are cured in- evaporators with artificial heat. Every large grower has his own plant, and in every prune growing neighoorhood there Is at least THRIVE IN OREGON Groves Set Out DUring Present Yeax Will Cover 5000 Acres. nuts, the Northern-grown French strain is superior in quality to other types. The Oregon nut also seems superior in size and quality over the majority of Imported nuts, and It Is safe to say that American enterprise will result in the production of the finest walnuts the world has ever seen. -. Walnut-growtng is more exacting in its .demands that some other lines of horti culture, and while" very " profitable and ' easy to grow, nevertheless nlust have certain requirements, such as proper soil and carefully sekcted trees -and a little special care the first few vears, if rcal-sucr-ess is obtained. The walnut develops a pronounced tap root and requires a deep, rich, well drained soil. Many of the red hill 4and3 seem to furnish very desirable soils. The soils to he avoided are the so-called white lands, which are always poorly drained, and certain types of subsoils, namely, those which consist of hard-pan, cement gravel and very loose gravel. There are plenty of soils in Western Oregon that consist of good rich soil to a depth of from five to fifteen, and at times even thirty feet, that are all ood walnut lands. Where it is possible to do so. grafted trees should be planted and the scions used on these grafted trees should be carefully selected. If this is done the re sult will mean an orchard containing trees every one of which will bear a high-grade commercial nut. Should the scions be carefully selected from the same trees or trees of the same variety, the result will be a remarkable similarity of product, which will bring a very high price. Such a walnut orchard would com mand a greater price than any bearing fruit orchards that are being sold today. Should one be unable to secure grafted trees, selected seedlings or nuts from iso lated trees. orchards of one variety should be grown. If nuts are planted they should be cultivated in the nursery row from one to two years. The ground should be carefully plowed and put Into good garden condition before trees are planted and good cultivation should be maintained, as Is practiced by our best onhardists. The walnut is a very rapid grower and develops Into a, very large tree, and as a result, must be given plenty of room. From 50 to 5 feet should be allowed for each tree. While the or chard is still young, other fruits, such as apples, pears, prunes .or peach, can be planted as fillers, and-when crowding be gins, the fruit trees can be removed. one evaporator which docs custom work for small growers. The average annual crop of prunes in Oregon is about 27.O0O.00O pounds of dried prunes and from 1U0 to lt carloads of fresh prunes. The average price Is about 41, cents per pound for the cured prunes and. perhaps, 50 cents per crate, or Jnoo to Hx) per car for the fresh fruit. It will be seen that the value of the entire crop amounts to about Il,2o0.000 annually. This year, owing to very unfavorable weather, the crop was not up to the av erage. The best grades of prunes are usually sold to evaporator operators at from J1S to tJ& per ton fresh. An acre should pro duce from five to seven tons of fresh fruit. Tickers are paid from & to T cents per bushel box for gathering the fruit, according to the size of the prunes and the weather conditions. An average day's work for a picker is from 30 to 40 boxes. I believe it Is absolutely correct to say that from the standpoint of food value the prune Is the most valuable fruit we grow, and it should find a pla4?e on the breakfast table of every home in the land. It Is cheap, nourishing, palatable and healthful. For many years a foolish prejudice existed in the minds of many against this fruit and It was regarded by such persons as an article fit only for the table of a boarding-house. Happily, this prejudice baa been overcome s.nd market prospects are now excellent. The prune needs a well-drained, warm soil for It proper development. It suc ceeds admirably on the red hill lands of the Willamette Valley and in the warm, sandy valleys of Douglas County. H is a good time now to plant prune orchards and the prospective orchardist should give this fruit attention. TIIE "MORNING JSA Jt9 . . sc.' t'4 Some growers plant small fruits and gar den truck the fh-st few years. Very little pruning is required. The tree has a tendency to droop consider- . ably, and it is found desirable to head the trees high. No laterals ore allowed to grow the first three years, and then the head is formed from six to eight feet from the ground. Under no conditions ' should the tree be headed In. as it would tend to develop a spreading instead of an upright tree. As yet there are no serious Insects, pests or plant diseases of the walnut In Oregon, and In this respect the Industry has a leclded advantage over fruitgrow ing. The trees come Into bearing the fourth year and double every year after sa : . 5.' ' r ; milIHSSSiaiMSHiSSMBK V'. T N. . KaHSSHiSlSSSSSSHBIliiKMaiMii isva., -,v '.t.i' x -K u n. W4 ' . ' . ,'.-";. V? ,., JM? J:' .. I I H . . ' . .-l.viV-,-...ifc '' .'i. OREGONIAN, FRIDAY, JANUARY 1, 1909. .1 , it A w,' f ward up to maturity, which would be from 15 to 20 years of age. The best varieties to grow are the Fran quette and the Mayette. These are of the highest grade, are large, handsome nuts, the meats fill the shell well, have a light colored pelicle, ar8 rich in flavor and very productive. Walnut-growing offers one of the finest fields of invention to be. found. There is a large area of w.tlnut.land that can be purchased from J2S to JW0 per acre. Good grafted trees can be obtained for J1.50 apiece, and nine trees are enough for an acre. Seedlings cost from one-third to - two-thirds less. Oik; man and team can easily care for 40 acres. From the seventh year on the investment will pay good Interest on a valuation of J1000 per acre, and a good bearing orehard will easily bring that figure. There .is no danger of overpioduction, as the present supply of nuts in. the Unit ed States is lees than one-half pound per capita. Nuts as a food are coming Into greater demand. Oregon nuts wholesale at IB cents to 20 cents per pound. At 10 cents they will pay on the investment. II m 1...,- . , 1 J PEARS FIND READY MARKET This Truit from Oregon Orchards Has Sold for 18 Cents a Pound by the Carload in New York. Br Charles A'. Malboenf. 3 a fruit of particularly appetiz ing quality, the pear leads the list. It Is the favorite in France, whence the best varieties known in present-day markets originated, and in that, and other European countries, has always commanded the highest prices In competition with other fruits of equal quality. ' This condition exists to a-marked degree in the United StateB. The use of fruit as a regular diet is almost universal with us, and the in creasing demand for better grades is largely the result of education or nat ural habits in that respect. Hence American consumption calls 5 . .. A. 1 i 'il, for the very best pear that can be pro duced, and to tBke care of that exact ing demand, as far as it will go. Ore gon's entire output is annually requi sitioned oy the Eastern markets. New York people, especially. . are familiar with our pears and -want, them at any price. In 1907 they paid 18 cents per pound wholesale for them by the car load, and again during the past season the Oregon pear brought more money in Manhattan than did any other fruit, regardless of kind or origin. This is a remarkable tribute to the excellence of our product.- The general quality of the pear Is the only advertising value it posesses. It lias no fancy appear ance to commend It to public attrac tion. The blushing cheek and alluring colors of the apple and peach are lack ing, and its reputation must be based exclusively upon sterling merit. The industry in Oregon Is still in its infancy. Its progress, as compared with that of the apple, has been slow, and it is perhaps fortunate this condi tion has existed. When it was first stnrted transportation facilities were not up to the present standard, local markets were limited and the Eastern supply was adequate to" take care of the demand. With decreasing-produc- tion there, however, markets were grad- uallv opened and. aided by the fruit's reputation, the growth of the industry quickly followed along substantial lines. In the meantime cultivation had been conducted upon a basis of skillful ex periment and the final development of a fruit without superior In any local ity is largely to be attributed to that roof at ,,-on'oo ti, tirisi enerci. nn.j prescient, sagacity of such pioneers as the late j. H. Stewart, of Jledford, and others, who. recognizing this state as an Ideal one for pear culture, devoted a half score of years of effort to ac complish this invaluable result. In 1908 the aggregate of pear-bearing- orchards in Oregon was 2000 acres, with 10,000 acres of young trees. The acreage planted during the present season will be the largest on record, and basing upon the general outlook. It can safely be estimated that within mnrA t h a n i an ana neres rtf the fruit will be in full bearing, and con tribute to the state's annual resources not less than $10,000,000. This is jus tified by the success thus far achieved. The unprecedented returns received by GROWER REAPS BIG PROFITS Experience of Mosier Orchardifit Shows What May Be Done by Proper Methods on Oregon Apple Land. By A. B. Bstebmm. Manager t Hood ttiver Fruit Company. ALREADY Oregon is one of the leading fruit states of the Union. So inviting is the fruit Industry in Oregon that each year increasing num bers of newcomers start their own or chards. Hundreds of thousands of dol lars of Eastern money are Invested each year in fruitgrowing in this state. Foremost among those who actively en gage in the business are business men, from Portland and other cities of the Coast, who. from personal observation, have become convinced of the security of the investment and desirability of the vocation. 'The products of Oregon orchards are known and sold in every country of the globe and In almost every city of the United States. The prices which this fancy fruit sells for seem almost mar velous, but it is not more so than the carrying and keeping qualities of the fruit and its beauty, fragrance and high flavor. England's quest through all lands for the very best Is rewarded by securing shiploads of unsurpassable Oregon Yellow Newtown Pippins. New York's Insistent demand for quality is satisfied with the unequalled Oregon Spitzenburgs and other choice apples. A prosperous 'Oregon fruitgrower says that he once abandoned fruitgrow ing in an Eastern state because it seemed to be the most heart-breaking business he ever knew. Through the Winter, anxious eyes scanned the ther mometer and severe nips caused appre hension and often failure, while during the remainder of the year, too much or too little rain threatened the crop. Contrasting that experience with the equable seasons of Oregon he .says that not only is his bank account heal thier, but life in general is worth living. LAND j "r . . ...... -5 r " ,T ' -V J ' . i - v.... , vi a 'a V v'a :7 ... . .. '.vie-'- our fruitgrowers for their fancy pe;irs has resulted In a greater attention to pear culture than was given It under former conditions, and the present gen eral activity unmistakably emphasizes the brilliant future of the industry. No variety of fruit can be produced to better advantage and yield greater net returns to the orchardist than the Pear under properly applied methods. in Oregon. Our climate is as nearly -perfect for tiie successful cultivation of this fruit as tiie horticultural world cun discover. The growing demand for the Oregun pear throughout the East and West, the Increasing prices paid for it and the decreased produc tion throughout the East Insure the certainty of mnrkots. Production Is more regular and prolific than the ap ple: the danger of damage by frost more remote. The keeping quality of a well-cultivated pear of the best va riety is sufficient to carry it. tinder the Improved methods of transporta tion, to the Eastern markets, as well as Europe. Our season of production is nd in- terim. Our pears are placed In the East Immediately following: the Cali fornia penr. which serves to open the markets and stimulate the demand. The latter is at its best when the Ore- gon pear arrives, and tne sianaarq oi prices is not adversely affected by the anticipated volume of Eastern crops. but. on the other hand. Is advanced by reason of the known superority of the Oregon product. As an illustration of the growing demand for the same and the astonishing Increase In selling- nrlce. may be mentioned the fact that in 1837 the lop-noicn iibui ii the New York market for Oregon peats was $2.50 a box. as against $8.20 a box ten years later. The ultimate possibilities of the pear industry in this section are difficult to presage. There is little danger of over-production. The market is con stantly widening;, the demand natural ly growing by increased population, and transportation facilities are be coming better each year. If the pres ent careful methods of packing and shinnine are continued and cultivation carried on unner uie mufi Mijiuru principles of scientific horticulture. It may safely be said that the prospects are limited only by the extent of our available lands. If 1000 Oregon fruitgrowers were In terviewed each would tell the same general story of prosperity and content ment, only varying in details. One in stance may be given of a neighbor well known to the writer. J. P. Carroll came from Kansas to Oregon in 1894 und bought 40 acres In Mosier Valley, all in brush, grub oaks and pines. His capital only sufficed to buy the land and put up a temporary cabin and barn. Two years later he had cleared enough 'land so that he set out six acres of apple orchard. He raised some . corn and other crops to help along and kept clearing more land each year until in three years more he Increased his or chard to ten acres. By the time the oldest trees were six years of age, the product brought in $1200. In 1904 and 1905. the prbceeds were $2000 each year. In 1906 the yield Increased to $4000. There was a short crop in 1907 every where and his apples brought about $3000. This year he lias already sold $4000 worth and has about 1000 boxes stored In his fruit house unsold. The farm at present Is all cleared and has ten acres of bearing apple orchard and 19 acres of trees two to four years old. Three acres of cher ries six years old and seven acres of apples were planted this Fall. He hns a fine lsrge fruit house, is well equipped for the business, owes noth ing and will take the returns from this year's crop to build a comfortable dwel ling house. He does not want to sell for he says he is happier there than he would be anywhere else and will make more money than If he sold for $40,000 and Invested In other ways. This story of real success shows what has been done on an Oregon fruit farm without ny side help or speculation. If others should fall to do ss well. It would be only owing to differing dispositions in men.
