TTIE MORNING OREGONIAN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 1, 1920.
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1 HORTICULTURAL OREGON FORGES TO FRONT RANK, ACHIEVING GREAT SUCCESS
J All Manner of Fruits and Nuts Thrive in State, Which Affords Diversified Climate, Suitable to Needs of Varied Industry Even Tender Fig and Olive Do Well Here Returns for the Grower Are Rapid and Sure
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By Henry E. Doech, Secretary Oregon
State Board ot Horticulture.
HON. W. H. SEWARD, in a speech
delivered In the United States
senate as far back as 1852 said.
"The Pacific ocean, its shores, it's
islands, and the vast region beyond,
will become the chief theater of
events in the world's great hereafter.'
This hereafter is here right now,
perhaps much sooner than this great
statesman anticipated, but he did not
know then that he was standing at
the threshold of an electrical age,
where events pass with lightning
rapidity, and what is new today is
old tomorrow. The new fields opened
out to us offer one exceptional op
portunity for the horticulturist in
Oregon.
Oregon, the state of plenty, and
which has long since earned the
sobriquet of "The Land of Red Ap
ples," is nothing if not a horticul
tural state. All fruits, including the
tender olive and fig, do exceedingly
well here.
Oregon is happily situated, that the
planter cannot only find the location
best suited to the different varieties
of fruit he wisnes to plant, but in
addition has his choice as to climate.
He can select eastern Oregon with
it's axtreme seasons; southern Ore
gon tempts him with its enchanting
valleys, clear skies and balmy air;
then there is the Willamette valley,
of 200 miles or more in length, with
it's equable climate throughout the
year, or, if fond of sea breezes, the
various valleys along our sea coast
line. Oregon, therefore, offers an in
viting field for the orchardist.
The arid lands of the vast inland
empire located east of the Cascade
range of mountains, and especially
along the canons and flat areas of
the Snake river, has proved wonder
fully fertile under irrigation and un
der the management df progressive,
up-to-date farmers and fruit growers.
Canals have been dug varying in
length from 12 to 30 miles, covering
thousands of acres of these lands,
which are now being brought into
cultivation.
I have repeatedly visited these re
gions, especially along Snake river,
and have seen the transformation of
a desert into an oasts. Hundreds of
acres had been sowed to alfalfa, with
surprising success, with an average
yield of seven tons per acre for the
season, and which at this writing is
selling for $25 per ton In the stack.
Orchards planted to peaches, apples,
pears and prunes, now in full bearing,
are in & most perfect condition, both
as to health, vigor, luxurious foliage
and bearing capacity. It is almost
beyond belief what water, under the
control of intelligent endeavor, will
produce on these soils. Along these
benches Is room for thousands of
happy and contented homes, amid
plenty to eat and drink, and pure, in
vigorating, health-giving air. Finer
fruit and melons are not grown any
where. The beautiful Grand Ronde, Wal
lowa, Burnt river. Powder river. Ba
ker, Eagle Creek, Fine and numerous
smaller valleys, scattered throughout
PicMng Cranberries, Clatsop County
these higher plateaus and Blue moun
tains, as well as Hood River, Mosier,
Dufur and The Dalles valleys along
the Columbia river, and which do not
depend on irrigation, are most fertile
spots for the fruit growers. Perhaps
nowhere do apples, pears, cherries,
prunes, walnuts, almonds and straw
berries grow to greater perfection as
to size, flavor and color.
Southern Oregon, with its de
composed granite soils, as found in
the Rogue river and Umpqua valleys,
offers the same advantage for horti
culture, and at no distant day will be
a veritable paradise for the fruit
grower. It's soils are naturally very
rich In all plant foods necessary to
produce excellent fruit, combined with
a climate unsurpassed anywhere.
The vast mining districts of this
section furnish a very good local
market for the small grower, while
most commercial growers will prefer
and do ship their products to the east,
England. Germany and France, where
these fruits have found already a
very profitable market, thus showing
what these valley3 can produce, and
which opened another and unlimited
market for the wide-awake, fruit
grower.
Intelligent endeavor, honest pack
ing, brains and application of business
principles which hereafter must be
adopted In order to be successful in
horticultural pursuits, has its own re-,
wards. Peaches, apricots, pears,
prunes, walnuts, almonds, chestnuts,
filberts, grapes and melons grow In
great abundance.
The Rogue river valley, which is,
in respect to soil and climate, like the
famous Burgundy valley in France, is
the place par excellence for the grow
ing of grapes, which under our prohi
bition law, will and are being used,
extensively for our famous Oregon
grape Juice. Grapes of as good qual
ity as those grown In California,
France and Germany, for table use
are being produced in that valley.
The great and beautiful Willam
ette valley does and. always did, grow
fine fruits, and is the oldest settled
part of Oregon. Here flourish the
apple, pear, prune, cherry, peach, apri
cot, wafnut, almond, chestnut, all
small bush fruits in great abundance,
especially the grape and now famous
loganberry. All those fruits for size,
color and flavor are not excelled any
where, ' besides having advantage ot
nearness to the large local markets
of our cities, as well as cheaper rail
road and ocean transportation to the
markets of the world.
The beautiful and fertile little val
leys along the coast line are all more
or less adapted to fruit growing, es
pecially the apples and cranberries.
The French walnuts, which I in
troduced into Oregon, is now coming
into its own, has proven perfectly
adapted to our soil and climatic con
ditions; the size and flavor of the
kernels are equal to the best import
ed from Europe and is more prolific
than even there.
Horticulture Is no longer an ex
periment in Orecon. The incessant
drudgery, the numerous and keen dis
appointments which are peculiar to
all new enterprises and which horti
culture In Oregon did not escape, are
things of the past. We have reached
the era of scientific management of
the orchard, and of remunerative
prices for the product, thanks to the
scientific investigations of the pro
fessors of the experiment stations
throughout the worlds and to practi
cal up-to-date fruitgrowers. We know
the soils best adapted for various
fruits, the best varieties to plant for
family use and commercial purposes.
We also know what varieties to plant
together for pollinating purposes. We
know the diseases and insects infect
ing trees and fruits and how to com
bat them.
When President Jefferson warned
us that America would degenerate as
soon as it ceased to be an agricultural
and horticultural nation, he touched
the keynote, for he foresaw the com
ing greed for money; that fearful
fight for political power, that terrible
unrest, which seems to have reached
Its heights just now, that retting
something for nothing, and thaX
struggle for social position and prom
inence. The state of Oregon offers relief.
When I was honored by the Chamber
of Commerce to represent Oregon's
interests at the Nicaragua can a con
vention held at New Orleans In No
vember, 1893, I closed my address, and
which bears repeating, as follows:
"Oregon offers all these advantages
and is capable of furnishing happy
and contented homes In regions of
beautiful and majestic landscapes and
unsurpassed climate for millions of
people, and which in our just esti
mation will be the richest operating
field of the brain and sinew of the
rising generation, the yeoman of our
national, supremacy.
"Let it be remembered that a happy
and prosperous citizenship is the con
trolling force and the reserve power
of our government and all that con'
tributes to the general welfare and
happiness of the citizens, strengthens
the bulwark of our enduring nationality."
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(PHYSICAL EDUCATION IS A PROVISION OF STATE
course. For years the people have
been accustomed to think of the
public schools as an eight-year course. :
GROWERS' ASSOCIATION DEFINES ITS PURPOSES
Oregon Public Schools, Under New Legislation, Will Look After General Weil-Being of Pupils, as Well as 1 Tne state department of education is
I Mental Development Children Pursue Studies Until High School Course Completed.
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By J. A. Churchill, State Superintendeat of.
Public Instruction
AT THE 1919 session of the legis
lature the state department of
education asked for the enact
ment of a number of new laws which
would make possible certain changes
in the public school system of the
state. These revisions are not tempo
rary, but look well to the future and
will eventually bring the public
schools of the state up to such a
degree of efficiency that the children
will be kept in Bchool until the com
pletion of a standard high school
course, and this course will fit the
normal boy or girl for the active
duties of citizenship.
As a part of the state's, programme
a law was enacted requiring physical
education to be taught In all grades
of the public schools. The superin
tendent of public instruction, pur
suant to the provisions of this law,
appointed a committee of experts who
prepared a course in physical instruc
tion. The course was published and
a copy sent to each teacher in the
state the first of September.
The state department of education,
through the co-operation of the state
schools, sent to each county institute
an instructor In physical education,
who explained the new course and
taught the teachers how to give their
children the exercises outlined in the
manual. Teachers are coming to
realize that the physical welfare of
the child is of first importance in
development, not only for the body
and the intelligence, but as an agency
of the highest importance in moral
training.
In order to bring into school all
who have not yet finished the eighth
memberships, the largest in the his
tory of the association.
The state association, as now or
ganized, has a representative council
which transacts the business and
formulates the policy of the -association.
Research committees work
throughout the year on important
educational problems, and make their
reports to this council. The associa
tion has thus become an effective or-
asklng the teachers to educate the
people to think in terms of 12 years,
instead of eight years, to the end
that public opinion will soon demand
that legislation be enacted requiring
parents to keep their children in
school until the completion of a four
year high school course. The state
department liopes, through the as
sistance of the state association and
the various school officials of the
state, so to change conditions that
every normal child in Oregon will
receive from the state 12 full years
of education. The work of these 12
Organization Will Assist In Making Oregon Brands World Famous and Will Inaugurate Policy of Placing
1 Products on New Markets in Every Part of Globe.
in our public high school which will
atrain boys and girls so that they may,
if necessary, enter some vocation Im
mediately upon the completion of the
high school course, the legislature,
upon the recommendation of the
state department of education, se
cured the enactment of a law ac
cepting the provisions of the federal
vocational act. Under the terms of
the law the high schools of Oregon
may organize vocational courses, the
maintenance of which will be pro
vided by the state and federal gov
ernments. Oregon's - share of the
federal fund for the present blennlum
is 40,813. which was matched by the
state legislature.
In June, 1919, the state textbook
commission met and adopted text
books tor use in the public schools
of Oregon for a period of six years.
The new adoption made necessary a
revision of the state courses of study.
For the high schools the new course
emphasizes the study of English.
Every student is required to study 5 5
English throughout the four years, Oregon Proves Fine Place In Which to Pursue Line of Profitable I
and an especially strong course has s
tlUUS II J
By C. I. Lewis. Manarer the Ore urn n Grow
ers' Co-operative Association.
s-pIIE Oregon Growers uo-operative
1
ganization for keeping the teachers years will be such as to to give the
of the state abreast of the most for- child a strong, healthy body and mind
ward educational movements, for
educating the public as to the abso
lute necessity of maintaining an ef
ficient system of public schools and
for influencing educational legisla
tion. Our educational programme looks
forward to a time when all the chil
dren of the state will remain in school
trained for the active duties of
citizenship in this, the greatest of
' all free countries. Only through such
a programme can the general plan
of intelligence be elevated to the
degree necessary to the future life of
a nation where the sovereign power
rests absolutely in the hands of the
neonle.
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! WALNUT CULTURE SUCCESSFUL I
been prepared. Hereafter, also, every
student in the high schools of Ore
gon must complete a course in Ameri
can history and civil government.
Very hopeful indications of the at
titude of the public toward the es
tablishment of the high schools is
shown by the large number of dis
tricts which applied at the opening
of the school year for standardiza
tion. 25 new districts having pur-
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a regular bloomer and more prolific,
while the Mayette or Grenoble under
which name this nut is known to the
I 'HE history of the Introduction of
X the English and French walnuts
into Oregon would not be complete
without tracing it to its origin on the
Pacific coast.
The walnut is a native of Persia,
and is supposed to have been Intro-
chased all the equipment and having duced into southern California by the
met the other requirements for
standardization.
To unify the public school work of
the state and to keep the teachers
in touch with the most important
educational thought throughout the
Franciscan monks during the estab
lishment of the California missions
in 1769; records of its early history
are scant, but mention is made of
walnut trees growing about the mis
grade of the public schools and thus United States, the law rpnnirpi the sions by most writers of the "Record
pave me way lor iijiit?r sianaaras
in the near future, a "part-time" law
was enacted which requires every
child under 18 years of age to be in
school or to be legally employed. If
legally employed one must attend a
part-time school for at least one hour
each day throughout the year until
he has completed the eighth grade.
To be "legally employed" means
that the child must hold an age and
schooling certificate issued by the
secretary of the board of inspectors
of child labor. The secretary passes
superintendent of public education to
hold annually a state teachers' in
stitute. One of the first pieces of
work which I undertook, upon as
suming the duties of this office, was
to bring the teachers' organizations
of this state into one association.
Previous to that time there had been
one association for western Oregon
and one for eastern Oregon.
This year, with the help of the
county superintendents, we have pre
sented the work of the state asso-
of the Founding of Missions" and the
"History of Franciscan Missions in
California" and therefore it is safe
to assume that with the advent of
missions dates the introduction of this
valuable tree.
Nut trees of all kinds do well on
most soils except heavy stiff clay
soils; the walnut does best in moist,
warm, sandy rich loam, well under
drained with no hardpan, stiff clay
or impenetrable soil nearer than 12
feet, as they are gross feeders.
For the Pacific northwest the Fran-
elation at all nf th 1ntlriit. In
upon each application and as soon as most of the counties 100 per cent of quette, Mayette, Chaberts. Parislenne
the child ceases labor it must at- the teachers have joined the as- and Columbia are best adapted, glv-
tend Bchool tun time. sociation. At this time we are as- 'ng preference in the order named.
WUU a view to establishing courses ..sured) of not lea than 550U paid The Franquette is somewhat hardier.
trade. Is finer, though not so hardy,
and the Chaberte and Parislenne are
sought after by confectioners; we also
have now some promising seedlings,
like the Columbia, which may prove
a happy addition.
Our northwestern-grown walnuts
command a higher figure in the east
ern markets than the California prod
uct. Some years ago the output of
Mr. Prince's walnut grove was sold
to a wholesale grocer in New Tork
who makes a specialty of supplying
those retail grocers who handle only
the finest and costliest brands. This
merchant states that the walnuts
from California do not come up to the
requirements of his trade, but the
Oregon nuts do, as they are of the
same varieties and similar in quality
to the nuts he Imports from France
for his trade, in fact they are better
flavored and more nutty than the
California product.
Reviewing the whole situation as it
presents itself today, we cannot help
reaching the conclusion that walnut
culture in the Pacific northwest has
not only reached a high plane of de
velopment, but is an assured success.
lnite alms. First, we are to es
tablish a brand and to advertise Ore
gon; to make the word "Oregon" a
house-word In every home where
fruit and fruit products are consumed.
We hope to curb the speculator and
drive the profiteer's hand out of the
Oregon fruit basket.
We will inaugurate a policy which
which will find a market for the
ever-increasing tonnage from our
young and vigorous orchards. We
will establish standard grades and
packs for Oregon fruit, will prevent
buyers from playing up one group of
growers in the state against another
group, to the detriment of all con
cerned. We will build the necessary
buildings to handle the Increasing
tonnage and have these plants built,
owned and operated by the growers.
We will stabilize the fruit Industry,
is regards the price of the products,
value of land, the grower's cred.lt
and his prosperity. That there is
need for all these movements can be
easily shown.
The apple Industry was prosperous
from 1905 to 1912, when we handled
only about 2000 or 3000 cars of ap
ples and sold them all to one or two
markets. But the year 1912 saw great
increase In tonnage. Ten thousand
cars swamped the markets. The pe
riod of three or four years followed,
in which most of the fruit was con
signed. Cut-throat policies ruled be
tween various districts. Apples were
sold for less than they cost to pro
duce. Thousands of people were
ruined and the entire northwest was
held in bad repute because the east
ern buyers felt they had been duped.
In 1915 the growers were organ
ized, however, through the Fruit
Growers' Agency, Inc., which the bu
reau of markets established at Spo
kane. This was nothing but a clear
ing house to handle the apples.
Through its efforts, however, the gov
ernment Induced the growers to stop
consigning, to try. to develop new
markets, start an advertising cam
paign and eliminate unfair competi
tion. As a result of this programme
in three years we found ourselves
selling 20,000 to 30.000 cars of apples
annually, distributing them to over
1000 markets, adopting brands which
are well known, with the result that
today the apple men are prosperous.
Wo can learn something from this
apple history which we can apply to
other lines. The normal consumption
of prunes in this country is 100,000.-
000 pounds. " Our normal export is
another 100,000,000. Yet we have acre
age enough planted to prunes on the
Pacific coast to give us a crop of 500,
000,000 to 800,000.000 pounds within
the next three years. As far as the
northwest Is concerned, there has
been no concerted action on the part
of the prune buyers to adopt an Ore
gon brand, to advertise to the con
sumer. No steps have been taken to
develop markets for the new tonnage.
The big tart Italian prune is little
known in the United States today.
Unless some definite steps are taken
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X -
1 OXE COUNTY WITH 5000 ACRES 1
OF FRUXE TREES.
Polk county, one of the richest
I in Oregon, has 5000 acres of
I prune orchards, with thousands
more coming on. One plant has
I packed and will ship to the 1
corners of the globe 4,000,000
pounds of this delicious fruit,
famed the world over. e
i Polk county also has great
1 forests of standing timber.
1 It is also widely known for
I the great progress it has made I
I in the thoroughbred Angora 1
goat industry. Its breeders are
receiving orders from all over
the country. j
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to provide a new market for the huge
Increased tonnage of prunes, which is
bound to come within the next few
years, we will have a collapse In
prunes just as we had in apples
just as we had In loganberries, and
Just as California, years ago, had with
oranges and raisins. By wide dis
tribution, by the development of new
markets, by an advertising campaign
this can be prevented. To do this is
the programme of the Oregon Grow
ers' Co-operative association.
There is too much fluctuation in
the price of Oregon products, Bartlett
pears fluctuating from $20 to S100
a ton In one year, prunes from 10
to 20 cents, loganberries from 3 to
12 cents, cherries from 6 to 12 cents,
and so on down the line. This means
instability, unhealthy business condi
tions. Oregon prunes, which were sold
last year by the growers for from 9
to 11 cents, are on. the grocery shelves,
being quoted at from 36 to 40 cents.
Speculators who got hold of the early
sales of prunes on the Pacific coast
could clean up $5000 a car on the first
five cars and from $2000 to $3000 a
car on the next 60 to 73 cars. This
is wrong and can only be stopped by
the growers obtaining control of the
tonnage.
While these wide fluctuations are
taking place each year in Oregon,
while each district is being played
against the other In order to beat the
price down, we find fairly uniform
prices existing in California. Why
the difference? Because California is
organized and Oregon is unorganized.
It Is very difficult today to speculate
with bananas or with California rais
ins or walnuts. But the speculator
has waxed fat this year at the ex
pense of the Oregon grower.
When a grower comes into the city
to a store he asks the price of an
article, which the seller names. If the
grower wishes the article he must
pay the price. But when the city
buyer goes to the farm, the farmer
asks him, "What will you give mo?"
The farmer loses on both ends of the
game, largely because he is unorgan
ized and therefore does not have mar
keting information, and secondly, be
cause he is in the majority. When
ever the seller is in the majority and
the buyer in the minority, the buyer
fixes the price and not the seller.
When the 8000 or 10,000 fruit grow
ers of Oregon reduce their number
by becoming organized Into one large
organization, which works as a unit,
then they in turn can fix the price,
a price which means profit to the
grower, a fair margin to the middle
man and the retailer and a satisfac
tory price to the consumer.
The Oregon Growers' Co-operative
association is learning a lesson from
such big companies as the Standard
Oil company. Armour & Co., the big
mall order companies such as Montgomery-Ward
and Sears - Roebuck,
namely, by handling many products
under one brand, thus building up an
advertising fund and at the same time
keeping down the overhead.
The organization will handle ap
ples, pears, prunes, cherries, walnuts,
berries, dried fruits and canned fruits,
all packed and sold under one label,
which will be sufficiently advertised.
This Is one of the strong points of
the organization. Another is the five
year contract. Each grower signs a
five-year contract with the associa-
' tion. Thus we are enabled to build
cur plants, become thoroughly organ-y
ized without any danger of outside!
interests being able to injure the or-)
ganization through selfish motives,
during the early years of the organl-'
zation.
Our plan, in brief, is as follows:
Organisation fa Outlined.
We have the Oregon Growers" Co
operative association, which sells at
cost. We also have the Oregon Grow
ers' Packing corporation, which packs
at cost. The reason for havins these
two bodies is a financial one. When"
the association delivers its fruit to
the packing corporation it receives
a warehouse receipt, which can ba
cashed, and the growers thereby can
receive advances at the tituo of de
livery, probably up to 90 per cent of
what their products are worth. The
same board of directors and the same
officers hold forth in both organiza
tions. These directors and executive
board are elected by the growers In
an annual meeting, and the by-laws
and constitution can be changed by
a majority vote at any meeting. It
costs $10 to join the organization, re
gardless of whether the grower owns
one acre or 100 acres. There are no
further dues or assessments. To join
the packing corporation, which owns
the buildings and operates them, the
grower takes out a $10 share of stock
for each bearing acre that he has.
He can pay for this stock in the form
of two $5 notes, one due a year from
this December and the other due two
years from this December, to be col
lected out of the sales of his crop.
The organization has a very strong
board of directors. Some of the keen
est business men and fruit growers
of the state of Oregon are on this
board of directors and executive
board. The officers are men who
have had long experience in the state,
such as J. O. Holt, who for ten years
has had charge of the Eugene Fruit
Growers' association, who will have
charge of our packing department,
and Robert C. Paulus, the well-known
manager of the Salem Fruit union,
who will have charge of the sales
department.
Very rapid progress is being made
by the organization, in spite of the
fact that it started in the middle of
July and has had to meet such un
favorable conditions as the harvest of
cherries, berries, grain, prunes and
apples, yet we had signed, on Novem
ber 1, more than 12,000 acres of or
chard, and should reach by mid-winter
20,000 acres and possibly 30.000
acres of orchard. The organization
will handle from $2,000,000 to $5,000.
000 worth of business next year, will
operate a dozen community plants and
is assured of success at the start.
It will prove to be the greatest con
structive factor affiliated with the
Oregon fruit industry at any time in.
. its history.
4