Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Willamette farmer. (Salem, Or.) 1869-1887 | View Entire Issue (Feb. 4, 1881)
WILLAMETTE FAllMm'I'OK.TLAyP. ORKQOJf. FEBhttAllY 4. 1881. varieties, and much less lor oxports, w liich is In tlio greatest ahundanco. New orcharda are mostly to Ban Francisco, constantly let out and old one dug up for no Ot tlio old trees thus Imported, vcrv few apple tree w ill growr in the placo wJicre ouo to now alive, but their postonty aro living has been growing for year, ev n with fretl and thrivinir all over our country, ami lmvn "oil and manure. Tlio nvcinffe mice in Port. been a source of much wealth and comfort to lftd ' Oo jier bushel lxx for apples and BOo in orenaruiu ami larmur. voi iur pours i quinces are tamo price at Apple trees do not live its long here as in 8opr pound dried ptars toll for 8o to 10 Kasteru States, becaiwo tliey liear earlier and Per pound I plums, without piti, lOo'to Uo j heavier crops continuously tl(nn elsewhere, Pmn??' vlt" PiU ""uft ''". Mme; ,A to ,....',,,( mi ii i i .1 q""tity or per centago of different frn ts sot and having but little lime in our lands, the 0'uti apples pcrl.apa7r. per cent., pears IB, tree require very heavy pniniiiir. High, dry poichos 15, plums fi, cherries ft, quinces 2 per lands with a nortlicrnju-poot nro leU adapted t'fn,t ' ''0 whole. As to soil, apples liko f.r rl.f.r.1. Tl, f,.,liu ,,, tl...,i..l.. nun ciay loam, aim tiry j peat .lo well. In adapted for fruit poulni', but all our landa are mors or Ic-s ad plod for orchards. In Eastern Oregon troys do well along creeks and n bottom lauds. The bunch gias land lias net been totted loitu enough to tell whether fruit trees do well there or not. Two-year old tre are mainly a and cultivated for four r five years c.vcfiilly without any grain frown in the orchard ! potntnci are grown for any deep soil, even mime wot J plums like dry, light soil the host s pniniM must have a dry soil, even if light aid sandy j peaches, dry, light soil In full i-in, sheltered from north and north east winds. New land is boat for orchaids. Holes need to be only dug deop and wide enough to hold the roots) trees' aro planted 10 to 20 feet apart. Of pears wo raise llartlett, 8cckcl, Raster JSourre, Winter Nellls, ManVIcinr, Full Hut' about throe year. In alionl three years nfter ter r White Doyenne, Imiso llouno do Jcr lauliug some tivon begin to bear ! aftor fl 'e ' ray, and many other. " thu the llartlett years cumvaiioi cimer is oiion towed, loft neingt the moit money, uars young, often In for three or four uars, and thou the laud in tho nurtvry I lears heavy aiitf always, and is in every way r Of plums, Peat cultivated again fur two or thrcu years. Tlio plowing is always ilono very shallow. Ono crop of clover is generally taken oil each year, but would do nmie goo I if left on tho ground. With this treatment npplo trees wllllast 30 years or more, pe. nricli longer apparently, our State not being od enough yet to sco plums, liko applet, lioir too mii-h and conse quently break thu limbs and often injure or kill the treo. Clicrrici nro various tho Kent ith and Duke cherries grow well most any whore i but the Heart cherries nro more ca pricious Of tho latter tho Royal Ann (Na polonn IligarrcAU) will not grow to any age on prairie lauds, but does well on timber lauds, and is m re extensively grown than any other kind, and moru money is made o.'f those per haps tlmn all other vaiictiui together. Two Urge troes of this vatiuly nio yet b-nring an nually very heavy crops i they arc now 37 yenrs old, and are from tho llr.t importation across the plains. Chirrics nie railed in largo quantities, many being dried or canned. Prune trees have bvou sot out in largo mini' ben for tho last eight or ton years, moitly the Fellonhcrg or Italian pruno, an Improve' montof tli- old (termini prune. This variety boars well, but not too heavy u-r.pi the fruit is largo and dries heavy and well. 'I ho Plum-, Bier dryer is mostly used hern. Three or four. Alden factorios were start- d, lint being ery zpwulva to put up, and to run, are not now tnuoh sed. Tht plum and prune trees so far have no memiea i enrculio ainl blaeknot are not kaown. The canker worm is not hero I per haps we hav too many Hocks of cedar birds. Qainces make healthy, line trcos, and give rtfiiUr and elean oivipi of good fruit. l'eaohes we expect to barabout f ve-y third aria this valley; they curl leadly in tlio leaf, and the buih aro sometimes killed by sleet, but da better Rait of the Mountains, Grape of American origin nearly all do well West of tin Ccalos, but fonivu grape are very uncurtain and mildew badly. They probably do better Rast of tho Cava'dcs. AH, the small fruits do remarkably well, as urranta, gooseberries, raupberrios, hla?kher riea and itrawborries. Tliero sncuis to be no exception to their succoisful and productive cultivatien. nr VAtiir-TiEs. Tht varieties of the tlilluroiit fmiU most ex Unlivery grown here are as follows : Apple! Red Astrachan, Qravonstcin, Rambo, Osto, Hwaar, lUldwiu, Whito roarmain, Ortley, Jenneting, Red Clietk l'ippian, rUopus Spitz nburg, WkieSap, Lady, Yellow Newtown Pippin, Gloria Mundi, Bellllower and others. The named all do well here. Out of theso the foremost it the Yellow Newtown Pippin, whioh bring the highest price iu the market i Rsopus next, but lioth are not good, bealihy tree, and not vcrv abundant bearers. Tho Winesan Is the most prolit-ihlo and best tree, always healthy and large rropi. The (fati or Waxea h a very hetlthy troe and loin enormous crops, also is very lino for drying. Storing and k-epingof Winter applet ts done mostly iu cellars, made frost proof by four Inch walls, or built on side bills, well ventilated, on shelves fonr feet wide, six or eight above one another, tho apples tight or tea Indie deep. California is our main mar ket for all our lato fruit, commencing with Royal Ann cherries, llartlett ptrs, but stl- om any plums. Alterwanu late apples, ot I. No, 'each. Watliimrton. ltrndahaw. Italian nrune. I'ellro d'Aceii nnmu. Cue's Golden l)rop, Yellow K?g, Columbia, Urine, Claudo do llavay, and Jellirson nro excellent. Of the the peach plum lie rs the heaviest and earliest crops, and is fine for drying. Coo' Gohlon Drop dries heavy ami awtx.t. Koine Claudo is uiirivnllcd for canning, ro quiring no sugar. Petite d'Agen is a fsv. rite in California for drying a a superior pruno. CIicitIoi Hoynl Ann, May Duke, Kentish. Illack Iligarroau, lllack Tartarian, Klton, all these boar overy yoar, Koyal Ann best. Peaches Kirly Crawford is moitly culti vated. Qiiinco The Apple or Orange grows very large. Urapes Concert!, Isabella, and most all nativo American torts can be easily cultivat es ItlMLL muiT Of currants, tho Cherry is thi favorite, and bear large crops every year, and tlio buaho last many years. Gooaoborrit are now perhaps only grown on au Oregon loodling culled Champion, a Urg fruit, enoruioua bearer, and nearly fre from mildew, , Of IUtcerries, the Rc.1 and WhiU Ant werp and Franconia are th bast, and always sure. Our native Oregon Ulaekcap ia also large and very fine. Blackberries Iwtoa give large tweet berries and a full crop tvery year. An ever green blaekbeny U grown that bears film" Iruit IB tin lull, ine Mtutimiy is also sue Utflllly sultivated. Strawberries Wilson's Albany doei the best, and are grown in largo quantities, ami sell for from 3o to 8o per pound. Many new varieties are now irfd. Hy the ray, our uureryincn always kept abreiut Willi tho nowcat ami bust. All new varietitn In fruit aro readily ImiKirtcd and Uiitctl. Many tliintm are worthless fcionr climate that are highly vaiucu in uir rjuieni auttca. anil many tu ples good keepers there oiti only fall vnnotica hero? Omirfiie are In their iiaTaucv as vet t on in Rast Portland is doing a guod Iiusibim in a small way, Tliero it uo reason why tho canning oi tmaii iruira snoum not no a very Crofitablo enterprise, as ainnll fiuitt of all Inds could b raised of any q-'iantity and of the bent quality, yet largo invoices oi canned fruit are shipped hero from California and tho Kurt. Thus, Mr. RdiW, 1 luve given your read ers a detailed account of Iruit growing in wrcgon, which equally appuw to wasliiugtoa wnat i iu Potatoes ai often planted In tho Fall or in February, nud can bo eaten by tho 4th of July, or sooner from volunteers, that Is from potatoes left undug In tho ground in tho fAllI Cabhago wo havo by tho 1st of July, In fact cahliago is almost perennial. I havo in my garden ono stalk, threo years old, and yet growing, that mado laatSnmmor stvcral small hoads. Cabbago stalks loft In th ground furnish excellent greens in Spring. Turnips aowed in October mnko fina bulbi for tho tablo during lVccmbcr and January, Cabbages aro raljod in enormous quantities on hoavcr-dam landa, rich, loamy dcpoiitn in low place onco dammod up by beavers, Goetl heada sell for "Be por dorn. Potatoes nix raised moro for quality than bulk, as they appear on ewry table twic a day. A choice tort is much sought aftor. Ilurliauk's Seedling stands at the head for late and Karly Rose lur eaily, loth unexcelled. flarnctChilu is as yet raised iu urcatcr quan tity, m th Ilurbaiik is comparatively now, linOO nOll to 7fiil lu,r llllhl ir,tull In Porflnn.l This crop is mostly raised in hills like corn, and largely in oixhanls. Girrot are grown very oxtensively for feed, liralde fur table. Tho Rarly Horn Is raised for ficl. at these turn nut mi ro than any other, and aro much richor than tho Bel gian. Mvery ttahles and dairies mo great quantities of t im, and pay $10 por ton. .Mangold Wiirtcls grow to largo size, and the Sugar lleet does well, but it siiifar making quail tits havo not been much test tl. Asparagus is beginning to bo brought to market, of Oregon growth. Onions aro oxportcd to California bv hund reds of tacks, price lo to 3c per Miuntl, In short, all vegetables generally grown in gardens are found in their timo at the store house Irrigatiin uhcrovcr practicable, Is iisctl to great advantage, though not often re sorted to iu Weatirti Oregon. Mlr.tHMItRY AMI rLOWKIU. Allow mo, tloar reader, to add a few words about our flowers, for seldom will tho tourist find moro inviting gat dons set with beautiful flow, rs than about tho residences of our well-to-do families iu Portland and all tho villages ml towns throughout tho country. Many plant he will sco grow In tho open ground lint ho used to seo in greenhouses at homo, ami only planted out in Summer. Most all the half-hardy thruhhery is hardv here, such as Entn entitle, Magi.olia, Grandillora, Acuba, Kngliah Laurel und many other. Rvergrcens ptay. a conspicuous part In our planting, as theso do so exceptionally well, this being au evergreen country iu moro than ono sonso. Our floriit and nurserymen keon a good stock of the best snd nowest to seleotfrom. Our ttr-ets are lined with shado trrees of many varieties and many out of town real denct nro' beautiful with choico shrubbery and plant, and thus wo add to the useful and delicious fruit th pleasures of the flower 6'Vdon. IIimhv MlLLZB. i'ortlaml, Jan. 13, 1881. havo said is iroin an ex- Tern tory. ncrience of 27 Years with fruit and fruit 1ms of Oregon, and although the fruit hitereaUaro not now what thoy ome w.re, when a box of apple told in ban Francisco fur f O'J net (var. Kmpus), or three lioxe of Wiuesap told in Portland for $102, yet fruit (growing Iu Ore gou h a very profatablo business, for many men about Portland utake it th' ir tolo occu pation, ami aro doing well by It in supplying tho local market, that mutt iuiineuaely in crcosat with tho building op of tlio city into a great metropolis, width it I veitaiuly des tined to be. " VMCTAIILIM. And no w a few onl alwut veffctable. It wWehtiwWinpaaplsthofirstas to quantity Ji the goneral opinion of all who first tasU and the Yellow Newtown l'inpiu as to quail, our vegetable that they are superior to those Iho Etut- cliinat, ent there. Great quantitie aro dried ou abmuUnt rain in Inter ami at tho growing hosM mad dryers, or on the Plummer dryer, time in tho Spring, aud tho dry maturing wucncosi iroin ;ioo 10 ;wu, ami nneii ap wtainer in ine oumuier, wo iooi nigut rvviv pie bring from So to 10c lr pound in Port- ing what tho hot day ha wiltctl, and thus land xaarket Great iiuautitie of fruit are ripenijur tho ctod of th eanlen tlowlv and attovast to bo eatan by bog iu Un orchanU j ooaipleUly. srodace a tuoculeut, critp and lMtMMntrvliUifsrfytjr, dUiw didk for th tabk, I ana uia xeiiow aowiowii rippiu as to quail, our vegeuuie uiat iney are supenor u ty. . ITwa and four or Uvo other varittic are 0( m(mi Rtera SUte. pecially of t'lt about the only kinds shipped : but in short w. c. ii L . ,n i .1 year. Iu California many other varietie. are Wtew Stataa. Of coure. our mid cl RAanOAD LAHD3 IK WESTERN OREOOH. Ill connection with land matters In Western Oregon the grant mado by Congress and which was traufcircd by the legialaturo of ISGStathe Oivgon aud California Railroid Company, makes a very inqiortant Item. Tills grant wat made after tho Valley regions of the Willamette and Unijua lunl long been sot tleil, but as it covers the sections with odd uumliera, for a width of sixty n lies, aud fur a length of 'J00 miles, It contains an iinmcnso body of land that reaches tho foot-hills and mountains, a. great porUou of hich has not yet been surveyed. At tho land office of the 0. C. R. R. Co.,' thoy estimate that not one half of (heir lands havo )ct been eurveyjd and much of It will perhaps proe toorough far any practicable uae, except that In course of timo we may expect to tee tko timber in both mountain ranges posseaa a value not thought of now, wl.tn it is an iucumlnraiico to tho soil, that might cho I e cultivated, CoL I. R. Mooics, at the tand office of tho Company, inform us that tho turveyed lamia of the Cmniany, In diOcrtut counties bonier ing their road, consist of about at follows! Multonomah county) 17,000 acres) Clackamas cflunty, 100,000 acres; Marion county, 40,000 acres) Linn county, 60,000 acris; Lano county, 100,000 acrct; Wasbdigtou county, 23,000 acre; Yamhill county 30,000 acres) Polk county 30,000 acres) Benton county, t!0,000 acre) Douglas county, 100,000 acres, making a total f 012,000 acre of their grant, situatetl on'surveynl lands of tho United State, that yet remain nutold. The company have had moat of their lands appraisul by competont person, aud at their office in this city, Mr. P. Sbculge, Laud ageut of the company, 'ha map of each towwhin. and n'ata and de. oriptioMofall th land, aud the pries at w hlch they aro appraised. Rahis nro being mado steadily to friends of persons located iu their vicinity nnd othcrs.nnd tho valuo of their lands is constantly demonstrated by their settlement and cultivation. Tlio avcrago prico at which thoy are held Is $2 an aero, and talc aro mode on a plan of ten yearly paymoU and in terest charged at the rate of 7 per cent por an num. Whon cash payments nro mado a dis count of ton per cent Is mado from tho prin cipals. , The foot-hill and mountain bench lands ofTor inducements that aro very atlrnctivo to many. When health is a question they havo especial value, a they insure pure air atid dolicious ater. Tho seasons are scarcely moral sovoro than in tho main valley and yet tho climate Is so tlillorout m to insure occasional shower through tho dry season, so that pastures aro greener through tho summer, Wo have per sonal know ledgo of tho foot-hill region of th Cascado luouiitaiiis on tho water of the San tiam river, in Marion county. Fivo year ago wo wore spend ing, a few weeks camping out on a trout stream abovo Mchama. and were struck with tho natural beauty ot a small minccuplcd valloy liordcnug tho Littlo North Fork and found that on tho bluff that adjoin ed it wa a large tract of ncarlv level land, covered with fern that grow liko a thicket, about fivo feet high, douoting a rich mountain soil. On this bottom and upland thcru am scattering hazel brush, and abuiidauco of tim ber, several hundred acres of tho best of this land can lie cleared by Chinese labor at not to oxcecd $5 au aero, while quite a farm can bo mado from land that has no brush nor stono. Timber (fir) is not too abundant) springs abound In every diicction, nud uo better wa ter can lm found) about ono-tbli dot tho wholo section Is more or less uiavvlly, but can be easily got into grass. Vnriuus klralt of pea vim grow under tlio heavy fern, but there it ot a gicat deal of native grass. Stock (cattlo and sheep) aro kept on the nelglilioring range, summer and winter, with senrco over any at tention, having plenty of brow no, tomo grass, and abundant pea vines nud audi Ted Iu sum mer. Thlsiegioi Is a pel feet paradiso for goats and Is a natural rnngo for cattle, except that a poison larkspur border tho branohea in tho early sprlug. The soil it rich, black loam. Perhaps oiio-thirtl of this land is too hilly to plow but can bo mado to yield abun dant grass. Say i one-third good farming land and two, thirds good fur pasture, and tho des cription is lets fiuornhlu than tho actual fact. The- situation U ronmiticly bcnutilul) swift mountain streams forming Noith ami South lioundarict, w ith deer on tho bills and trout in the stream. In tho bottom is to lie fouud consMi rnblu land that will maku the most productive timothy meadow. Also, there and on tho blufl is excellent wheat land. The gardens aru prolific) this whole region Is the best )iowiblo for small fruit and for apples, pca-a, plums, prune nml ch-rric. A good rail fence let by continct, cntt mo a trills over 5100a inilu. Ttntaa ami driver can be hired at S-.f'O a day to plow, and labor it rea sonable iu price, within a inilo is a village Willi shops, aiorea a id hotel. A taw mill I not far oil' ami lumber it wortli $8 u thousand feet. A school houto is Iu sight nud a Sunday school Is kept ei cry Sunday, while there Is preaching occasionally. Standing on tho hill there is a beautiful view of lino farms acroaa tho river. Mich. of them bos been "mado out of wholo cloth." The bottoms njul hill bench es have born cleared to luuku thn fields wo see) within view there are probably twenty dideivnt hoinnttciuis mid thur improvement. The road thro ii tit tlio Willametto Valloy Is perfectly level ami tho narrow gmg railroad is only 13 miles distant. Moat of tho persons who live up there went there with tomo seated complaint and now remain, gen erally witli good health, liecaiuo they love tho countiy. This may Ihi wusidcrctl to b eight miles above the main Willamette Valley,' iicrhap let than that distance, and Is 27 miles list of Salem, There is a good foot-hill country all around it, with hundreds of tottleis whose home are on the bottoms and bench lauds of tho low ridge that put out from the main Cascade raugo, Wu havo penetrated tlx miles aliovo bore mi one hide of tho river, ami found at rharmlnir a valley aslles out doors, actually uninhabited; and tin the olhtr fork of thu river flu farms can bo found until j ou run ngainst a grand mountain wall that eciui t shut out the world. Claims are taken and settlement com menced further up canh var, and will keep pushing into tho mountains further and fur ther, for tho country It not yet half discov ered, Some ytart ago tho idea wat promulgated tliat up the main North Sautfam could be found a natural an across tho Cascade moun tains. Our Iricnd, Hon. John M into becamo imbued with thi idea and ho aud other pros Iectod through to the foot of Mt. JtfCurson, one of thu great enow peaks that domiiiate the Caacado range, and, sure enough, they found a good' lutural pass over to 1-aatem Oregon, Following the stream up an almost impaasabl Canyon, fur fifty mile beyond they found it opening into a valley, ami far in, surroundad try rugged range, in the very heait of tkoss inaccessible ruuiona. at tlie very foot of tit Jefferson and It eternal tuuwt, they realised a beautiful country that thowed no sign of auttiual severity ia wiatw, bugs enough and
