IMT'TTRV1P'P'1I?TR In
11 jf
rOUKTKKNTH YKAK.
INDKl'KNDKNCi:, l'OJ.K COUNTY, OKKUON, 1 :it. 23, ....
ONE MAN'S
E
lu Planting and Cultivating
His- Strawberries.
A. J. SniPLEYOFAmXEFAKM
Writes a Very Instructive
and .Interesting Letter
of Methods Used.
The following article was written
..by A. J. Shipley for the Oregon
Agriculturist and It of mch local
Importance that it la given space
in our columns. Mr. Shipley if
one ni our foremost small fruit
growers and hie Alpine Berry Farm,
west of Monmouth, In doing much
la attract notice to thia part of the
cnuity as a small fruit country.
In this commercial age the all
absorbing question coming back to
lis after e'ery crop we raise or field
we cultivate is: "Did it pay?" In
the past four years I have had ibis
question propounded to me so many
times that I thought an article on
this line might b of some benefit
to some of the readers of the Agri
culturist. Three years ago, after completing
a six months' term of school, I ar
rived home about May Int. Ac
cording to the plans I had laid I
had on half acre of strawberries to
plant. I immediately commenced
work on my ground and put in
nearly three days on it before I
thought it readv for the plants.
A I was puttina the finishing
touches on it, a .neighbor rode up
and his first question was "Does it
pay you to spend so much time on
iuch a small .plot of ground?" I
told him I thought it would, but I
could plainly see he thought I had
wasted about 2 dins' time I
went ahead and planted it, one
half to Marshall and one-half to
Wilson strawberries. We used es
pecial care in trimming and setting
the plants, and although we finish
d nn Ma? 15th. we saved 1700 out
of 1702 plants. Now I ask the
question, did it pay to have that
ground properly prepared? The
plants never wilted butcommenced
growing at once,
I cultivated the patch thoroughly
and kept off all the blooms and
kept the runners off until about
July 15th, when I let them grow to
furnish plants for setting. The
plants all made an excellent
growth, and on the following year
from the quarter-acre of Marshalls
I sold $52 worth of berries. From
the Wilsons I. got practically
nothing. There were few. berries
on them and they were so small
thfty were not worth picking. The
past year I sold $65 from the
Marshalls and about $2.50 from
the Wilsons. Did it pay to put
tbat ground in proper condition,
trim and set those plants properly
and care for them the first year?
I think $117 pretty 'good pay for
use of land and all labor expended.
Did it pay to plant the Wilsons?
Yes. If I had not planted them
then, Bince the canners are recom
mending them, I would have put
out a large patoh now and probably
lost much more than I did. As it
is, I know they are not adapted to
my soil, consequently I will plant
those T know will do well and let
the other fellow raise th Wilsons, j
Last April I hired an acre of
berries put out. - As hands were
very scarce and wages correspond-!
EXPERIENC
inu'v Inch. tli'pt I w-iild nn"
littU nof.omy in Hii the
plant. I had lb qround plowed
twice ami (h'Hdid to rifK planting
Then, to n matter or I
ngl-ctd to give proper Instructions'
aiHiut trimming the plants and
they were planted untriuitned. At
refill tlm plant kept dying until
I did not have odd half a atand. and
I beeatna di-guMed and sowed the
ground to vetches for bay. I aaved
una day's work with man and team,
value 12.50; one days work trim
ming planta, valua tl 60; total,
f l.OO. I lost two crop of straw.
bwrim. value Did it pay?
I leMve mv readers to decide. Of
"
course this was not all a loss aa I
got some valuable eiperienca. but
I think all will decide that I did
not get St at reduced rates. I paid
full prioe. Now the leaaon I have
learned ia, put your ground in the
best condition posaibV plant with
nothlnf but good plants taken
either from a young patch that ha.
never fruited or from a regular
propagating bed, get varieties suit
ed to your locality, work your
patch thoroughly, and if the ques
tion, Did it pay 7 comes up, you
can cheerfully answer yes.
POLK C0LK1Y TEACHERS INSTITUTE.
The teachers of Polk coonty
held a very profitable and ins
tructive local inntilue at the school'
building SaturdayFebruary, 22.
After the opening song, America,
Supt. R. K. Robinson of. Mult
nomah county began his talk on
language and coruponition, which
was completed at the afternoon ses
sion. Bupt. Robinson believes that
we require too much wri"en work
and not tnuugh oral, work iu our
language clasfe, and that ' re-
quire worn iroui pupua u m"
jucls about which the pupils know
nothing. He holds that language
worK should get close to the every
day life of the child. He then ex
plained a plan for language work
in the first six grades. Prof.
Traver, of Monmouth, followed
with a talk ou grammar. He
holds that the time given to gram
mar should be about equal to that
given to composition. He then
explained his methods of teaching
some of the most' difficult parts of
the new grammar text book.
Mrs. E. M. Fennel, of Monmouth,
gave a talk upon, "The Apprecia
tion of Art." Mrs. Pennel ex
hibited prints of several master
pieces and explained many of their
beauties which are overlooked , by
the average person.
The program was interspersed
with numbers by the O. S. N. 8.
faoulty quartette and by parts of
the Washington's birthday program
given in the school the day before.
Many patrons and friends of the
school were pre;ent thus showing
their interest in education and
and edncational work?
AJSTIOCH
,V. A. Fishback who has been
visiting relatives in Salem return
ed home Monday. i '. :
Guy Suver, of Falls City, is cut
ting wood for Mr. Gillipin.
Jasper Thompson has returned
to bis home in Salem. '
Lafe Johnson and George Swear
ingen made a business trip to Falls
City the first of the week.
Jay Clark is working for Israel
Marks. ,
Lettie Fishback visited Mrs.
Heck in Independence last week.
. Israel Marks is building some
fencing on his place which he pur
chased from Allen Towbs.
Mr, Bogart, of Monmouth, was
seen in our midst Saturday.
Mrs. Allen Towns' sister Mrs.
Cobb of Dallas, died the first of the
week.
BIG MEETING
SATURDAY
People to Discuss Plans
Cannery.
for
AT OFERA HOUSE I T. JL
All Those Interested Should
Not Fail to bo there '
and Aid.
The meeting tomorrow afternoon
should be well attended b every
body that has the welfare of Inde
pendence at heart; There ia not
the shadow of a doubt but it will
be of great benefit to the town and
surrounding coantry. At Browns
ville where the cannery has been
running two years they are enlarg
ing this year and real estate in the
vicinity of town, or more strictly
speaking, the territory covered by
the cannery, has doubled in value
since its installation. Here we
have the largest body of land suit
able to tomato raising in the stale.
Tomatoes are a standard product
of canneries where they can be
raised profitably and the demand
is unlimited. Four hundred
bushels are estimated as average
yield per ace, yet there is no reason
why there should not be ihree times
s luanv raided on au acre of the
j bottom land. adjacent to this town.
Planted at the regulation distances
there are 2700 plants to the acre
and from personal experience the
writer knows trial such soil in this
valley will produce one buBhel for
every perfect vine or hill, which
would give, with the liberal al
lowance for bad plants, a yield of
not less than 2000 bushels per acre,
or sixty tons. At the lowest con
tract price ever paid for tomatoes
west of the Rocky mountains this
would give an income of $480 per
acre. Allowing double the amount
usually paid for the care of au a ore
there would still be a profit of $450
oer acre per year. This strikes the
average man as being a mighty
good income from one acre of land.
These are the best yields and the
lowest prices; now we will .look at
the matter from the poin) of the
lowest yield and the market price
that has been contracted at Spokane
for this yearB crop, which is $13.50
per ton and 12 tons to. the acre.
This would give returns of $162 per
acre or approximately $140 clear
of expense. With very little out
side help the average family can
care for ten acres, after they have
once gotten the hang of the work.
This gives any one an idea of what
oan be done in the matter of pro
duction. Now for the other side of
the case, which is the investors
side. Vegetable canneries in the
east last year declared dividends
of a little over 30 per cent and there
in no reason why a local cannery
here cannot do the same. This
then should make it a safe aod
good investment both for the busi
ness men and the farmer, especially
the latter as he gets a double shot
at the profits.
Spokane makes a good profit out
of the business -by paying $13.50
par ton for raw material and then
shipping to Portland, paying a
freight rate that is nearly as much'
per hundred as Independence has
to pay per ton. Is it not reason
able then that we have the best of
the market?
By organizing quickly a cannery
can be built and operated at a profit
thlt yr. but tiiiio i prerl iu arsd
th fwip'. mli.i want tit i inatUr
i'tllr t in tiujflt ldit anythin g III
year should gt a rtiov on.
Turkey Dinner. j
, M' and Mr. Prter Kurre gv a
dinier Sunday February "" in
honor of their son Uiarlei Kurre
and wit, w ho were recently ina:.
ried and are here vicitii g with rel
ative and frieiida, A general goo d
time was had by all present, but
l!t feature of the evening was tb
observance of tht time honored
custom of the older metulx-r of the
family dancing in the pig trough
when he was left single afier thai
youngeKt bad taken up the double
burden of life. This fell to the 1 t j
of George Kurre, who ia the sar-j
riving single member of the Kurre l
family. At first he demurred, but j
the entafaidve eloquence of the i
ladles finally prevailed and he!
gracefully submitted to the in-j
evitable. ' It is said that it was not j
his fault, this being leap year and
he has had no propo-als, therefore
the young ladies should bs blamed (
mo'e than he, for no doubt he;
would have accepted had the pro
posal been made and then he would
ba"e escaped the dancing "
fho?e present were Mr and Mrs.
Reeves Mr and Mrs. Claud Kurre,
Mr, and Mrs Willie Kurre, Mr.
and Mrs. Bullock, Mrs. Quincy
Reeves and little son, Mrs. Chetlet,
George Kurre, Maggie Evans, Lee
Whitcomb, Alvi Lockridge Willard
Reeve?, Eva Huston, Miis Snyder.
Nflhe Kurre, Luis Reeves and
Ernest Kurre. .
Resolution c! Coiidolcnce.
Whereas, jt has pleased the eup
rene Ruler of the Universe in b'i6
wisoom to caii from our midst
our late Brother J. M. Mitchell and
whereas the intimate lelationa held
by our late Brother with the mem
bers of ibis lodge, render it fitting
and proper that we should place
on record out appreciation of .his j
service as a Mason there for be it, j
Reolved, by Lyon Lodge No. 29
A. F. & A. M. that in the death of
Brother Mitchell this lodge loses a
Brother, always zealous and active
in the cause of Masonry, honest
and upright as a man, laithful and
true as acitizen, . loyed and re
spected by all not only within but
without the order, therelore be it
further. . 1
Resolved, That this Lodge tender
its most heartfelt sympathy to the
family -and relatives of our deceased
Brother in their sad bereavement,
and that these resolutions be
spread upon the minutes of our!
Lodge, a copy presented the family
and one given the local press for
publication. '
. Oregon E. E. Union
The eighteenth state convention
of the Oregon Christian Endeavor
union closed last Sunday evening
after the most successful session in
the history of Sndeavor in Oregon
Nearly 150 delegates were present,
principally from the Willamette
valley. ,
The list of speakers included the
Btrongest men of the state in fact,
there was not a weak speaker on
the whole program . . Snap and
vigor characterized all the sessions,
and the Endeavor movement re
ceived great impetus from the meet
ing. ' "
Key. C. T. Hurd of Sorvallis
was reelected president, ,and Miss
A. Viola Charleston as secretary.
F." A. Tripp of Eugene was elected
treasurer. .
Eugene furnished entertainment
for all the delegates, and through
the cooperation of the merchants
had the business Btreets ablaze with
C. E. monograms and the C. E.
colors. The next convention will
be held in 1910, most likely in
some place in eastern Oregon.
FIRST STATE BANK
Independence, Oregon.
C VPITAL, 825,000
.4 OEXERAL r.J.VKL0
OrricKaa and Dibkcious:
W. A. Meaner. Pres. E. Ifof.-r, Vic-.Pre. C. C. Patrick, Cash
Wm. Rid dell F. N. Stump. J. P. Rogers
POLK COUNTY BANK
MONMOUTH, - OREGON.
PAID CAPITAL $30,000.00
TraOMcU a general banking and exchange
received, Leos made, DrafU sold.
Officers and Direotors
J. U. Hawley, Pre., P. L. Campbell, Vk Fn., Ira C. Powell, Casbler
J. B. V. Butler. F. 8. Powetl, J. B. Stump,
I. M. BimptNMJ.
II. Ilirchberg, Pres. A. Neleon,
Independence National Bank
Incorporated 1SSO
A GENE
llnterest Paid
H. ffirsohberg,
Smith and
Directors
REO GENTLEMEN'S ROADSTER
, The sportiest thing on wheels. 20 horse power, 45 miles
an hour. Price $1100; with doctor's Top, f 1140. r
H. M. EDGAR, Agt, Independence
- 7 .sr -V-v v..i A'si
To the People
-To have UDiformily good bread you must have good
fC( flour. Good flour can be made only from good wheat.
f We select the wheat used for our local flour from a
1 large amount of wheat and thus get' the best. We
JL can thereforo guarantee our flour to be the best.
If you do not like it return it to your grocer and get your
money back. We guarantee it.
"Pride of Oregon' "Valley," and
"Prize Peach," hard wheat,
are" our brands.
W. T. Hoffman
Oregon Milling &
raw
" -m
"V fc'
BUSINESS COXl't'CTEJA
bunine
Deposits
Vic Pre?. C. W. Irvine, Cash.
The
on Time Deposits
A.Nelson, D. W. Sears,
J. E. Rhodes.
B.
of Polk County
t
M. Tillery
Warehouse Co.