Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, April 14, 1911, Image 3

Rogue River courier., April 14, 1911, Page PAGE THREE, Image 3

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Newspaper Page TextFRIDAY, APRIL 14, 1011 WEEKLY ROGUE RIVER COURIER PAGK TBRT3 1! ORCHARDISTS OF ROGUE RIVER IN LINE TO EXCEL By C. H. Clements. Rogue River Valley's greatest In dustry Is producing, packing and selling fruit. The valley's reputa tion for growing pears, apples and peaches no longer occupies an Infer ior position relative to other sections of the country. A few years ago the fruitgrower did not receive an order beyond the Rocky Mountains; but this limited field for marketing has, by the best methods of horticulture, been expanded to all the markets of the world, In fact, the best prices tor pears have been obtained from Eng lish purchasers. The foreign con sumers are well pleased with what they receive and from year to year are In touch with the progress of the coming year's output. In 1909, by general calculation based upon aggregate figures taken from all the owners of the valley, the fruit crop was measured up to the sum of 11,000,000, and that year was considered a light one. The best information for that year rated apples at 80 per cent, pears Y0 per cent, while the peaches var .ed in different localities. Good au thority attributes the long and short crops of fruit to the different meth ods employed by horticulturists and by the further employment of inex perienced men. Inspection demon strates, in passing over large areas that some owners go to extremes by thinning too much while on the oth er hand may be found a strong de sire by some to force great quanti ties of fruit of an Inferior quality by neglecting to thin and prune suf ficiently which would keep, the ave rage tree in yearly bearing cdndltlon. The apple crop in 1909 was 600 cars; pears 300 cars, and peaches 100 cars. Following these figures and percentage given the 1910 crop pro duced 600 cars of apples; 400 cars of pears, with a like increase In the peach crop. Demonstrating the remarkable pro ductlvness of well cared for trees, as shown In the accompanying illustra tions, 33 boxes of first-grade Spltzen berg apples were picked from one tree on the old Reymers ranch, now subdivided, Anderson & McGinn own ing the 11-acre orchard In which this particular tree was found, In the Bame orchard another tree pro duced 38 boxes. The fruit from these trees was purchased by W. B. Sherman, of this city, and placed on exhibition at the district fair In 1910, In a one-tree exhibit, along with 40 boxes of Winter Nellls pears and 70 boxes of pound pears, also from one tree each. Through Mr. Sherman's courtesy we are enabled to give pho tographic reproduction of this ex hibit and of the Spltzenberg tree, from which the apples were picked. A feature of this particular orchard Is the fact that both Mr. Anderson and Mr. McGinn are Eastern busi ness men not orchardlsts, but un der the direction of the county fruit inspector, J. F. Burke, are working skillfully and with great success In putting this grand orchard In the highest state of productiveness. Xext Season Promises Well 1 It requires no abstract calculation safely , to calculate what will be pro duced In 1911 which will be the en ormous sum of $2,000,000. This big collection of $2,000,000 Is enough to establish 80 banking Institutions with capital fully paid up. Assets of this character are startling to the Investigator as well as giving to the crmmunlty confidence as to Its Belf suppotrlng power. This Immense rev enue has become a prime factor In the development of the state of Ore gon and a local community pride. The oo.put for 1911 never looked better. The orchards have been carefully sprayed, heavy pruning Is well under way and the winter snap has been Just right, that Is, enough cold has been felt In January and February to keep the sap below the soli line until tie danger of winter frost tins been eliminated. The com ing year will have, besides the old orchards to reckon with, many new orchards Just ready with tholr first crop. What tnis win amount 10 nas not been taken Into consideration and may not properly be until fall. Standing In the open door of spring and the1 busy season, the valley pre sents to the stranger a thrifty as- lft. zealous effort with one 'common In terest to produce a high-grade fruit. Pruning Is Important Two grades of pruning may be con sidered. The first is usually of a heavy character in which the tree, after a period of rest from ltii bear ing stage, is stripped of its heavy growth and superfluous limbs. Such pruning reduces the tree to a sym metrical figure that protects Its fruit and makes it bear with a rela tion to quantity and quality. I The light pruning comes from oversight by inexperienced laborers, early growth of suckers and the gen eral growth of the tree when It Is needed to be toned down. Next to cultivation pruning is the most es sential, and unless good sense is ex ercised there will be an over produc tion of scrubby fruit not fit to be offered for sale and of very little val ue for home use. Most of the orchardlsts have an im proved method of pruning that adds a lasting charm and beauty to the long rows of trees; the two best methods employed In Rogue River Valley may be found In what are termed an open center head and the center Btalk tree. That best results may be obtained, I every county has a fruit Inspector, who Is familiar with spraying, prun ing and cultivating of fruit trees. The duties of the lnsepctor are var ied and range from the inspection of scale to the packing and shipping of fruit. If the orders of the inspec tor are not promptly obeyed the law steps in and decrees that the remedy be applied at the expense of the own er, giving the county a lien upon the property. The heavy winter spraying con sists of lime-sulphur which must be applied to the trees while they are dormant, and to miss even a small sprig may mean that the tree will he slightly Infected from the seemingly small neglect. Scale increases or de creases according to the vigilant work done by the owners, but sometimes weak or Impure spray Is dealt out which creates considerable extra trou ble and cost. The same thing may happen from the use of a weak so lution. Fruit scale Is considered of a heady disposition and will at a normal stage of life attack the tree when In virtually a normal condition. The lime-sulphur spraying Is concluded generally before fruit trees begin to bloom. At the time of the blooming period a light spray ' of different chemicals Is cast upon the trees to drive away the codln moth, which has a strong inclination to play havoc with the fruit If not kept under re straint. As soon as the spraying has been thoroughly performed common laborers, with teams and tools, drive through the orchards to gather up all the cuttings beneath the well-rounded out trees. These clippings are imme diately removed to quarters beyond the orchard, heaped In high piles and there destroyed by fire. The destruc tion by fire of the waste Is required by law, as a preventative to the fu ture spreading of the scale or pests that may be thriving upon the sev ered limbs. The Northwest has become filled with commercial orchards. Section' al exploitation, coupled with Individ ual efforts and commercial organiza tions, has made prominent Bome parts of this vast territory that loom far above others. fhe fruit industry requires both capital and labor and denotes a rich community with well-to-do citizens, who have owners of commodious homes having many of the modern comforts, such as hot and cold water, electric lights and many other con veniences that make five and ten acre tracts of fruit land inviting and remunerative. All the leading orchardlsts have for pleasure and use automobiles, The valley Is well supplied with tele phones and a system of electric light Ing. The rich bottom land, yielding good returns, makes a liberal Income for the college graduate, the retired capitalist or the literary genius who has become Interested In one of the most profitable Industries In the country. Climate Makes Country Idleal It is these classes of people that have settled In the Rogue River Val ley to make their homes and help develop Us natural resources. They are all well satisfied to reside here. happy and contented and free from the Blorms, blizzards and cyclones that frequently occur In the East. In 1907 the fruit growers of this val ley shipped to New York City a car load of pears that set the pace for high prices and won the world's re cord for rarlond pots. Following the record price for pears, numerous The blooming period in the early spring months 1b the charming part of the season, imparting to the night air a rich and varied aroma. The young and the old trees vying with each other In sturdy growth and boughs laden with bursting blossoms, present an uncommon sight pleasing to the eye. As soon as the blossom has dropped and the young fruit has developed Into form, then comes the thinning period. , v Thinning does not require tools, but dexterous hands, steadily em ployed, with handy ladders that reach ti the topmost boughs. All the lit tle apples must be picked off until the limbs of the tree have the quan tity to Insure a uniform growth that will reach maturity with a good col or and equal size for packing pur poses. If the labor of plucking the surplus production from the branches Is not performed at the proper time, the over-laden tree's vitality Is drawn upon and this materially affects 'the fruit that is left upon the tree for commercial growth. It requires many laborers from ten days to 'two weeks to strip the orchards of the super fluous production. Thinning Increases Revenue Some of the best authorities hold that heavy thinning each year not only increases the revenue of the orchard but has a strong tendency to insure good returns each year. In thinning and pruning, care must be taken that the fruit spurs are not broken off. The little apples left on the tree grow very rapidly In the warm sunshine and day by day may ( packing. At first the fruit was not wrapped In tissue paper and labels characteristic of the section were not used, but these conditions have by experience been relegated and the associations now give finger to their packing by using attractive labels on the wrappers. The grower la com pelled to follow the demands of the consumer, and the label and meth od of packing Increases the price to a large percentage. At the various packing houses hundreds of women are employed at remunerative wages', the work is light, clean and dignified; all the heavy lifting Is done by men. The expense of pick ing, packing and marketing fruit varies from 60 to 80 cents a box. Much depends upon the business ability and the economy of the grower. ; Special Trains Carry Fruit After the fruit has been encased In regular tiers in fancy labeled boxes, It Is hustled Into a refrigerator car preparatory to a swift Journey across the continent, and frequently thence to slide down the gangway of a ship into the hold for a long ocean voy age. Cars that carry fruit. must be the best the company has and be fore starting each must be well Iced In order to keep the fruit at the proper temperature, and, further, to preserve and protect It from Us long dusty ride over the plains. At Inter vals on the long Journey the car Is re-Iced. All trains are made up with fruit cars only, and are given the right of way with speed limited only to safe-1 ty and convenience. So fast are be seen developing the rich deep col- these trains that the experienced ho- Everywhere the plow, pruning prizes were given at different place hook, saw, expert laborer and the j for the finest and brut display of an rlrh land owner are working with a pies. or that makes the Rogue river apples famous as' a commercial fruit. The best advised horticulturists and experienced growers find that, af ter overcoming the pests and disease, the orchards are subjected to freak years, at which times lighter crops may be expected. In the eastern dis tricts and in high belts of Colorado, where the climate Is not tempered by warm effects of the ocean cur rents, the problem of handling early frosts becomes an Important factor in fruit raising and must be coped with day and night. A good many devices have been ex perimented with and have more or less answered the purposes In a prac tical way for orchard heating. mong the best may be found recep tacles for burning oil and coal. These receptacles are placed at Intervals be tween the rows of fruit trees and, as the weather Is forecasted either from Kome central station or weather bureau, the growers, with a crew of men, advance through the orchard and quickly light the vessels that be gin to pour forth shafts of heat Into the lowering temperature. These soon reduce the danger and create a normal temperature agreeable to the tender fruit. A cheaper way, and one of the primitive methods, may be found In using waste material or a few sticks of wood piled at the prop er distances. These nocturnal fires may seem, at first thought and with out Investigation, to be quite expen sive, but considering that the ave rage yield of Bartlett pears Is seven boxes to the tree with 102 trees to the acre and that they bring a re markable price, this minor expense sinks Into Insignificance. Side Crops Not Profitable During the summer months atten tion must be given to reasonable cul tivation, which requires the soil to be stirred deep enough to bring the moisture to the surface. Some grow ers find it profitable to plant corn cr potatoes between the trees, but In the matured orchards good hus bandry denies the burdening of the soil with other growth. The expec tation period begins to arrive early In the fall and the telling work ex pended In spraying, pruning, graft ing, budding, thinning and cultivat ing begins to loom up In the fore ground. The big end of the season Is In sight; the bright-colored ap ples, the Bartlett pears and the de licious peaches are all beginning to ripen ready to be picked and packed. The picking and packing process Involves one of the problems of ship ping, the last event In the handling of the fruit. All fruit must bo handled with care and taken from the tree with" out the slightest bruising and plac ing Into large warehouses where ex perts are employed to wipe, sort, grade and pnek It. Usually an orch ard crew Is divided Into pickers, haulers, wipers and graders; thence comes another class termed the pack ers and nailers and If the fruit Is stored In the warehouse, on the grower's promise, It nnift then bo rarefully loaded and transported to the fruit growers' tusnclatlon ware house along the nearest railroad. racking requires taste and tech nical observation, with iv deep snrise ff duty, and for that renson women sre considered best adapted fer bos seek preference on some other train. Nearly every fruit grower In Rogue River Valley has the conveni ences necessary to bring him In touch with the world, electric lights, telephones, automobiles and rural de liveries. From Sunday Oregonlan. NO REASON FOR DOUBT. A 8tatmtnt of Faot Backtd by a Strong Guarantee. We guarantee complete relief to all sufferers from constipation. In every case where we fall we will supply the medicine free. Rexall Orderlies are a gentle, ef fective, dependable and safe bowel regulator. strenpthener and tonic. They re-establish nature's functions In a quiet, easy way. Tbey do not cause any Inconvenience, griping or nausea. They are so pleasant to take and work so easily thnt they may be taken by any one at any time. Tbey thoroughly tone up the whole system to healthy activity. Rexnll Orderlies are unsurpassable and ideal for the use of children, old folks and delicate persons. We cannot too highly recommend them to all suf ferers from any form of constlpntion and Its attendant evils. Two sizes, 10c. and 25c. Itemember, you can ob tain Rexall Remedies In this communi ty only at our store The Rexall Store-Clemens. Absolutely Puro "HAKES HOME BAKING EASY Light Biscuit Delicious CaUc Dainty Pastries Fine Puddings Flalty Crusts and the food Is finer. more testy, cleanly and wholesome than the ready made found at the shop or grocery Itmyml Omok Mmok-aOO JtoapfWrc. Snd Hmmm mnd Add. BOYAl 8AKINO POWDER CO., NEW VOKK. ESCAPING MURDERER CAUGHT BY BLOODHOUNDS BEAVER, Pa., April 12. Charles Hickman, under sentence of death for the murder of his wife, who escaped from the county jail last night, was recaptured at 2 o'clock this afternoon a few mile from Beaver. He wu tracked by bloodhounds. Oregon Apples In Maine Captain W. H. Simmons this week received a letter from his sister, who resides in East Eddlngton, Maine, in which she pays a high tribute to Ore gon fruit. The letter reads: "We went to the food fair In Bangor this winter and there was one booth of Oregon apples we thought the pretti est of anything in the hnll. Such levely fruit you seldom see." This Is Just another of the many Instances lu which the Oregon apple excites fa vorable comment by Its superiority. The Simonds Saw, the saw that has no equal, LEST YOU FORGET, WE WOULD REMIND YOU THAT THE SIMONDS SAW 13 THE BEST SAW THAT CAN BE MADE. , If easy running, fast cutting and an absolute puanntce count for any thing in a hand saw, then every mechanic should use this Simonds Saw. It is certainly much different from other saws. Let us tell you why, or better yet, let the Simonds tell its own story, Rogue River Hardware Co. The Big Red Front Lame Shoulder is nearly always due to rheumatism of the muscles, and quickly yields to the free appli cation of Chamberlain's Liniment. For sale by all good dealers. Order Courier. your calling cards at The First National Bank of Southern Oregon i A COMMERCIAL BANK ' DEPOSITS Subject to Check Demand Certificates Tlmo Certificates EXCHANGE Domestic Foreign 'i e'egraphlc Mtpr of Credit liOANH L. n Hall, PreKldent. J. C. Campbell, V'i ''-President. II. L. Gllkey, ('a -r. K. K. Ila'kett, Asst. Canbler. J. T. Fry, Anst. Cnnhler. HEARINGS 3H I n c ii e apart, SPROCKET BE TWEEN Bear. I iiCS the COR 11ECT prlnrlple, Mini found ONLY In RACYCLEH. See them nml (lie Typewriter Man, 001 Ho. (ltd M.,' Grants Piihn, On. f The 1011 IMPROVED HA- l fl ft CYCYK t,ra"k" wl,h SOLID A vie, for ALL Models. S sv b J.: i r" If ' f- ii'i ,'''- - . J r.:p1lri 6? vVi i i , I CJ, $ rutv - ? - I .f a j GUARANTEED j 4 THREE YEARS 1 J UNBREAKABLE Lu-J THAT RAlNYDy COMES wu i iVUV ! H i s v x v . r.p. 1' n JUL 'v wr . n U mm m m mm m m -- .. i ' , m mm w r, Af APF! IN THE .You've worked hard for your money. If you'll LET IT WORK FOR YOU and make you interest you won't have to ask for help should you lose your position. Make OUR Bank YOUR Bank. We pay liberal interest consistent with safety. Josephine County Bank GRANTS PASS, ORE.