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About The gazette-times. (Heppner, Or.) 1912-1925 | View Entire Issue (May 6, 1915)
2 HOME AND FARM MAGAZINE SECTION Productive Rogue River Valley and Jackson County, Or, 1 ALAND of many and diversified re sources, of great mineral and timber wealth, of rich agricultural and hor ticultural possibilities, with a climate combining the sunshine of California and the moisture of Oregon a fertile valley set in the midst of a scenic wonderland all that Nature can offer to make life worth while, is found in Jackson County, Oregon. Medford and Ashland, her two largest cities, are metropolitan. The country well improved. The population of more than average intelligence. The products are varied and many. Some of her re sources need more capital for develop ment, and the land a more diversified and intensive cultivation. Topography. The county is bordered on the east by the Cascade Montains, on the west by the Coast Range, the Rogue River Moun tains on the north and the Siskiyou montains on the south. In the heart of this mountain-protected area Is the Rogue River Valley, which has earned world fame for its pears, apples and other fruits. From the level floor of the valley, slop ing benches and rounded hills lead up to the mountain ranges, heavily wooded with yellow and sugar pine, fir, cedar, oaks and laurels, with now and then a snow-capped peak 7000 to 9000 feet In height. The climate may be described in one word as "moderate" about half way between the humid Willamette and the sunny Sacramento. In the '50s and '60s some of the pioneer settlers set out family orchards. Grad ually it became known that the quality and quantity of the fruits were excep tional. The orchards developed and Rogue River Valley fruit began to win prizes and command fancy prices In New Tork and London. This led to a plant ing of a very large orchard acreage and today the Rogue River Valley is one of the most successful orchard districts In the United States. General Farming. General farming is receiving much at tention, for it is realized that the high specializing in fruit growing should be balanced with diversified and intensfled farming, stock raising and dairying. Corn. Corn Is rather extensively grown, 8 con siderable portion between tree rows in young orchards. While the nights are more cool than in the typical corn states of the Middle West, yet good yields are regularly harvested and as high as 10S bushels to the acre has been grown, and -St is not uncommon to have it reach a height of 13 feet. The average yield Is 27 bushels and average price 70 cents. Alfalfa. Alfalfa Is profitable and when the year !s favorable as to rains and on good sandy and gravelly loams, yields of four to six tons per acre have been grown without Irrigation year after year. Along the creek bottoms, where water is easily diverted, much acreage is In alfalfa. The combination of corn and alfalfa make a perfectly balanced ration for feeding and fattening stock and Is now considered staple. Dairying. The dairying industry has not yet be gun to approach its possibilities. Move ments have started toward bringing in blooded dairy cows to the Valley, the farmers co-operating with the bankers, who assist In financing the scheme. Poult 17. Professor James Dryden, of the Agri ftiltural College, said, "I know of no section in the United States that Is more favorable in a climatic way for the rais ing' 6T poultry "ftan" the Rogue "HfveFVal-"" -JHfer FAg Je?r Zrecs sire Str Soortr Zn 7Ac r SIL m-:::f 1 vi PM IP vJ9JffK Mk ml i 11" WW Mjtit ley. Ton have no extremes of tempera ture, a moderate rainfall and abundant sunshine." Poultry raising has become a profitable side line with orchard care. As Oregon has 200 carloads of eggs and large quantities of poultry shipped in an nually, it is a good idea to go into the poultry and egg industry extensively especially if you can produce your own grain and feed. - Specialized Fruit Growing. Fruit growing is the leading industry and Rogue River Valley fruit Is known around the world. Sixty-five thousand acres are now planted to orchard. In the year 1913 the total output of apples and pears was 1150 cars, and the net returns reached well above $1,000,000. New or chards are 80 per cent pears and the dif ferent varieties have been siftefl down to seven varieties Bartlett, Howll, Anjon, Cornice, Bosc, Winter Nelis, which are here arranged in the order In which they ripen. Of the pears one-fourth are Bart lettH, one-half Bosc and Anjou, and the remainder about equally divided between Cornice, Nelis and Howells. The two commercial varieties of apples are the Newtown and Spitzenberg. The Newtown, the favorite, notwithstanding the fa'cl 'thaVseverar much-'cbveCed prizes have been captured by Rogue River Val ley Spilzenbergs including the sweepstake prize at the Spokane National Apple Show Kin 1909, In competition with ail apple growing districts of the Northwest. A carload of Newtown apples was awarded first prize at the Canadian Apple Show in 1910. County Orchard Protection. A horticultural expert is retained by the county and a perfect orchard protection i3 maintained. Deputies devote their time to Inspecting orchards and products, and all diseases are attended to. They are aided by a large force of volunteers, scat tered through the Valley, who report to bbe supervisors. This activity has abso lutely controlled the pear blight. Frost Protection. Another phase of orchard work Is frost protection during the blossoming period. On the slopes and foothills, where air cir culation is good, killing frosts are un known, but in some parts of the Valley floor orchard "heating" or "smudging" has been found efficient. A system of frost warnings are worked out and or chards are equipped with apparatus for hasty lighting, as the danger temperature approaches between midnight and day light. Training schools for packers ere conducted each year, and pickers and packers are assigned to the different or chards. Large storage warehouses are built, combining pre-coollng and dry stor age, with a capacity of 100 cars. Orchard Profits. There is a wide range between the highest average price per acre by the best orchards and the returns of the poorer. It is difficult to arrive at an average, but, safely speaking, a well cared for commer cial orchard will net on an average of from $250 to $500 an acre. High records could be quoted and figures verified from orchards that have averaged $1000 an acre for several years. This proves pos sibilities under the best of market and crop conditions and good management. Growing Berries. All varieties of berries bear prolific ally, especially the loganberry and straw berry. Two canning factories have now been established and offer 4 cents a pound for all the loganberries raised. Two crops of strawberries are grown. The second crop ripening In October. The hope of the Valley Is canneries and evap orators and there is room still for great expansion In that direction. Market Garden Products. The Valley has an extended reputation fur melons and cantaloupes. Brown Bros, came to the Valley three years ago and decided on raising cantaloupes for the market Their yield and returns the first year was 300 crates to the acre. . Tomatoes do especially well and one cannery has signed up 40 acres for 1915. Gardening has been much encouraged by the establishing of public city markets In Medford and Ashland, where the producer sells direct to the consumer, both parties being mutually benefited. Irrigation. The soil of the Valley floor as a rule retain moisture remarkably, especially it well cultivated and matures tree frnits and cereals. But wherever irrigation Is practiced the results amply justify the expense. For intensified cultivation the greater part of the Valley requires water to get best results. On some shallow soils water Is absolutely necessary and remark able crops of vegetables and small frnits are raised on very shallow soli with the aid of the irrigation ditch. Dry Farming Possibilities. Certain districts In the Valley are adapted to dry farming. The average rainfall Is 28 Inches. The season Is early and many crops mature before the Sum mer season of light or no rainfall arrives. D. M. Lowe, of Ashland, raises over SCO different products each year on one ranch. He dry farms and his collection of products have won special prizes with entries from four different states of the Northwest and he now has a display at the Panama-Pacific Exposition of over 500 products raised on his farm last year. Aids for the Newcomer. A number of aids are at the disposal of the new orchardist or farmer omlng to Jackson County. The county pathologist, Professor Henderson, stationed here, of fers advice regarding fruit growing. An other agency Is the county demonstration farm, under the direction of Professor Relmer, who determines the relative worth of plant varieties for certain types of soils. Some 50 varieties of pears were fonnd growing here and they have now been cut down to seven or eight. Cover crops and fertilizers are tested, best va rieties of potatoes and corn are used. Land Values. The grenter part of land vbIucb is based upon fruit possibilities, cheaper lands are found in the outlying districts. The high est priced raw land is adjacent to some matured orchard, which has proved its commercial worth and the prices vary from $50 to $200 an acre. The cost of planting and caring for an orchard for six or seven years Is about $100 an acre, at this age it brings some returns and in creases rapidly until at 12 years large profits are realized and if well planted and cared for command $600 to $1000 an acre. No allowance has been made for crops between the tree rows up to the bearing age. Corn is largely grown and the greater part of the corn is so produced. Cantaloupes, melons, potatoes, tomatoes and other vegetables are profitable fillers. The climate may be judged by the lo- (Onchnkri on Pago 3.) : SAVE YOUR TEETH : COME Iff and hv your mouth -amined while ln Portlflnd. I iwe th verv latest SCIENTIFIC PAIM.KSS MKTHODM. ... DR. A. W. KEENE Mirntmt Majraflc Thratrr Building, ilMVt Vhlloit St. Portland, Or. ENGLISH SEEDS Inc. Lat tu n4 von enr col- vegetable od packets for DRAV Tt. BAM.ARD, Arnde Bide., Seattle. r bit; t MMttt fAr fatal oerue
