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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-""
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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.)
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ilMVt Vhlloit St. Portland, Or.
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