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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1913)
y $ MramrottT) matt, tktbttnr arrcnrom QftEfloy.tYrrcnxrcsnAY. ,t vntt mr t. ina S mH ?.drA .. ' ) -, ,..!. J--. . - - . ; i.i I - I 11 fT T. - - - - I - ' I' II - I II! Ill I III III I I I 111. I I . I - - ' ' Story of the Largest Commercial Orchard in Oregon --" - n 'k f i I 1 Nearly tea year ago, John A. Wc terlijnd, who was then engaged in tlio Immigration bureau ot tiio llnrrlninu lines', flrat heeamo Interested lit tlio Pnrljfle cetwt an a field tor his own personal Investments nnd enterprise. Pi lor o tlmt Unto ho hint been heav ily Interested In Nebraska agrlciiltiir nl Kinds, having purchased largo holdlnga from the Union racltlc. During tho succeeding .wars this first (our hundred acres wna planted to commercial varieties ot pears and apples, nnd other fruits; nnd then It wa founvl nocessar to ciiiiloy the capital already secured from eastern Investors, to purchase another simi lar and adjoining tract pf four hun dred acres, Rtllt n part ot tho old Ihylor homestead, nnd to continue here. Mr. Westerlund Is not one to tvek the boat In which lie has taken passage; he has iioer "been known anywhere- a a knocker, or a mall orMcr bucr; on tho contrary, he bo lleves It hU ditty, its' n business nnd a clllion. to upend hU money nt homo, "CVIi mi Hand" Tho secret of his financial success, t flBHft'T) -1 ' IM 'i'i i aTT" ' L' "JiHITF'f T n ,; , , A Corner of the. First Planted whlrit ho afterwards disposed of to settlers who became attracted to that country through his untlrlnic efforts to build .up its rural population., Mr. Westcrlund's next move, en tering the llarrtman service in chnrep of tho Northwestern Home seckors' Unreau, resulted In more than tiro thousand colonists, actual settler)!, being qillfcd In ono jesr to tho populations of Washington, Idaho. ami, Oregon. It was during thin ;?V of 15103 that ho first saw the possibilities Of tho fruit (udustry on tho Pacific mast. Uortona iu xcsUgatlon only served tq confirm, bin impressions, and he dotonnlaed to center his activities in tho promo tion of orchard , enterprises, ills first location was In tho White Sal mon district, wiierw . Ux planted n coIohj1 kao,wn as "rrultljowo Tract" and, a(lernard accused na option ou ntract of ItaVej. hnuUreJ acres in the Hood, ttlxsr alley Peforc oaclud Inc'lhis Jast tiamed purchase, how ever, Siulhcrn I'acltic officials per suaded him to first Investigate the claims of Southern Oregon, and as a ronseucnc tho Hood Itiver option was never taken up. and tho Kosiie Ither valley wcurcd ono who Is to day ono of Its must loyal and publtc Kplrllod cltlzous. "Ho came, ho saw, and ho was conquered." in other words, two of the leading members ot tlio old gusrd, John I). Olwell and JessQ Enyart. met him at the dopot "a straiiKor, and they took him In ' Into the ranks of the Boosters club, from which he has never slnco been able to release himself. ltu)N it Tract Deforfl leaving this valley, on his first visit, ho secured his first tract of four hundred acres, part of the hU(oilc old Taylor donation land claim, located on tho southern slopes of Itpxy Ann. With this tract there pasjed Into Mr, Westcrlund's pos session, as u trust that ho preserves and has Jealously guarded, tho liv ing monument of pne of this valley's old and honored pioneers, familiarly known as "Old Man Talor's Pine." This uoblo tree, deserted now by all lis fellows, stands like a faithful seutluol over the hallowed memories of early struggles and heroic prjva tlons, surrounded by the new-planted generations of a modern commercial orchard. "Hoys, lot tho old tree Htaiul us long as It will, to bo my mouuntoiit," Old Man Taylor's fre quent Injunction to his stalwart sons, preserves this relic of old days to be tho prido ot tho Monitor orchard. "That tree shall stand," said Mr. Wcstcrlund, In speuVlng to tho writ er of Its history, "as long as Naturo upaies it. Whoever purchases tho tract which contains It, must first agreo to keep tho old Taylor Pine sacred from tho axe." Plan Kitrceviful 'Huturnlug tfust from tin first pnr fhasb, Mr. Wosterlund went to Chi cago, iiiul thoro formuluted tho plans which havn since been most success fully followed for financing this en terprise, and building up what Is now Ihu largest commercial orchard un'thu coast; still n young orchard, but undoubtedly dosttnud to become a groat producing pioporty, w'liothcr operated as a whole, as at present, or under separate ownerships, lu urimller trade. ''Iteturuliig hero with funds at his command, Mr. Westerlund ut onco bet about tho preliminary work of clem lug away the chapparal and bcrub oak, traces of which remain to (his day lu certain favored tiooks and ceruwrH and on knolls hero and there, reserved for building' sites in tho futuie, when tho tlnuV shall bo ripe for subdividing tho gioat truct Into swalfer holdings," wltlfreHldpiit own-orH. Apple Trvoi on Monitor Orchard planting until nearly all ot this tract, nni the consequent success ot his also stood covered with a joung and horlkultu'-al enterprlxo, lies lu his premising orchard These two tracts t faithful adherence to one principle. In tho session ot 1911, ho swrvod as -.1-.. . ..II - .-I . .... .!-.. 1 ... .!. , stands Until), fluiturlitlb bound, with tho hluhwt bunking and murcnutllo orodtt, 'with no oncnuibriiucu on It. and no floating debt to harass Its iiianiiKeiiioiit. Said tho ii'ittuiuer: "Wo have spunt our litouuy on tho orchard; that Is what Ih was brought hero for, and wo have (junrdud ovory penny of ev pondlturo as carofully as wo ceuld: thoro has boon no, 'overhead ox penso'. that could lu any way b'e avoided. Wo Inivo hoeer alwa.ts omploved compntfut help to look af ter the various dopurtmouts of our titisliuwj. and tho bt legal tiilont iiroourable luisalwajs Ihwii consulted nt oxery stop, to MfvRURrd our on irnrlso. lAAinluu titles and protect I tt o 'iitortts of our Inxustom and it uds. In addition, wo have hud lii'robt8d with ox. step lo step, tho oit horticultural And IiuhIuom o lioiU'w In Medford, Wo have taken I i cbnncos. and hate umde no fool 'il oprlmnt 'UmsIums first hat boen our watohword all alonir liu- inly craftltle tlir.t lint lien doin' on these orchnrds Is what lias beer 'tlouo on tho trees." Klettod to Offlio ' That .Mr.Westerluud's substantial character as a ottUou and a nuxtnosH ran hai. not gouo without flttlur. ' recognition from his fellow towns l men and other cltUous of Jackson icountv, t evldoncod by the fact of I' his being twice clmi-en to ropreseiit 'hem In tho lower house ot the state legislature. During his first term. an elements In tho logUlitluto lu re peal the Inltlitllvo law passed b) thu people ut tho provloim election, clos ing the ItoRtio rlr to eouiiuorclnl flshliiK: tho Hume Intotonts mustoied n Hiifflelonl U'liroseiitittlou ot uto.is bauklsut aud modern commercial n in ft In the legislative ranks to pass tholr upon I oxer tho heads of the j future of Med lord; and UeltiK man neoplo's reiirt'seutailxi's. tuhnnu who likes to keep all of hit i'RKU lu with tholr buck to tin wall tloxei- one basket slnco coining here ho lias nor Wwit's xeto hoxxctv inclnl tip dtspo "d of prnttU'itUy nil of his (or- the flahl made In tlio tit miiu with n r Mirm holdniK'i in Niljinka Imlds, s stern lehuke to ihog,- who sought and has luvostcd thu lirocci'u In Iwo leu' iiiuido, with thivdugiou (it A,, It lit KM'I. Ills sibKcituout busluoss DxpQiletii't'M led u that oonnecllou with tho Union Pacific and llnrrl man lutetosts whlolt lias, alremly been mentioned us leading up to his locu tion In Medfoid, where lio turn ttjiice ri'Sldetl. lie Is a flfin bijlloxer lu the uimlnni Intnliu'sn HtriirturcH on '.S'tirtli Kir strt't't. the liaiidiionio now llotol Unllaiid building and tlio north half of tho Miill-Trlliuno building adjoin ing, both or xxliluli stnioure, liu sllll owns, lie Is it member of tho Illi nois meloty and uf tlio llulvorMlly club. It goes without saying that ho Is also u leadliiK inotitber of llfo Com menial tiiib. of which ho Is a illrou tor, and that ho stands lit Urn front rank of thu Hooker for Mudford and the Itogiie rlxer xnlley. j . . constttuto what ts today kuown as the Monitor Orchard, the whole ot Mr. Westcrlund's plantings on the cast foothills being commonly known as tho Westcrlund orchards. Ituys More Sffu'another slice of tho Taylor rancw passed into Mr Westcrlund s 4 John .. Woitct limit mill expressed ' .some of HU lllg iXpp The .Monitor nnd l.lnnea orchards are situated on the cast foothills. possession in 190S, this time three hundred and sexenty-fixo acres In ex tent, west from tho Monitor tracts, thrco hundred acres of this last pur chase being now sot out In u splen did growing orchufd, which has been named, In honor of the great Swed ish botanist, the Llonnca orchard. Since lliOS, other Investments In adjoining traets have brought the total holdings up to some three thou best expressed In his own reference , chtlrmntt of tho horticultural coin- to -Mi cash lu hand and iron of debt I mltteo. and ho li today mentloned'a I to uxerrldo tho people s policy. ' To start right, with a ft poMlblo candidate for tho speaker-) xxlll. anil to emasculate tho Inltlatlxc clear title to the land to place no ship In the coming session In his 'und referendum, because of this fight mortgage on It for Improvements or ' fl-st term h Justified tlio conft- nnd this veto, the lloguo river ro othcrwlse, to build the orchnrd no ,onr- riven him b xeoiuan work f r nin ns todnj ctosed to mouopo'y. aud faster than; funds could ho pledged tt-e Hoguo river valid' and the hor l'n P tho people Anx attempt to forlheoutlfe gnwln,; period orocaru Hcullural Inf rests ucucrally in pro- roYcrso this posltl n of affairs at,thc about two and one-half inllos from . l M.,.ir.,r.l li.lnlii.. III., in. I, nt lllllnriMl I .... 11,1, ... J.'.I.IUM ' "'"'" ...i. on bard, already world-fniuous. uud n put I'd to bo tho flmt priidiiclng romiuiMlal on hard oxer pluutiil In Mill i-xiiiMuie. planting, and all oth er I'.eiieial iioidltlous, the Monitor and l.luiifii nrilmrds ruuiparo fuxor ablx with tho olhr. and thoro seems to lie no reaiHiu for doubtluc thu be ll' f of tho prnwnt iiMiiera of the lounger platitatloiiH that the), will In llmo diiilliatt. tan wi'll-kunwu fame anil the (iimmordnl siucoh nl read) uiblexoil by their older neigh bor Tlio soli for tho most part Is tho fMiumi. 'black stick)' tho soli Hint iievi wi iim nut. huh is Uto son on wliirb nur Kouiilue old-tlmor nl waxs lianked to proiluro a crop, with out Irrigation mid without nrtllli'liit fertlltsatlou. i'itr lu and your out- aud the hlMnry of ngtlriiltiiro lu this vallo KhonH tual jour old-timer was ui'Xor dlxappolutotl. This soil Ilea twiint) lu thlrt) foot deep, on uverngo, over prnelli'till) the i ntlro truct. Ho abundant Is thu sub Irrigation from the slopes of lloxy tut. and perfsrt Is tho roteutloli of on Iniuro by tho blink stick), Hint tftiT moutliH of iiiiluterriipti'd miiii xhlii''. with never it cloud aoross thu sky. a more scratching of tho stir fare brings to view a molatiiro-ladcii of Uoli that run be rolled Into it "iiiud to I ball" between tho finger. Tho fro- (Ut)iit. thorough and itiroful cultiva tion that Is liMtowed uu thoso acres conserve this priceless soil quality. The Monitor and Linnca Orchards TitiiiMill'JMhiii MiiiihTlliiTir--"-- lu ' -A" -t. .'V"o. . TT:xfV-t ". V 's BBKl 'H)7a3HP iJWBMHffJMiiiiiii "' nil - T mSm 1 I 'TflfttMpJBBBBBiBBBn3BMHBM "T,?MrBBI fBHHraBffiln9snKHilflHE IHnHilLBBCflDiHB9sBBB0RI9snHHBsHKl- IBBSPJ3BMaBffsrlBHlCTK2BBy55ir . jHVH vich r (cnt-ral I.lniiea Oriiinnl Slioitin lounger t.riiii-s of fruit Tr iv, ahead for each jnd every ncre plant ed, as planted this was thu original plan of this otiterprlse, and It has remained Its guiding principle throughout. Mr. Wosterlund hat sought to get for his enterprise & dollar's worth of value for every dol lar expended for labor and supplies, and to slvo his Eastern Investors x'alue over their Iniestment for every "ling the state experimental sta romlng mhsIoii In tii nt'-rcst lion, now located m-ar latent, and In ;auj jirlxale mouonol). Is dostluod iiushlng the bill eHtubllshhiK.u stand nrd slbil fruit box. aud ProftMhor O'tlara's bill to prevent vthe sale of mlsbranded spraIug maturlal. Mr. Wosterlund Introduced thesu nienn- urcs in tho houe, uud slnjeil with moot with tho mine ijliniilued oppu- sltluu from Juekktiii county's senior representative. Horn lu lllliinli Mr. Wusturliiml was burn at Orion. Henry county, Illinois, where his bo) . dollar entrusted to his raro As n ' ttioncli nuavallliial ., i .--t. anu acres; a ery consumable part , rosult of this policy, the enterprise against the attempt of the reacMou ot the latest purchases havo also been i r ' - . . L 1 ' J-M M !' f x .JSMbMl.'. it. ..' ,kA t r ifc " "Vi" -.' "'"1 .j-,.-l -HI L. tha fla lit for them until they bueuine hood was spuiifou his father's farm, laws He alr fought hard ixen until he outervd itetbauy College ut at tho linn Liudsborg, Kansas, white ho spent s x ars. graduating trout the class and make It full) itvallablo for tho grow lug xutinK trees, as thulr flour UhliiK condition amply tostlftes, i,lllll Mi'r. Itlght Nntiim m'oiiis to haxo arranged Hid laud lu mi Idisil way In faxiir the plmitlug of an unbard on thesu slopes. Tho r.ruit. lounded "liilgos" mid lulorxiwlug "draws" lie like tlio spioud-out (Inguhi of a human hand Pointing miuwiinl iIoimi the uioiiii tulusldo. Tho natural result ot this formation, iiiiipled with Hid high ole xiitlou of Ihu iiitlre tract. Is a con tinuous ilri'iiluttoii of uu upward cur rent of warm air. whlib guaranteen thu front-proof loudltloiis Jimtly ulnliued for thoso orchards. And more than Unit. Hit temiHirattiro In the sprlim, In blossoming time, Is al ways from six to eight degrees warm er tlinii In tbe valley Im'Iiiw. Htrnw- lint lies ilpeu lu thu plot nhovii thu suporluteudi'iit's Ijimioo at least ten day ulii'iitl uf any nlhers lu tho val ley; and fur ou Hit upper end of tho iHsl-'ilaiitvd in rut. Just under Hut north I In of tho property, overlook ing oxvty otlnr fruli tree planted In thu lloguo itlvor Viitiy. thorn Is a trnet of two lures of uprlcols, whosn fruit has no piM'r lu point of stie, flavor, quality or color, produced nt an elevation of JUKI feet above sen litxol lll)il llllln hundred feet aboxn tho city of Medford. No part of tho orchards Is Ions than four hundred fetit aboro thu town. These apricots won the gotd medal at the Hcaltfc Imposition, lu tin )ear when tho Itiver Valley took tint (Irani! Hwcnp. stakes Prlao at Spokane on a car-lot exhibit of apples. Kinds and Variety of Fruit Planted sot out in orchard, so that today the planted acres run well over tho thousand mark. Thu development ot such un en terprise has been no small task, In deed, either from tho financial point of xlew, or that of tho horticulturist. Suffice It to say for tho latter, at present, that tho Westcrlund tracts will bear comparison today with any similar plantings In tho valloy, aud that fruit already produosd has taken first or second prize, aud sometimes both, at all of tho leading national apple shows, durlun tho last four jeurs. Ilujs Kupplic Hero It is au easier task, comparatively speaking, to raise a thousand or more acres of orchard, than It is to ralto a huff million and moro of dollars to put into tho first named pioposltlpu, Mr. Westerluud has douu both, and (lis enterprise stands today, as it has Stood from tho very beginning, built and paid for, with novor a mortgage on it, and never a bill for supplies furnished or douo without tho mouoy pu hand to meet tho obligation. It Is worthy of, mention hero that prac tically every dollar of this Investment has been spout in Jackson county, and most of it In Medford. Kvory tree bet out has been purchased from resident nurserypioii, and Medford murchauts have profited from prac tically every purchase of supplies. Savon or olght families have always lived ou the tract, and fi'om twenty to forty men have boon employed. whoso wages were wrcxs.trll) spent i i ' ' ' , Tf 3 i. "6"f To write a detnllsd .doscrlpllon of the various plantings throughout n tract of this size would require fur more space than wi haxo at our com mand. A brief nntli o must suffice, and for mi) ftitthur and moro par ticular report we eau only quote the manuger's own werds: "Wo dou t want any Inturustnd person, rltlzou of Medford or any ollior, to take (ho miiiiagurH word for tho merits of thoso trt'os. Wo want tliuin to tomv out huiii uud see for themsulvos. Whenever wo sell a part of this trnet wo ahull want tno buor to sou xvbat ho Is getting first, uud buy urtor wards. No uoro-heads for ours. A buyer well pluasud Is tt friend well iukIii, mid wo want that sort of filuudshlps (o mow nut "r "r '""''' iiow IninmigloiiH." Tlio cut 'published with this m li ttle, shotljig "A turner of tho flist planted applu treeH lu tlio Monitor orchard," .loiiatliiuiH by tho wa), lends point (o thuso words. Cer taluly thoro uro no flunr looking ties for thulr ugo uii)whuio olso lu any coiiimeiebil oiiiianl; uud tho lat er pliiutlugu nil glvo promlHo of tho sumo gooi ruHiilta, 'Vho iimiuu;o inunt'it oxpuiioiico Iiiih Hhown thai at this olovaHou u longer (lino, from two to lht;eo jours, la roqulrud to bring a commercial apple or pear tico to the first beaiiug stage, but that this delay lu moro than roiupeu sated by tho greater solidity or growth ajtalned. As for longevity ami friilt,fuliuss, tho old "family or chard," iilunted by tho Tuylors njul, other foiinor owums, glvg ump.lo us sill unco us t,o thuso iiulllles. u ono of thorn Is it flftj-oiie-ycnr-dld pour tree which Iihk a reeiiit record of flfty-foui buihi's of flue fruit; and Included In thulr later plantings, now a part of the Monitor orchard, nro eighteen Newtown I'lppliiH which huxii produced as high as ninety throe bovos of the finest roimuerclul fiull, which Mild hero for 1 83.00 or nearly two dolluts pr box. TJiu smallor frnltx. cherries and penrhes, plum mid pruiion, haxo ulreudy shown K,o.od promlso of becoming prollfle hoitrois; wo havo elHoxxliurd nollitd the romarkahlo record mado by npiicots at (ho !ili;liot eeva(lou on tho 1 1 uct. (iii'iiy )in(il li ho After hjuvlUK tho iiuilii oiitrnnco gate, near thu lllllurest orchard, thu drive Into the Wostorluud urchin tin loads flist tluougli "(Miurry l.ane," thu loiigust ohvrD-llued uxuiiuo in thu touiitry, and the prldu of (ho munagor's oye. Tho )oiiug and thrlfO-looklug trims atund uu either sldu ot thu good auto road, for u iiillo uud it half Into tho heart ot Ihu orchmd, thuro tho mad turns south eastward, and while tho cherry iowh keep straight ou thinugli thu planta tion, tholr pluco along thu road In taken, fiom tun tut it to tho Hiiporlu tonileut'H heudqiiuitei's, by serried ranks of walnuts uud chestnuts. It requires little effort of (ho Imagina tion to picture tho future beauty ot this dilvo, when, ut no illstuut date, l'o shado of thuKo uoblo trees shall bo flung iiciohh tho loudway, with their hrauchoH Intermingling from sldu to side, lit one long, luoI, giuuu vaulted' ennopy oveihead. Wo pro- ((,'onl Inii.l un I'ugo Seven,) .Ti m 1 4 -, A & ,' i fi, d V?; ' T- k1 v .. l . -J- ij m wi ,' '0I . "'' -v i . , d '. f! -: m iki 'M - iA a - ." i 3 i. ,' m 1
