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About Medford mail tribune. (Medford, Or.) 1909-1989 | View Entire Issue (Jan. 1, 1956)
Is That So? When father was a boy, a big bright orange filled the end of his Christmas stocking . . . and believe me, it was a treat su preme. Today very casually, mother tells her son: "Here, Billy, is a dollar, Run and get me a half dozen oranges and with the change a can of fruit salad . . ." Pears, grapes, sweet cherries, a chunk of pineapple if you're lucky, and a few slices of peach es, perhaps. And all this fruit so casually come by. Today each person in the U. S. and Canada consumes about 200 pounds of fresh, canned, dried, and fresh- frozen fruits a year! When white settlers first came By EUGENE BURNS Ranger-Naturslitt to Amercia, 500 years ago, only one of these common salad-bowl fruits had ever been seen or heard of in what is now the'1 U.S. ancj, Canada. That was the grape. The coming of these fruits to America is a long story: it in volved long journeys often from the farthest reaches of the world, and some took several millen iums to make it. Mostly our fruits came from two great areas from the east ern Mediterranean to thegCas pian sea; and from China through Burma and eastern In dia southeast into the Malay archipelago. One notable excep tion, though. Our pineapple. It comes from South America. The apple, of course, O still king of fruits; it probably came from southwestern Asia in the Caspian-Black Sea area. Stone age lake dwellers of Central Europe used them extensively and when Columbus sailed for India, they were Europe's most important cultivated fruit. The pear also earns from Western Asia. Improved upon by the pre-Christian Greeks, it was spread throughout Europe by the conquering Romans and early colonists brought it to America. The peach, once called Persian apple although it originated in China, is one of the oldest culti vajtd fruits, being mentioned in Chinese literature 3,000 years ago. By pre-Christian caravan routes, it reached Greece and the Spaniards brought it to America. Of all fruits, surely it is the most versatile: it is eaten whole, sliced with cream, dried, stewed, pickled, spiced, candied, distilled into liquor, cooked into pie and jams, and frozen into ice cream. Apricots originated in central and western China. Captain John Smith reported that they were thriving in Virginia by 1629. The Spaniards brought them to the New World however, prior to this. The so-called Japanese plum did not originate in Japan it came there from China some 200-400 years ago and thence reached our West Coast. But this is not our commerical plum of today these originated in Southwestern Asia and came by way of Europe. However, Amer ica had its own native plums which filled the lean diet of our pioneer settlers from New Eng land to Florida and out to the west coast. Of America's wild fruits, they are the most widely distributed. There were a few varieties of cherries in America, too such as chokecherries and sand cher ries of the plains and Rocky mountains. As a boy I picked them, ate them, and had puck-ered-up lips. But our commercial salad-bowl cherries come from Asia and Europe, centering the Dardenelles. Pits of these sweet cherries were found in the caves of European stone age dwellers. English French and Dutch colonists brought them ,o America. Good as these cherries were, Augustine Washington supposedly valued their worth slightly less than the veracity of his son George. Comes the grape. Men grow more tons of grapes than any other fruit in the world. Mostly for wine. Both grape culture and the art of wine making was known to man before recorded history. Of commercially grown grapes, fully 98 per cent are of Asiatic types and quite likely originated in the arfe about the Caspian and Black seas. The banana, one of the oldest fruits known to man and one of the first to be cultivated, is a plant not a tree native to southern Asia, probably India and the Malay archipelago. Span iards brought it to America via the Canary Islands, and today it is grown mostly in the Carib bean area where about 90,000, 000 bunches go into the world trade yearly a bunch averag ing about 50 pounds. Orange Leading Fruit The pineapple, America's most important fruit gift to the world, and ranking next to the banana among tropical fruits, probably originated in Brazil, Peru and Paraguay. In Hawaii where it was introduced some 500,000 tons are grown yearly. And now for our Christmas orange in tons produced (4,- Sunday, January 1, 1958 ' MEDFORD (OREGON) MAIL TRIBUNE SEVEN 000,000) and in dollar volume, our leading fruit. Its native home in South China and Indo-China. It was even in South China since the country was inhabited references in Chinese writing date it back to about 2,200 B.C. and quite likely it was growing in Burma 4,000 years ago! From there is has spread to ever part of the world growing mostly in Florida and California, and sold in every crossroads store the year 'round. v (Copyright, 1955. by Eugene Burns) (Released by McClure Newspaper Syndicate) Free: By special arrangement with the editors of the En cylopedia Americana, my panel of judges will award each week to the reader who sends me the best true-life nature adventure, the best nature observation, or the best question on nature and wildlife, a complete 30-volume set of this world-famous refer ence work in a handsome Seal craft binding. Each week new submissions will be considered. Sorry, I simpley can't answer your many friendly letters. Please address your letters to: IS THAT SO! co Medford Mail Tribune, Box .575, Sausalito, Calif. ' ELECTED CHAIRMAN Portland (U.R) Ernest C. Willard, a Portland consulting engineer, has been elected chair man'of the Board of Regents of Multnomah college here. , - GREETINGS! To friends and customers: our hearty thanks for their . loyalty in the year that is passing and our best ivishes for .their good for tune in the year that is coming. WILLIAMS & CROUCHER One of Medford's Oldest Independent Automotive Repair Shops 31 SOUTH GRAPE STREET TO OUR NEIGHBORS and FRIENDS - ONE and ALL! The bells are ringing out a message of hope for a bright er, happier New Year. We join in wishing you and yours the best of everything in 1956. V. A. Distributor FYR-FYTER FIRE EXTINGUISHERS Sales-Service-Phone 3-1831 Corner Newtown & 13th Sts. As yoO travel through '56, may every day bring you good fortune, good health, good cheer. Deaver Tractor & Implement 634 No. Central Avenue We've lassoed the best wishes of '56 and we're "steering" them your way! May your joy "range" from the sublime to the terrific. AGENCY JACKSON HOTEL BLDG. For Complete INSURANCE and REAL ESTATE SERVICE Cheery wishes for your joy and prosperity during 19561 HAPPY NEW YEAR! . LEON'S 21 North Central , and LEON'S TOTS T0-TEEHS 105 East Main U 1956 yy nsiu VERR may it be the best ever CITY APPLIANCE INC. 127 NORTH " CENTRAL . New Year's Greetings From All of Us At LARSON APPLIANCE COMPANY 406 East Main St. o We're de-lighted to extend our sincere wishes for a Happy New Year to ajl our friends and neighbors. May the light of health, peace and prosperity shine on you and yours. Weisfisid's THE WEST COAST'S LARGEST CREDIT JEWELERS We wish you Happy New Year, with an old-fashioned warmth and sincerity that comes from the heart. And here's hoping ' opportunity knocks at your door often in '56, Ringing with it all the success and prosperity you could wish fop WESTERN THRIFT 30 NORTH CENTRAL AVENUE W K'M V. W J l 9 It tw We are grateful for the friendships that have brightened 1955 for us, and wish for everyone a happy, healthy and pros perous 1956. o CHRIS The Tailor 3 NORTH BARTLETT We jumping at the chance to wish you health, wealth and A HAPPY NEW YEAR! EPT. STOR 220 EAST MAIN TP! May every hour of the New Year bring you new joy and success! ' - DUNHAM'S 951 North Highway 99 Once in a blue moon we have a chance to wish our friends ALL THE BEST IN '56! URNITUR STORE 220 No. Bartlett If all our good wishes for you were placed end to end, they'd surely circle around the globe. May '56 be kind to you. ROLLAND'S STUDIO OF BEAUTY 24 South Grape And Alpha McClure Beth Bower Barbara Morehouse FLYING IN A HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU! Let this brand-new baby get you off to a good start on the wof to prosperous, happy days! OREGON-NEVADA CALIFORNIA FAST FREIGHT, Inc. 443 South Riverside . happy new year! K'S DRIVE-UP THE EXCLUSIVE HOME IN MEDFORD FOR PIZZA-BURGERS 911 North Riverside Avenue ..Uli wis' New Year's Greetings! i. C LININGER & SONS READY-MIX CONCRETE rr w r& a ar(d alapptTeiu Ijear First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Medford R. F. Kyle, Mgr. 27 N. Holly 0 We couldn't help but remember to wish all of our . friends and patreris a Happy. New Year! To each of f&u, we say thanks for your patronage, and we hope we may continue serving you as in the past, g NORTHWEST JDRTHOPEDIC & SURGICAL SUPPLY CO. 2747 N. PACIFIC HIGHWAY-1 Mile North of BIG Y SELBY Hopes that 1956 scores a new "high" in health, happiness and achievement for every one of you . . . with every month a milestone on the road to dreams-come-true. Paul J. Selby, Proprietor May 1956 enter in a blaze of good cheer and bring you twelve months, jam-packed with happy days. May it go down in your memory book as one of the very best years of your life! MINKLSR'S & ECCLE'S TV "Where TV is a Business Not a Sideline" 40 S. Bartlett - Ph. 2-9324 i
