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