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About Herald and news. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1942-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 31, 1958)
SUNDAY, AUGUST 31, 1958 HERALD AND NEWS. KLAMATH FALLS, OREGON PAGE THREE Red Rock Valley Area In Strawberry Business Now By J. O. McKINNEY In Red Rock Valley, 10 miles east of Macdoel, 100 acres of straw berry plants are growing. These plants produce no fruit. Blooms are all removed, and the plams expend all their energy developing more plants, as plant-bearing run ners criss-cross the field. About mid-October the harvest of strawberry plants will begin. Dur ing the next 30 days a million plants a day will be harvested to supply foundation stock for straw berry producers. There never seems to oe an end to strawberry plant demand, as they must be replaced every third year. This 100-acre tract is one of the nursery farms owned by Jack Wheeler, of Los Molinos. He is probably the largest producer of these plants in the world, as the nea uock plot is not half of his acreage. Growing in a region of a scant nine inches of precipitation, water must be supplied in terrific quan tities to 30 million thirsty, plants. This comes from an underground lake. Two electrically - driven pumps, each capable of delivering j.uuo gallons ot water per minute, and two booster pumps force wa ter through overhead irrigation equipment to every part of Uie tract. The mystery of such an under ground lake in a region of little precipitation is easily understood when one learns that not five miles away is Antelope Sink, where one mm mm: 5 of the larger streams flowing from Ml. bhasta strikes a lava fault and disappears into the earth. That water is not lost. It apparently creates the underground lake which now supplies the ranchers of the valley. Harvesting the. millions of plants that grow on 100 acres is a prob lem. Three hundred laborers are required to dig a million plants per day, and that sort of a pay roll cuts into profits. Wheeler solved that problem by developing. and patenting a mechanical digger that will dig a million plants in a day with but four men handl:. j it. The altitude cf Red Rock Valley, about 4,200 feet, retards the matur ing season of the plants. But it accelerates the freezing weather in the fall. When the harvest begins in October it must be pushed to completion before, the ground freezes. This is both a handicap and a blessing. Production per acre is smaller than at lower al titudes, and longer growing sea son, but the plants are more har dy, and productive when they be gin to bear Iruit. Beside the acreage in Red Uock large acreage of strawberry plants are grown each year near iulelake. The combined acreage makes Klamath Basin probably the largest strawberry plant produc ing area in the entire world. Stock produced in that altitude and in the fertile sou produce more and better berries than from other parls of the country. OMELET COUNT DOWN WHITE SANDS PROVING GROUND, N.M. Ml A mamma meadowlark, with better maternal instinct than eyesight, picked a per ilous place for her nest, ahe de posited a clutch of seven tiny eggs on the launche of a Talos missile. Technicians said they would move the eggs before firing, then put them back. THIS BIG PUMP will kick out 3,000 gallons per minute to irrigate the strawberries in the huge field. " i Photo by McKinney There's CHEVY TRUCK To Help You Do YOUR JOB Dugan & Mest CHEVROLET 410 So. 6th TU 4-3101' ,-r-r ckT- . 'ft - ; ; h - .r- , .. i .--,r. t; ,C'-i'v ."'"-i-,cw; . ' 1 Attention Rancher) Canvas Dams Cooper Treated, No Mildew, All Siiei in Stack, 5'7' Thru 9'xJS' -A- White Roil Canvas 5' and 6' Widths Lowest PHeet! ARMY STORE 320 So. 6th . Ph. 4-9206 "Wt HAVEA I 1 COMPLETE LINE Of I I Simplot SoHbuilders Ph. TU 2-1438, K. Foil Ph. 607 . Melln SUSTOMXl CUTTING 11 CA ot Your Ji BEEF OR PORK Our Low Meat Price! Will Moke It Worth Your While To Investigate NOW! BIG Y MARKET Ph. TU 4-4620 4710 So. 6th IT'S A BIG CHORE to keep water going on the 100 acres of strawberries on this plot in the Red Rock Valley. This shot shows part- of the sprinkler system used in the proc ess. Photo by McKinney , 5kf 4h Ford Trucks Last Longer on tha FARM See your Farm Truck Headquarter! BALSIGER MOTOR CO. MoIn et tip, PH. TU 4-3121 Now Is the Time to Immunize Your Stock Vaccina, MJfcinals and Supplies for Cattf Horsac, Shaep Hogs and Poultry Our LIVESTOCK DEPARTMENT is designed to Save snd Serv. Phenofhfazine l Drench 1 Your One Stop Shopping Center We Give :C Green Stomps MERRILL PHARMACY Merrill, Ore. Ph. 2451 A STRAWBERRY PLANT DIGGER capable of handling a million plants per day h ated ia the operation on th. Jack Wheeler place in Red Rock Valley. Photo by McKinney OEtli91 BUSINESS FORMS Designed Especially to Fit Your Heeds Letterheodt Envelopet Card Invoice Statement Checks All types of Snap Out Forms GUIDE PRINTING CO. 1205 Klamath Ave. Phoita TU 4-SJ73
