Page Four
Sunday, August S, 192fi
THE KLAMATH NEWS
Klamath County Development News Columns
Old King Spud Is Becoming One of
Klamath County's Most Persistent
Boosters; Potato Crop Increases
A nw domain has been discover- haa predicted that In a very few
ed for old King Spud! 'years this county is destined to be-
Klamath, the county with more! come the heaviest producer of hish
undeveloped resources than anyj quality potatoes on V. entire Pa
other In the state of Oreajon, mid cl'lr coast.
probably in the west, has proved ita' "Within th nest three or four
superiority as a possible production years, the potato ncreaice should be.
renter for America's leading staple.
Quality potatoes, and lots of them,
bringing excellent returns at ordin
ary prices, haa been the record of
all farmers In this county who have
ventured potato acreages, and their
success haa been sufficiently great
that potato planting remains no
longer' a venture. The history of
the spad In Klamath county reads
like a hi-power Florida realty folder.
Here 11 is. in brief:'
Hlatory Interesting
Only a few years ago Klamath
farmers harbored a supposedly firm
conviction that potatoes could only
begrown In certain sheltered sec
tions in the county, principally on
sloping and well protected dry-land
ranches.-, The advent of Irrigation
projects failed to weaken these
anti-convictions, until a few farmers,
blessed with vision, ventured to
plant small tracts on irrigated land.
Their yields were successful and the
consequent returns satisfactory but
it 'was not until four or five years
ago" that people generally became
aware of the tact that the Klamath
country la particularly adapted to
the growing of this most necessary
crop.
Quality Was Vnknown
In those earlier d.aya, the sur
passing quality of the Klamath po
tato' was unknown outside of this
district, and heavy Increases in
planted acreage often resulted in an
over-burdened local market whose
quite ordinary prices were a dis
couraging factor In the development
of the Industry. But in the course
of recent years, the excellent flavor
and texture of spuds grown on this
thrice-blessed high plateau, has been
noised abroad, and under the im-
petus of customer-demand, mer
chants on the coast are asking for'
Klamath potatoes. This wide de
mand has naturally been an incen
tive to increased acreage. j
Wonderful Acreage Increase
In 1923 the acreage cropped to
potatoes was less than 1,000. and a
very tew cars were shipped to out-'
side points. The entire production
brought good prices, however, and
the following year the acreage jump-,
ed almost SO per cent, there being
1400 acres planted in 1924. In
spite of extremely adverse 'con-'
dltions that year, the yield was sat-1
lsfactory and the quality better!
than ever before, with the result
that local markets were fully sup
plied and about 30 carloads of the
crop shipped to outside markets.
Heavy Planting Followed
The year 192S witnessed the heav
iest plant In the history of the'
county, when 2,000 acres of fertile
Klamath soil were devoted to po
tatoes by enthusiastic farmers, ae-i
cure in the knowledge that a true
feature crop had been found for,
their land. Yields last year aver
aged around 100 sacks to the acre,
except on farms where potatoes were
made the major industry. In the
latter cases, average yields were
considerably higher. The total value
of the crop for 1926 reached ap
proximately 3225,090, and for many
weeks following the rich harvest,
freight cars and trucks carried
Klamath spuds to eager markets
throughout southern Oregon and
northern California. It is estimated!
that nearly 150 carloads left the
country, besides the quantities con-'
mimed here. i
Acreage la Ilroadcncd J
This year potato acreage has
again widened materially, and all
indications are for a record crop.
With the annual addition of several
thousand acres of irrigated land,
and the fame of the Klamath po
tato spreading rapidly, C. A. Hen
derson, county agricultural agent,!
and no doubt will be. increased to
10,000 or 15,000 acres," Henderson
declared, and he, being in constaut
touch with . the farmers of the
county, l perhapa best-fitted to
judge. "With proper transporta
tion facilities coming to this south
ern Oregon basin when the South
ern Pacific opens the Cascade line
this tall, mi estimate of 13.000
acres might easily be doubled," he
stated.
- Industry In KipaiMltng '
With only a few thousand acres
planted now, and the prospects of
a probable 30.000-acre plant within
the next few years, existing oppor
tunities in this field are readily
seen to be unlimited. Present prices
of excellent land in Klamath county
will prevent no one from entering
this phase of agriculture, and the
time when regal spud Is entitled to
a corner of . the Klamath coat-of-arms,
may not be so far away.
lu this county, and ouo which brings!
a higher price than any other po-
tato grown on irrigated laud. Ut
year returned to growers a grons UP
to $300 per acre. This figure la ofj
course, above average, but never
theless serves to show the possibili
ties of this favored commercial po
tato. Hllss Triumph. Cold Colli and
Irish Cobbler varieties are grown to
Borne extent here for the local early
summer market.
Potatoes from this district exhib
ited at the Klamath couuty fair last
fall, were declared by experienced
and wide-traveled judges to be the
best the had seen in the state of
Oregon. Potato exhibits from Klam
ath to the state fair last year won
blue ribbons lu the seuior open and
junior classes.
Ilililry Leaihi DUtrlet
Henley la at present the leading
potato district of the county, and
according to Frank Mnyfteld. who
raises 15 or 20 acres of the crop
each year, prospects this year are
for an excellent yield at good prices,
liicideutalty Mayfield hauled a num
ber of truck loads of spuds to Med
ford last fall and received from 15
to 20 cents more a sack for them
than dealera were paying for Wil
lamette valley potatoes.
Mayfield cleared In the neighbor
hood of $2500 on 15 acres of po
tatoes in the Henley district last
year, and so enthusiastic was he
Building Boom Is
Continuing With
Great Activity
Army of Skilled Mechanic!
Finds, Employment;, Street
Paving Program is Being
Rushed ' . i j
The building boom, if sui.li.lt limy,
lie termed, continues lu Klajnttthj
Kails unabated. lly reason of the,
rupldly expanding population pro
vision must be made for hoiiio-aoek-j
era, and naturally more business
structures follow.
Klamath Falls is homing great
numbers of unmarried men. and this1
calls for additional hotel accommo
dations. As a natural consequence,
hotels and rooming houses are In
couse of construction, and others
nre planned, alt of which spells
prosperit" for the city uud county.'
No lltMini In Kviiicnco '
While no boom is In tUo milking,
there is a aloudy growth of the. city
in evidence.-.-.The vast, amount of
building that is in order calls for
largo numbers of mechnuics in the
various trades, and in a great ma
jority of cases these men ulti
mately decide upon establishing'
themselves permanently lu llio 1
doriido of the greut northwest. !
Const ruction Is being rushed oitj
the Wltlnrd mid Anchor hotels, the
former to cost 1150.000 and tliej
latter $100,000, both to bit llior-j
oughly modern In every respect.
' A mil her New lintel j
DunuK the week nnnounceiiient '
was inuilo I hut It would only be a!
short while until ground will be!
broken mi the proposed ;ltn).ttiit ;
hotel to lie erected at the corner nf
Plue and Seventh streets. Portland
men nre back uf this proposition,
nnd It la staled that the fiirnlHlilngs ,
nlono will cost $?6.)i0. and that
llio order for the equipment lias ill-'
ready been placed.
Annrdliig of the couhurt fur the
public library building will give em
ployment to quite u number of
tradesmen. This structure will cost
ft I. OUO. and will provide a recrea
tion and educational place for a
iiiullltiidu of people who may be
cliisicd us bookworms.
Office liiiililinu PIiiiuumI
Of tntereet to professional men of
tilts cily was tho aiinoiinceiueut dur
ing the week that work will begin
soon upon a new office building,
centrally Imuted, which Is to ho fi
nanced by the tieuerul Mortgage
(Continued on Vntiv lllglit)
Let Us Estimate Your Wiring Job
MOTOR REWINDING AND
REBUILDING A SPECIALTY
Quick, Efficient, Moderate Priced
Industrial Electric Company
8lion 77 1-W.
Night 771-lt.
7(111 So. Dili Kt.
K. I.. Hill
!'. It. llrvmrr
Our plumbing cost
less thrtn repair on
cheap plumbing.
13 -ftv. .a?
For results use News Class Ads.
Conditions for growing this crop! . ' ,
, I ... . . .. ...... ' ..(.. n fti'VJ', 1 1, H 1 1 .,
are exceptionally favorable through
out the irrigated lands, and good
yields are assured from year to
year. Occasionally a spring frost i
retards the crop and cuts down the!
yield somewhat, but this damage in
the past has been negligible and is
given little consideration by the po
tato growers. Soils in this region
are particularly free from potato
diseases, due largely to the high al
titude. Soil varies from a light to
heavy sandy loam, ideal for the pro
duction of a smooth, bright, high
quality potato of a favored market
able size.
Netted Gems, the favorite variety
farmers in that locality have 30 and
I 40-acre tracts devoted to' spuds this
season, he slated. Among the lead
ing growers who have made out
standing successes in potato rais
ing, are C. A. Hill, Ira Orem. Sam
Dilllnger, Henry Semon and the
Haley brothers. None of these far-
(Continued on Page Eight)
Reliable Painters
F. R. OLDS
902 Klamath. Phone 192-W
FOOL THE FLIES
-Don't Wait For Summer Get Your
SCREENS NOW
All kinds of glass For all purposes.
Estimates gladly furnished for
Sash, Doors, Frames and
Cabinet Work.
THE GLASS HOUSE
llth and Pine. , . Phone 477-W
MIXED
CONCRETE
Sand
Gravel
Cement
Service
PHONE 13
PORTER
Construction Co.
Member of the Builders Exchange'
We furnish materials to build houses, but
The Salvation Army Rebuilds
men and women to live in the houses. YOU help the Salvation
Army, and it will help to make home-owning citizens.
Big Basin Lumber Company
WM. H. LODGE, Manager.
-
50
! J''Jv "
m
1 .
St"'-.
I.
Have You That
v -
Home Owner's Smile?
To Have That Smile
Buy a Lot Now and Build
$20 Down and
$5 a Month on
$200 LOTS
$30 Down and
$7.50 a Month on
$300 LOTS
$40 Down and
$10 a Month on
$400 LOTS
Uteres a Reason There's a Necessity
There's a Value and There's a Profit
Buena-Vista and Hillside Additions
Call Phone 1
, For Appointment and Information
Our Salesmen Will Show Yon
i ne
Klamath Development Company i
Open Evenings Pine Tree Theatre Bid" '