50 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



20 per cent of her available apple and pear lands are yet planted to 

 orchards. 



in portions of Douglas Coimty there are more or less adobe lands, 

 locally called "black mud soils." These adobe soils are strong, rich 

 in plant food, and if underdrained by tiling would be equally as 

 good for apple and pear growing as the sandy loams along the 

 rivers and creeks. 



There are many small valleys that drain into the Umpqua River 

 which contain thousands of acres that are available for commercial 

 apple, pear, peach and prune growing. 



At present the opportunity in Douglas County for the small fruit 

 grower or one who desires to plant on a commercial scale, are the 

 best, as climatic conditions are congenial to the very best apples, 

 pears, peaches, prunes and all of the berry fruits, with good trans- 

 portation facilities to reach local as well as Eastern markets. 



JOSEPHINE COUNTY. 



Josephine County is a southern county, next to California. Its 

 topography embraces mountains, foothills and many small valleys 

 running in all directions through the county. The county is 

 drained by the Eogue, Applegate and Illinois Rivers, with many 

 smaller creeks that are tributary to the larger rivers. The best 

 alluvial soils are along the streams, which are devoted to the applt, 

 pear and peach. These fruits mature to perfection. 



Potatoes and all kinds of garden truck are raised and find a 

 ready market among the miners in the mountains and the towns 

 of the county. Corn, clover, timothy and alfalfa grow luxuriantly 

 along the streams, without irrigation, and alfalfa yields three crops 

 during the year. On the foothill soils alfalfa yields three crops in 

 the year where water is available for irrigation. On deep hill lands 

 alfalfa matures one good cutting, and, if the season is favorable, two 

 cuttings without irrigation. The demand for hay in the local 

 market is always greater than production, owing to the large lumber 

 and mining industries of the county. Alfalfa in this county is a 

 great source of profit, paying as high as $40, net, per acre. 



There are many acres of foothill lands in this county that years 

 ago were regarded by the pioneer as only fit for grazing. Experi- 

 ence has taught later generations that these red foothill lands grow 

 the best of table grapes. Such superb European varieties as the 

 Flame Tokay, Malaga, Muscat, Black Cornichon, together with all 

 the American types of grapes, grow and mature to perfection. Now 

 many acres of these red foothill lands are being cleared and planted 

 to commercial vineyards. The value of these red hills are advancing 

 rapidly. A well-kept vineyard of Flame Tokays on these red hills 

 is an annual source of profit to its owner. Spring or fall frosts 

 rarely injure a vineyard on the slopes of the foothills. In fact, the 

 writer had a commercial vineyard on the foothills of Josephine 



