OREGON AS A FRUIT GROWING REGION 



BY H. T. W. 



THE eastern portion of the State of 

 Oregon was, for a long time, regarded 

 as being inferior to the strip of country 

 lying west of the mountains, on account of 

 the lack of rainfall, but since the advan- 

 tages and possibilities of irrigation and 

 diversified farming have become more 

 generally recognized it has been the scene 

 of active development. Its immense beds 

 of valuable minerals, its rivers and vast 

 cattle ranges made it a country' of great 

 wealth, and. of late years its agricultural 

 and industrial growth have kept it fully 

 abreast the progress of modern civiliza- 

 tion. 



In the eastern portion of the State 

 bordering upon the Great Snake river lies 

 Malheur county. Here is a country of 

 hills and valleys, watered by running 

 streams, enjoying the genial and health - 

 giving climate which has been the fame 

 of Southern Idaho. In this county, near 

 the lively town of Ontario, is located the 

 one thousand acre K. S. D. Fruit Farm. 

 This farm has attracted wide attention on 

 account of its magnificent park and beauti- 

 ful driveways, Grand Boulevard being 

 sixty feet wide and two miles long. The 

 growing orchards, the broad acres of 

 alfalfa and clover, surrounded on all sides 

 by thousands of tall shade trees and flowing 

 streams of clear water, give the place the 

 appearance of an ancient private estate. 



This farm consists of about 1,000 acres, 

 of which 360 have been planted in alfalfa, 

 forty acres as a winter apple and pear 

 orchard and ten acres as a prune and 

 garden orchard, the balance being fenced 

 and under ditch but not cultivated. There 

 are 27,000 shade trees and 6,000 fruit 

 trees on the farm which is located within 

 one-half mile of the main line of the 

 Union Pacific Railroad. The water for 

 irrigation is supplied through two canals, 

 one each from the Owyhee and Malheiir 

 rivers. 



Six years ago the owners, Messrs. 

 Kiesel, Shilling and Danilson, adopted a 

 broad policy of improvement fencing and 

 cultivating the land, setting out fruit and 



shade trees, making roads, erecting barns 

 and outbuildings, and finally taking an act- 

 ive part in the building of the irrigation 

 canal which was to furnish the water so 

 necessary for the growing of crops and 

 orchards. At the present time they are 

 making preparations for the setting out of 

 a large number of fruit trees, making a 

 veritable orchard of the country. 



It is only a short time since the fruit 

 industry was started in Eastern Oregon. 

 Formerly the large producing orchards 

 lay west of the Cascade range in the 

 valleys adjacent to the coast cities 

 where the great rainfall assured abun- 

 dant crops of grain and fruit without 

 irrigation, but they are beginning to see 

 that the countries which the Creator 

 has kept hidden away under a mask 

 of apparent barrenness are in reality 

 His greatest store houses of wealth, 

 and that the irrigated orchards of Eastern 

 Oregon are destined to be the great fruit 

 producers of the State. Scarcely anywhere 

 can the apple, prune and pear be grown so 

 successfully as in the Snake River valley, 

 near Ontario. The soil, climate and every- 

 thing is especially adapted to fruit culture. 

 Thisland produces some of the finest apples, 

 prunes and pears in the world, also grows 

 to perfection peaches, cherries, plums, 

 apricots, grapes, nectarines, etc. Indeed, 

 their twenty-four ounce apples are the 

 prize takers wherever they make their ap- 

 pearance, while the peaches (twelve inches 

 in circumference) are looked upon with 

 astonishment. 



While the largest profits in this country 

 will ultimately come from the orchards, 

 the first yields will come from alfalfa and 

 vegetables. For feeding horses, beeves, 

 sheep and stock hogs it is all that is re- 

 quired. With porous soil, plenty of water 

 and warm seasons, after the first year three 

 crops may be cut, aggregating six to 

 eight tons per acre, besides the pasture 

 thus afforded. It sells in the stack from 

 four to eight dollars per ton. Another 

 industry receiving considerable atten- 

 tion is the cultivation of hops. The 



