Leading Apple Regions of the United States 73 



Eiver valleys, about the towns of Medford, Ashland, Tal- 

 ent and Phoenix. Of the approximate acreage of 23,000 

 acres of commercial fruit plantings, about 13,000 acres 

 are in pears and 10,000 in apple trees. In the apple acre- 

 age, Yellow Newtowns, Esopus (Spitzenburg), Jonathan, 

 and Ben Davis are the predominating varieties. Prob- 

 ably 75 per cent of the present production consists of 

 Yellow Newtowns. As in other northwest districts, the 

 summer apple is an almost negligible factor. Approx- 

 imately half of the apple acreage of this region was ten 

 years of age or over in 1918. 



The prevalence of spring frost-injury led to a rather 

 wide use of oil-heaters, particularly in the orchards on the 

 floor of the valley. Foothill orchards are less subject to 

 frost and as a rule are not smudged. Despite the dry 

 atmosphere, the apple-scab is more or less prevalent and 

 requires summer spraying. Fire-blight, particularly 

 among the pear trees and Esopus (Spitzenburg) apple 

 trees, caused great loss in the years 1913-1915. 



The droughts between 1914 and 1918 checked the normal 

 increase in production. The largest crop of apples prior 

 to 1919 was harvested in 1917 and consisted of about 700 

 cars. Practically all of the marketable apples are packed 

 out in boxes. 



Other apple districts in Oregon. 



In addition to the apple plantings in the Hood and 

 Rogue River valleys are some very promising apple 

 orchards in the Willamette Valley and Roseburg section; 

 and also in the Milton-Freewater district in the north- 

 eastern part of the state. Commercial projects are also 

 found in Wasco County. 



