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THE INTERVIEWER.
Fruit Growing on the Snake River—Va
rieties and Management—lrrigation for
Orchards—Distance Apart for Trees—
Piece-Root Grafting—Best Three Va
rieties, Etc.-A Chat With C. Q. Martin.
C. Q. Martin is a new arrival in the
Yakima country, though a resident of
the state for many years, the last
seven of which have been spent near
Wawawai, on the Snake river. Pre
vious to that he wasted a great deal of
time trying to get rich by wheat grow
ing in eastern Washington. Mr. Mar
tin is an experienced fruit grower and
an enthusiastic horticulturist. In
a brief interview last week he gave
his experience on the river of the tor
tuous name. His conversation was
jotted down in The Interaiewer's
rough way, and translated reads as
follows. It contains useful hints for
Ranch readers here and elsewhere:
Were you in a locality requiring ir
rigation? I had twenty acres in or
chard, ten of which were irrigated.
What did you plant? Apples, pears,
plums, prunes, nectarines, apricots,
peaches, quinces, grapes, blackberries,
raspberries and strawberries.
On which land did your fruit give
the best satisfaction? On the irri
gated. I tell you Irrigation is King.
On the non-irrigated land a few va
rieties of grapes and some of pears
yielded about half a crop; among the
pears Bartlett and Vicar of Wakefield.
They are very hardy. Peach trees
nearly all failed. Cherry trees will
bear a year or two without irrigation,
but they are very short lived.
Would you irrigate close to the trees?
No; watering- close to cherry trees will
injure them. We watered eight to ten
feet from them. Apple trees bear well
there if irrigated; some varieties,
such as White Winter Pearmain, do
well without irrigation, in clay soil.
How many varieties of apples would
you have in a commercial orchard?
If I found one variety that surpassed
all others in quantity, quality and
color, I would stick to that alone. I
have found in that region that the
Winesap is such an apple. The Red
cheeked Pippin comes next, perhaps.
What do you think of the Esopus
Spitzenburg? In the Snake river
country it is a rather shy bearer, but I
have been inquiring- about it here and
find that it it is doing well. It is a
magnificent apple, and if it succeeds
here is one of the best to tie to. The
Blue Pearmain with us is excellent —a
fine, upright, vigorous tree that heads
well. The fruit is large and showy.
It is not so late a keeper as the Yellow
Newtown Pippin. I would not think
of recommending1 a list for this lo
cality. My advice to an intending
THE RANCH.
planter is to examine closely into the
success of orchardists near to him.
Go to the man who has an orchard and
get thoroughly posted before fixing
upon your varieties to plant.
Now I want to ask you for the three
varieties that you would plant here
providing that you found they would
all do well? Winesap, Yellow New
town Pippin and Red-cheeked Pippin.
How far apart would you plant the
trees? Over in our country all make
the mistake of planting too closely—
16>£ to 18 feet. I believe now that 22
to 30 feet is better. Some varieties
will do a little closer than others.
What age would you select? If I
wanted an orchard quick I would get,
if I could, large, healthy, well-rooted
2to 4-year-old trees. But they need
more nursing and care than yearling
trees. Proper irrigation, and shading
the trunks of the trees up to the
branches, will give fruit on the older
trees more quickly than on the year
lings.
What do you use for shading- the
trunks of the trees? Clapboards cut
to rig-ht lengths. Stick one end in the
ground on the side of the sun from 11
to 4 o'clock. Do this until cool weather
in the fall.
Do you irrigate late in the fall? No,
not in that country. We get late fall
rains. Here Ido not know about that.
If rains do not come here it may be
desirable to irrig-ate until about freez
ing up time. The main trunk root
feeds the trunk of the tree; the sur
face roots make the leaves and the
fruit. If the ground freezes too deeply
I think the surface roots may be in
jury. Wet ground prevents early
budding.
What is your opinion regarding
piece-root grafting? For apples and
pears it is all right; but for other
fruits I prefer the whole-root system.
Do you think in piece-root grafting
the roots of the tree have a tendency
to grow to one side? I have not found
it so. The roots will extend toward
A. H. DAWSON,
SunnysideV:»lley
Farms and Yak
ima InniGABLE
amis a specialty.
REAL ESTATE AND
INSURANCE BROKER
MABTON,
prank iri. haoerty,
SUNNYSIDE VALLEY
IRRIGATED FARMS AND LANDS,
Sunnyside, Yaklma County, Wash.
GOOD BARGAINS IN SUNNYSIDE.
No. 1- —20 acres one mile and a half south
of the town of Sunnyside; all cleared,
plowed and fenced and 3 acres in alfalfa; at
$70 per acre. Only $200 cash. Balance on
easy terms at 7 per cent.
the moisture. If a ditch is made
along only one side of the row of trees
you will find most of the roots extend
ing- on that side.
What is the best variety of pear?
With us the Bartlett stands at the
head, and I believe it is the same here,
though I have not inquired into that
matter.
The Hood River strawberry was one
of the best sent from the Snake river
country last year.
Hop Ranch
FOR SALE. 40 acres. First
class improvements. Two kilns,
storehouse, dwelling, and barn.
Will net as an investment more
than 20 per cent. Address, J. H.
8., care of The Ranch, North
Yakima, Wash.
T X E>
Shuart Steel Improved
LAND GRADER.
A peerless machine for grading land for ir
rigation and especially adapted also to the
needs of Contractors and Graders of earth in
general. No one having earth to move in
quantity or land to grade can afford to do
without i. • For descriptive circular and
terms address JOHN KAWBRIDGE, North
Yakima or A. H. ISAWSON, Mabton, agts.,
orß. F. SHUART, Patentee and Manufactur
er, Oberliu, Ohio.
- WASHINGTON
No. 2 —oo acres cleared, plowed and
fenced; 1,700 peach, prune, apple and pear
trees; 5 acres alfalfa; small house. This
beautiful ranch is only one mile and a half
east of Sunnyside. Price $75 per acre,
$1,000 cash; balance 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 years:
at 7 per cent.
No. 3 —60 acres adjoing the above, all in
under cultivation; 5 acres alfalfa; 1,000 to
1,200 fruit trees; small house and stable.
Price and terms same as the above. These
two ranches are the finest in the lower end
the of Sunnyside valley.
7
A Few Choice
Desert Claims &
lielinquishments
for sale.
