Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 9.djvu/166

 148 John Minto. lot— virtually an orchard, though inclosing a roomy cottage house over a framed oak cellar and milk house, in the former of which was shelving to store 600 bushels of winter apples and pears, a sidehill barn with cellar, stable, and shelter for 150 sheep on needed occasions, and smaller buildings for poul- try and pigs. There was— is yet— about an acre of immature oak trees in a line from the top of the hill against which the south base of the cottage yet stands. A trellised Isabella grape vine had been allowed to run over the southeast fourth of it and embrace the chimney and a Bartlett pear tree stoood at the left of the main entrance, which was at the northeast corner, reached then by passing under two noble oaks, on a strong southern limb of one of which a rope swing and seat always! hung between 1856 and 1874. From it the entrance was reached by passing eighty feet of Mission rose hedge — the south border of the cherry orchard. The spring from the hill was intended to be taken into the kitchen at the southwest corner of the building, but is not yet done. There were small fruits and orchard trees west of the house, including most of my experiments with pears grafted on thorn. A White Doy- enne or Fall Butter on thorn gave me first prize on that fruit at the first and only exhibition of the Oregon Pomological Society held in Salem. The orchard extended from hill to hill, including several springs, very deep, clear, and cool, margined and raised by peat formation. They never overflow, but must reach the stream-bed by under-flow of pure, healthy, living waters, over which crab apples, thorn, wild cherry, barberry, aspen and balm (water poplar) were natural growth; and believing that it was natural apple and plum land, I did not heed the advice of Mr. Meek, of Luelling & Meek, in 1850, and avoid this sub- irrigated land, but planted all I could work a team on, with apples one rod apart— early bearers like the American Golden Russet as temporary trees, Baldwins and Newtown Pippins, permanent. The result was living water within reach of the roots— the most economical of irrigation. I exhibited apples a few years ago, on tables with Hood River productions,