The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1893-07-13
The Profits to be Derived
from Their Culture.
An Astonishing Array of
Facts and Figures.

articles on the possibilities of prune
culture in south Idaho and has before
now given the figures showing the
profits to be derived, but it is tale
that can never grow old and cannot
be repeated too often for the edifica
ton of those who are looking for new
homes. 1t cannot be too strongly |
impressed on our outside friends that
the Snake river valley is the Promised |
Land for those who desire to engage |
in the prune industry. Having so
often gone over the ground in our own
language we will go over it in the
language of someone else, and take
the following from the Caldwell Tri-
bune:
There is no other part of the United
States that offers as inviting a field as
this. Land is cheap, water is abund-
ant and climate and soil peculiarly
adaptable. There is no other fruit
raised that yields as steadily and
abundantly and commands as sure
and extensive a market Dried
prunes are used all over the civilized
world and command higher price
than any other dried fruit. The
prune is as much staple as sugar or
salt. The limited arena of country
that is adapted to its profitable cult
ure maintains high price and ever
increasing demand. In all probabil-
ity there will be no material change
in the price of prunes in the next
hundred years. Therefore, there it is
unnecessary to call attention to the
ACCESSIBILITY of securing prune rails
ing land at the earliest possible oppor-
, tunity In order to appreciate the
t actual profits of this business, it is
only necessary to take actul figures
a on ten acre orchard. The figures
. we give are from actual experience
: and names could be cited if necessary
e On ten acres, one thousand five hun
. dred trees are usually planted. W.
O suppose the land and water to cos
d $25 per acre, that is $3.50, fencing
IS planting and young trees would cos
d about $3.50 more, total investmen
$500. The trees would not be il
good bearing condition for thre
:, years Interest on the capital i
~ that prue orchard would be $3.50
Culture of trees would cost abou
$50 per annum more. Total $500
n Making at the beginning of the fourt
s. year a total Investment of $3.50, c
lr say $1,000 in round numbers. Thes
are all very liberal estimates. Th
s. average amount of fruit borne by on
D. tree is 300 pounds. The uniforl
~ a' price is cents pound. The pre-
y duct of each tree then would be So
n. or the whole I,500 trees S3l, 800
is This looks like a fabulous sum to n
o. alize on such an insignificant inves
- - ment, but it is surely within the rans
of possibility and indeed probabilit.
But we must make some allowance
First of all we will calculate that tt
n per ct. of the trees fail to grow. Tn
on reduces the bearing trees to !, 80
en- Next we will estimate that each tr
rn falls short one third of its usual Gro
it that will reduce the number of poun'
nd to 200 to each tree. Then we W
he suppose falling of price to five cen
nd pound The profits will then figu
ms up like this. 1850 trees at q
W pounds TO each tree makes 270, 900
Iy. cents a pound, equals $13, 90
ity That even is not bad showing. B
IN, let us get right down to the exter
ms limit of adverse possibilities. 5
ito that one half of the trees die out
nd fails to bear; that each tree only pl
she duces one half crop; that the pr
1e. falls to 4 cents a pound. Even af
of all this, the crop would fetch 81, 81
es- That is not bad returns on ten acl
les of land But say that somethi
bal awful and unheard of happens a
are cuts the last sum down one-ha
Try Still we have 50, 250 dollars, or ~
of an acre. Now these figures do
are lie. They can be substantially We
BPS fed. Why is it that thousands
ow people are not rushing in here to ia
advantage of these glorious possib