The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1894-03-16
SHELTON WASHINGTON. FRIDAY MARCH Is 8a4
The Prune Industry,

In Western Washington, if present in
dlcations fulfill their promise. Farm
ers IN every county from the British
line to the Columbia river, between
the Cascade mountains and the Pacific
ocean, are slashing down the idle
giants OF the forests, working them
into lumber or shingles or fuel, to
make way for the luscious fruit that
will give sustenance to mankind and
tickle the palate of all the world. The
clearlngs vary in size from one to
twenty acres.
The prune industry of Washington,
though dating back eighteen years, is
just now fairly beginning to develop
into something of practical impor-
tance. The experimental stage long
ago developed the absolute certainty
that the soil and climate here are per-
fectly adapted to prune culture. A
top loan, sub strata of gravel, and
below that bed of clay, combine to
give rich nourishment. The subter-
ranean gravel and its clay bottom af-
ford natural reservoir for the recep-
tlon of winter rains, the evaporation
of which during the summer months
supplies adequate and uniform mois-
ture in the surface loan. This is ex-
actly what pruns trees require. And,
because few localities of the world
present such opportunities, western
Washington has in her prunes sta
pie article that meets little competi-
tion, and therefore brings profitable
returns.
Even with these rare advantages
known for eighteen years, the state
has scarcely more than 5000 acre S
planted to prune trees TO be more
explicit there are about 400 acres of
prune orchards in Clarke county, 500
in Cowlitz, so in Wahkiakum, 700 in
Lewis, 800 in Chehalis, 400 in Thurs
ton, $50 in Pierce. 900 in Yakima, 200
in Walla Walla, 80 in Whitman, and
little scattered throughout the other
counties. In Yakima and Kittitas,
irrigation is going to cause rush to
prune planting.
1t was almost by an accident that
the prune industry got a start in
Washington. Arthur w. Hidden OF
Vancouver deserves the credit for
starting it. He came out from Yer
mont in early days, and took up a
farm where Vancouver now stands
He planted some ornamental trees
and set out few fruit trees, more
to see how they would grow than as
an investment. His prune trees shot
right up. The third year they bore
lightly, the fourth they gave enough
for family use, the fifth they contain
ed a respectable crop, and the sixth
year they yielded prolifcally. Theil
production increased steadily till the
twelfth year, and since then the fruit
has been thinned and the trees have
had to be propped as regularly as the
bearing seasons came around. Mr.
Hidden soon afterward planted forty
acres to prune trees, and that orchard
is the nucleus of all the prune plant
ing in the state.
He Is very careful in his cultivation
and assorts his fruit with the closest
inspection. In this way he has netteC
as high as $500 an acre on the whole
piece during single season. Equally
good results are common all through
the prune regions of the state.
PC. Kaufman, an enthusiast in
the prune business, says: 81 can take
ten acres of land in Western Washing
ton, plant it to prune trees, and after
the third year make more money from
nv investment than is possible on the
best 16O-acre farm without prunes
anywhere else in the United States
The land must be cleaned, which viii
REQUIRE some tedious work. 1 have
figured pretty close and the expense il
as follows: Cost of land, $1,000; clear
ing at $50 per acre, $500; prune trees
1OS to acre, $135; fencing, good posi-
and board fence 5000, making tota
original outlay of 1885. After th'
sixth year, this orchard will produce
fruit at an average value of $500 pei
acre.
The purchaser of this ten acres
must cultivate the orchard every yea
and do something to earn his own liv
ing during the three years in which
the trees are maturing. To accomp
lish this, he can safely raise potatoes
corn, beans, root crops, etc., betweel
the rows, from which he can 'realiz
more than enough to pay the cost o
cultixating and interest on the none.
invested. The fourth year he vii
have good crop of prunes, and Wi
need dry-house; for every one hay
ing five acres of prunes needs his owl
DRYER. At five years old his orchard i