The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-09-07
FRUIT CULTURE IN ouH STATE.

Aoe ESN LUX ssHa EeceAA8J totnt1SHtca
upon the surprising growth Of the cisy's
consumption Of California oranges. lem
ons, apples and pears. peaches and grapes,
plnms and prunes." The Ss. said, There
are not any better fruits in all the world
than those Of California
This article In the Sun has drawn forth
letter TO that journal from . correspond
snt who signs himself "0regon," who
holds that the Sun from want Of knowl-
edge has done injustice TO Oregon and
Washington. We quote Is foIlowsi
Nowhere in the world Is the quality Of
fruits superior 10 that Of those grown in
these states, and notably l. this 80 in re-
gard to the former. Endowed by nature
with a soil that, as experts claim has no
superior for fruit growing. blessed with
climate Of rare excellence, supplied with
precipitation that renders recourse TO irri-
CATION unnecessary, these two Northwest
ern states stand pre-eminent among fruit
growing communities for the quality OF
their fruits. Where are 0regon's and
Washington's squalls for apples, pears,
cherries, plums and prune-f That the
fruits there raised are the best IL evidenced
By the fact that they command better
price than any others in the markets OF
the country.
"Candor compels me to state. however,
that the fruit growers Of these two states
have heretofore fallen into the same error
that you complain Of respecting the Cali
fornia producers, In shipping their pro-
ducts in an imperfect condition. III your
sdmonltion is acted upon by the Califor-
MIA, Oregon and Washington producers
the benefits that will inurs TO them in
reputation and money will be simply in
estimabIe.
81 trust the newspapers on the Pacific
coast will copy your article fn extenso.
Never were truer words penned than
when you wrotei in reaching for the
worlds markets the far Western fruit
growers must always bear in mind that
sees il, and Is Is quick In detecting the
bad IS In apprecisting the good.
Oregon" has not exaggerated the ca
pacity of Washington and Oregon as
fruit-growing states, and he might have
added to his list of fruits peaches and
table grapes, which are certain at no dis
tant day to be grown in enormous quanti-
ties and of superior excellence. From the
Walla Walla and Yakima country today
come TO our markets pears, peaches and
melons that are superior to anything that
We can get from California The produc-
ton of table grapes is in its infancy in
both Oregon and Washington. but we have
seen a. fine grapes exhibited at the Port
land exposition rs we ever saw In the New
York market These grapes were mostly
concords, but there are grape growers in
Oregon, who. In the open air. raise large
guam titles of Black Handbags for the
market The grapes of California are
grown from imported stocks and are wine
grapes, handsome to look st, but inferior
for the table to the grapes of the wild
American stock, like the Concord, the
Delaware and the Catawba-
The superiority Of Washington peaches
TO any that can he raised In California is
shown by the fact that the Yakima fruit is
crowding that OF California out of our
markets. In the vicinity of Vancouver
We have seen as fine peaches raised as can
be found in the New York markets. As
for melons they are grown in such quanti-
ties In Eastern Washington as TO be dirt
cheap. Yakima and Wenatchee peaches
and melons are freezing out" California
fruit in our markets. From walla Walla
and YAKIMA large shipments of fruit are
sent east to Idaho. Wyoming. Montana,
Dakota and Minnesota As for apples,
California raises no apples that compare
with those Of Washington and Oregon in
flavor or beauty. and no pears come into
this market that compare with the Flem-
ish Beauty that Is grown at WAlla walla.
In our judgment Southern Oregon not
only Is capable Of becoming a splendid
producer OF table grapes. bat can produce
the wine grapes of California in sufficient
quantities TO make wine enough for home
consumption. The apple. the plum, the
cherry. the pear. the strawberry. the
blackberry. the raspberry grow 10 psrfec-
ton in both Washington and Oregon. and
50 does the grape OF American stock,
which will grow on land that is compare
lively worthless for grain or vegetables.
Washington and Oregon are fitted by
soil and climate for the cultivation of
table grapes. in distinction from the wine
grapes Of California, bat despite this fact
lhe growing Of grapes for the table has
hitherto been neglected industry among
cur people. Not enough Coneords or Del
awsres are raised 10 supply the markets Of
Portland or Seattle. The large and snowy
grapes Of California fll our stalls. OF for.
eign stock, they are excellent for wine
making, bus the skin Of the California
grapes is thick and they are Inferior 10
flavor 30 the grapes Of Eastern origin,
which date from native American stock.
From the wild Northern Fox grape. which
10 also found ia Japan. have come the Isa-
bella. the Concord. the Cstawba and many
other excellent varieties. Prom the Wild
Southern Fox grape. aiso found in Japan
and On the Himalayss. comes the souppsv-
ning. From the Wild Summer grape have
come the CynihisnA and Norton's Vlr-
glnia. and from the winter or frost grape
comes the E,virA The origin of the Dala-
ware is rot known. bat II Is probably \
seeding OF the CaiawbA The Concord
sraps was Glrst raised BY . hortiealturist
81 Concord. Mass. and Is. ws believe. =
Seeding Of the isabella There are many
hyhTias Of excellent quality.
The ealturs Of the native FrApe Vas be-
gaa a. 6eorEstovn. n. c.. by Maj. John
Adam. Who arss produced The Casaxha.
whose ealgnrs became an Important inter
Is; In oAio. when IA iSss Nicholas Long
wertA decided. after thirty years Of expert.
msns with foreign grapes. thas native
grapes must Be eur rsliaacs for vine aak-
iax Al the East California owes her Grss