The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1895-01-25
SHELTON MASON COUNTY. WASHINGTON. FRIDAY JANUARY


'' II. Oaiu"Cl, tHS pTtstut ptSitIeilb
of the Oregon State Horticultural So
ciety. Seth Lewelling. the veteran
nurseryman of Milwaukee, had plant
ed five-acre orchard of Italian prunes
in 1865, but more with view to sell
ing the fruit fresh than drying it. 1t
was the fruitfulness of these Italian
trees which induced DR.. Cardwell to
set out ], 900 trees of the same variety
in 1871. Mr. s. A. Clarke, of Salem,
commenced planting prune trees in
1875. There were a number of small
prune orchards planted in the vicinity
of Milwaukee and Mt. Tabor betwe, n
1875 aud 1880 In 1867, A, W. Hid
den set out the first prune orchard in
Washington at Vancouver. The first
prune-planting IN Douglas county,
Oregon, now the leading prune-grow-
ing county by the Pacific Northwest,
was in 1881.
The planting of prune trees on an
extensive scale did not commence un-
til about eight years ago, but since
that time SO many trees have been
planted that there are now about So
600 acres OF prune orchards in Oregon !;
1900 in Washington and 5000 in
Idaho. There are also quite number
OF prune orchards in British Columbia
By far the greater part of the prune
orchards have not yet come into bear
ing. The crop of 1894 was very light
in most paris of the Pacific Northwest
on account of extremely unfayorable
weather at the blossoming period.
The Gro of cured prunes in Oregon in
1894 was about 2.5000,000 pounds in
Washington about $4,000 pounds.
These figures are likely to be quadrup-
led in 1895. The Italian prune has
has proved one of the most popular
varieties of plums for shipping fresh.
1t is very rich plum of excellent
flavor and possesses the best of ship
ping qualities. Probably 80 carloads
of fresh Italian primes were shipped
East last season and it is expected
that many more that number will be
shipped in 1895. The use of italian
prunes for home canning is very large
and if they could be laid down in the
East at figures which would allow the
people there to can them an immense
demand for fresh Italian prunes would
be developed.
The prune of Agen, commonly know
in California as the French prune, and
in the Pacific Northwest as the Petite,
is the variety which is grown for CON-
mercial purposes in California. II
has some special merits among which
are the fact that the trees are very
healthy and vigorous and bear very
heavily and continuously, and the fur
ther fact that it can be successfully
grown under very varying climate con-
ditions. 1t is a very sweet prune, but
its small size is disadvantage and il
is also rather lacking in flavor.
At least four-ffths of the prune
trees which have been planted IN the
Pacific Northwest are of the Ital,
ian variety. This variety needs for its
perfect development cooler and
moister climate than the prune oi
Agen. The fruit is much larger IL
size and darker in color While it is
not sou it has sprightly sub-acid in
it which greatly commends it TO the
large class of Americans who prefer
fruit with a touch of acid in it to that
which is merely an insipid sweet
Wherever properly cured prunes OF
this variety have been introduced the.
have become very popular. 1t Will not
be many years until the italian prune
of the Pacific Northwest is known ano
| relished in all parts OF the United
States.
j The peeuliar excellence Of some o.
the new varieties of prunes whlcf
have originated here makes it probablt
that In time even the Italian will give
way to still better prune.
The prunes of California are drief
in the sun, while those OF the Paclflt
Northwest are dried in evaporators
This would seem to give the Califoa
MIA people decided advantage in th'
cost of driving, and hitherto the COS
of driving in the sun has been muel
the cheaper method. Experience ano
improved methods are reducing th'
cost of drying in evaporators to ap
proximately the same figure as that 0
driving in the sun. There Is much les
labor involved in drying In eyapora
tors than in the sun. Fruit dried IL
evaporators escapes the dust and dc
nredations of insects and presents
mncb more handsomer appearance
than the sun dried article The diff
ference is SO great that it has frequent
10 b,en hard to convince eastern deal
ers that esaporated prunes had mo-
been nprocessed" in some manner
Rural Northwest.
n. Prices Cream Baking Powder