The Delta independent., 1896-03-18
Institute.
Growers
Fl!lI
Continued from arst p&ge)

tablishments IN the fali OF 1870 JUST n
they came from the tree at g to % per
ton. They are then graded into several
krades according to sise-3Oties. 4oties.
5Oties and 60ties and up to l9O. indi-
eating tie number to the pound. The
3Oties. usually small portion OF the
whole. arc tho fancy or first grade, and
ere put up in small. neat packages Of
I've to ten pounds each. with tinted and
perforated tissue paper and nov CON-
nsrd 7c per pound. The next grade OF
4oties are usually put up in packages Of
ton to twenty pounds and sell on the
wholesale market at 4c to 411c. The SO
tics and 6Oties and other grades are
marketed in different sizes Of sacks and
arc being sold to consumers in bulk, At
retail in the Denver grocery stores at &c
70 SIC Per pound.
These prices are certainly not very
hsttering for the prune growers Of Delta
county or in fact any OF the counties Of
the Western Slope. who now have or
chards Of 20 TO 10 acres that will soon be
in bearing. As I said before there will
be NO discount about their producing 4
crop when old enough. and in order TO
b successful you will be obliged to 60
70 all the expense OF grading. packing in
small. fancy packages. etc, to compete
with the older prune growing sections
shove mentioned. Observation teaches
us that every new locality entering into
competition in any limo Of trade with
older sections who have q reputation es-
tsblished will be subjected to the ssver
ct test before their goods will be &C.
ceptsd At the same price.
This being . new venture in Colorado
places us in the above situation. Evap-
Grating. packing and marketing should
now be the constant study OF those who
have large orchards coming on. and to
those who have not planted orchards OF
say kind yet, il would be we'll for them
to compare tie expense and profits Of
different crops Of fruit before planting
prunes.
In my orchard on the North Fork
Asvs about forty pruns trees Of the fol-
lowing varieties: italian, Hungarian.
Tragedy. Silver. Rob d. Sargent. and
Gilman. all of which are perfectly hardy.
good growers. and bear heavy annual
CROPS and arc marketed fresh from the
tres the same ~ plums and peaches.
But whom all the orchards now planted
come into bearing. the sale for fresh
peunes will be 70 limited producers will
b obliged to dry them. We arc forced
70 the conclusion that on account Of the
low price oe the finished product and
high priced labor 10 perfect II, that
western Colorado cannot compste sue
esnRully In growing prunes with locali-
tiss whers chsap Italian and Chinese
labor can b had for shout ons-fourth
what ws pay our help.
The largest prune orchard Of which
~ have any record 10 that near Los
Gatos, Santa Clara county, California,
Il $50 scrss in full bsaring.-Weskly
Chronicle. Jan. 2 1896 Another quota
ton from the same source and date: In
the dried fruit trade Of the past season
sAsss are some things hard to explain.
In the trade oe prunes for example. We
have had fair crop Of magnificent quail.
ity, the bsst We ever produced. which
have been harder to sell and have sold
for less money than tho very large crop
& 1894, which was also the poorest crop
~ ever produced. They have actually
been % cheap that We have exported
some to Bordeaux, the confer Of the
French prune industry. from which
point they will 60 after moro or loss ma
stipulation - French goods, at appar-
entity two or three times the amount
paid for them in New York.
In the pruns trade Of the last two
years merchants have steadily lost
money on California dried fruits, espe-
cially prunes. BY reason Of . steadily
falling market. But this year unless oil
signs fail, they stand to recoup their
Iossss at the expense Of the growers.
The low price Of our good product has
caused large number Of experimental
export shipments to Great Britain and
Northern Europe which ought to
prove profitable. At all events excellent
semples Of our product will b shown in
many new places whore they should
serve - an opening for larger trade In
coming years. This u distinct gain
paid for BY the growers in the low price
4 fruit which made the transaction pos
stbIs.
While prices have been low for the
four sizes the fact that the crop ran
mostly 10 large sisss really paid growers
bsttsr than last season and II has bsen
possible to sell and got cssh and Close
up the years business. which was dim.
suR last year st any prics. There are
.osny 1904 prune accounts not yet sst-
lied up.