The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1896-01-17

lid a reputation, establishing their oranos.
Commission merchants from the throuSh
markets are soliciting their cons gnmeilts,
while preferring not to handle fruit sent uy'
other growers. We are using neat pa
ages. and find but little difficulty IN pach-
ing properly when the fruit mas III 81 80
carefulIv assorted. Even those VINO hlo"
how find it difficult to discard the slila1 .9
sizes unless some provision is maue iol u4: ,:
nosition at home beforehand, ana mere /.
NAV be suggested, raise more HUGS
Growers have found by experience III hieii
keting apples that if crop Is srddeu MY
three sizes the largest ana Secohu p1Ch1u
separately the third kept at nome, d Sled.-
er profit will be realized than II the "Ao4o
crop is marketed unaSsorted.
With our very superior and large sizes CT
nrunes and the great bulk of Well cuTeu
fruit put upon the market last season, there
is still a need among prune growers Scll
orally of better methods OF evaporation
than has been practiCed. Some OF the Iru-C
has been cured insutficiently; after packing
if started to mould. First we find it neceS-
sarv 70 gather the fruit when 1t is uniform
1v and dead ripe. Green fruit does not dry
we'll. and more especially when placed with
that which is fully ripe; besides this, care
full grading as to size is necessary.
The second point in Importance, and
one which has been fully demonstrated
not be cooked" Without a single eX-
cepticn, the evaporators are built so that
the fruit is too close to the heating pipes
and there is insufficient ventilation. AS
a washing of clothes hung on line Will
dry much faster on windy day than at
a time when the thermometer is much
higher with a calm atmosphere, so fruit
will eVaporate more evenly and better
with increased circulation at lower
temrerature than is usually employed.
Observations during the past season
demonstrate that eVapOratOrS with the
fruit a distance at least ten to twelve
feet from the heat generators and tall
hot air ventilators, extending thirty feet
or more over the top, to produce rapid
circulation, have done the best work. The
principles which will produce constant
strong draught of air and heat Of a uni
form density are those which must be
adCLted in building successful fruit evapo-
ratcrS.
They are in nearly every direction.
Much of our last years fruits have been
sent into Montana and the Dakotas
Along the lines of the through railroad
companies good markets have been
reached by both express and freight SER
vice. For the first time cherries have
been shipped East in considerable guam
titles, and prices have been very salts
factory. Apples are taken right at home
at very SOOu prices.
General Freight Agent S. L. Moore, of
the Northern Pacific, reminds fruit grow
ers that very much of the market along
that entire line for fruits, green and
canned, also vegetables and honey, is sup
pied by California. We can increase our
bee keeping industry 500 per cent, and
have better market than is open today.
The market prices for apricots and
peaches has also been excellent.
The Oregon Fruit Union reports salts
factory returns on shipments Of straw
berries to Montana, Utah, Colorado, Wy
oming and Omaha. Cherries through
these shipments averaged growers
cents per pound and the Black Republic
an proved the best shipper. Italian prunes
shipped green averaged growers IA cents
per pound. The silver prune is not so
good shipper, while the Hungarian
Gros dAgen or Ponds seedling) is the
most desirable shipper.
From commercial reports it is noted that
3,449 car loads of green fruit from this
Coast were sold in fourteen of the largest
Eastern cities. Much of this, of course,
was reshipped and sent to smaller interior
towns, sometimes to points back over the
line by which it came, after passing through
third and fourth hands. From the past
years experience we find the local markets
along the railroad lines and the interior
towns better markets than the large cities,
because consumers are reached more de-
rectly by the growers. But for Eastern
shipping we must now become, or employ,
expert packers.
Again. it is urged that our prosperity in
the dairy industry will depend upon keep
ing the products which we shall begin to
export true to brand, of an improved and
pure quality. The markets for cheese are
almost unbounded. They can be made ours
II the proper foundations are laid now
AT the close of the year gold was offered
at premium for the first time in many
years. To realize that IS per cent. of the
clothes the people wear the coming season
are imported, when at the same time mill
ions of dollars have been lost by our own
manufacturers, and the exports of rural
products have greatly decreased while the
imports of foreign products have Increased,
is certainly shocking and deplorable con-
dltlon of affairs. But new dawn is break
ing. We are a disciplined nation, and more
careful about choosing our leaders, 1t may
be considered kindly divine intervention
that our careless and extravaganza methods
were not permitted to proceed farther be-
lore our condition was realized. Let us. as
individuals, undertake only so much as
may be done well, seek the highest stand
ard of justice and prepare to enjoy the
prosperity near at hand, which is as bright
for the farmers and fruit growers of the
Pacific Northwest as for any section on
the continent.
Choosing n Breed.