The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1897-05-29

kfG0&aI -
IF. cass, secretary Of the State Board
Of Horticulture. writes this week as fol-
lows:
We are In receipt OF the following:
- F. Cass, Secretary of State Board Of
Horticulture. Dear Sir--I would like to In
Quire as to whether 1t would not be most
profitable to ship our Italian prune crop
the present season tc the Eastern market
In the fresh state. rather than to dry 1t.
II seems to me that until our orchards get
to fun bearing. or nearly so. It won't pay
us to go TO the expense of buying or build
Ing dryer. My trees are only just COM
ing into bearing nicely. see In tie last
May number of the Northwest Horticul-
turist that the italian prune, two years
ago. sold for Is to Is cents per pound.
fresh. in the Eastern states, and that il
costs cents per pound TO ship them there.
Now. II / could get cent per pound for
my prunes here in the orchard would be
satisfied. Would not the difference be-
one to handle them? Or do the middle
men expect to get the whole checse?"
Answer: 1t would look that way. How
ever. in the first place, there are
many fake stories current as TO
the prices obtained for the fruit
In the East. We looked over
several invoices of sales Of the italian
rrune made In Boston and other Eastern
cities two years ago and we do not remein-
Der Of any going higher than cents per
pound. or thereabouts. for the large sizes.
The Hungarian variety. being larger and
finer looking, brought usually higher
rates. Fruit at Is to is cents per poind Ia
rather high priced for ordinary cons1mp-
tion; and reports OF extra high prices are
often thrown out as baits by the dealers
who have nothing to loose.
mission houses is auctioned on It's arrival
In the Eastern city. It has been stated.
though that the dealer actually getting
the fruit and supplying the consumer had
to pay much more for II than the invoice
figure. such auctions being merely other
fake arrangements OF the trade. Many
dealers handling the fruit for the growers
advertise that they never buy anything,
bat only sell on commission.
Unless you know Of reliable dealers In
the East to whom you could ship and sell
direct or unless you can sell directly at
home for fair price, we advise you TO
make arrangements for curing your crop
Then you can sell at any time when II suits
convenience. either TO the home dealer or
ship East. The growers on Puget sound
two years ago who sent TO commission
houses. generally. got nothing for their
fruit above expenses, and many prunc Or
chards were pulled up as a CONSEQUENCE
This was all wrong, - where the Italian
prnne ripens well IL IL one OF the choicest
fruits grown and doubtless will always
command fair price IN the Eastern and
mining states WREN shipped there
We believe that Il would be prof.a5ls
business for these who have facilities for
doing So, ard proper business connections
In the East, 20 handle q portion OF our
prune crop this season buying direct from
tire growers ard shipping 10 tho Eastern
market and the interior stats. II could
b., purchased in the orchards her~. ana de.
nvered 10 the principal railroad stations at
/ cart rer pound, or hu. little more In
large lots. In any case there In 4 very
large margin fer profits. as this frHis In.
vArsahiy ships without loss whess properly
hacked. and the market Is almost uEItm-
tssd
This Office would be glad TO hs IN com
rnunseation with any one having in view
business in tais line as We would Ike &c
set the growers and shippers into direct
communication with each other.