The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1897-11-19
Wealth i'm Fruit Crop.


not at all appreciate the possibilities
OF fruit growing In this state, nor the
probable profits of it. They know
that many kinds of fruit can be grown
here IN profusion, but they do not
yet realize that fruit growing is rapid
ly coming to be as profitable and as
staple an industry as wheat growing
or stock raising, nor that fruit will
soon be grown with more profit here
than in any other state.
This is perhaps not surprising in
view of the fact that people every
where are only coming to regard fruit
as food staple, and not as luxury.
1t is only in comparatively few homes
that fruit, in its natural state, appears
regularly on the breakfast or dinner
table, and only a comparatively few
people realize that fruit is not only
wholesome, but healthful and sat-
lsfying food. 1t is still used for the
most part only as dessert where it
should be as much part of every
meal as either bread or meat.
The people of the world have made
wonderful progress in their methods
Of living during the last one hundred
years,-more, in fact, than was made
in 1000 years preceding the opening
of the nineteenth century. The SOL
diers of Napoleon's army lived almost
entirely upon soup and bread, and
bread of the coarsest kind, but they
lived in the army much as they lived
at home before their enlistment or
conscription. 1t is only during the
last fifty years that the peasantry of
most European countries have been
able to make meat regular part OF
their diet, and many of them do not
yet do so. But in the United States
all classes have meat as regularly as
bread, and now they are beginning to
know The value of having fruit as reg
ularly and literally as they have either
bread or meat. Twenty years ago it
was only in a very limited number of
the big cities that one saw fruit dis
played with profusion in front of the
stores or on the sidewalks. 1t was
only where fruit was wholesaled that
any considerable display was made of
it, but now one may see it in every
season except during the winter, and
in every part, not only of cities, but
of towns, displayed in front of every
grocery, small or large. This shows
how much of factor fruit is already
in the daily food of all classes of peo-
pie, but as above stated, it has not yet
come into general use as will shortly
be the case. Fruit growing must be
made general industry before the
world is as we'll supplied with it as it
needs to be.
The railroads have done much dur
! ing recent years to promote fruit grow
ing, especially in the west, which has
resulted, according to present esti-
mates, in increasing the area devoted
to fruit in Washington, Oregon and
Idaho by 100000 acres. These Or
chards arc now just coming into bear
ing, and while it would seem that their
product would in large degree at
least suppy any demand there might
be for fruit in the country to which
the Northern Pacific is tributary, it
will doubtless be found that this will
furnish only small part of the supply
that could be proftably used.
The Northern Pacific railroad now
keeps an exhibition car moving con-
stantly through the eastern states,
showing their people what Washington
can produce in the way of fruit. This
car goes into Michigan this week and
will remain there until January; be-
ing sent from town to town. 1t is
visited daily by hundreds and thou
ands of people who are contemplating
an early removal to the promised land
IN the far west.
No doubt fruit growing in this state
has been much retarded by the inn
preston that there was no market fol
what was already produced. It is an
undoubted fact that much that is al
ready produced goes to waste. This j
because the prices to be ha d for it il
our own cities are not very large, ant
because the demand is usually owe
supplied during the short season wher
our fruits can be sold at home. Bu1
there is splendid market not onl.
for large amount of fruit, but ais
for garden produce in fresh state, II
the cities and towns of Montana.