The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-08-21
FRUIT In THE FAR WEST
G. G. EMERSON RETURNS FROM
THE PACIFIC SLOPE
He Made an Especial Study of the
Fruit Belts of Oregon and Wash.
1ngton, Which Are Enjoying a
Fair Prosperity This Year-Dif-
hculties Are Arising Along the
Irrigation Canals.


1T suggests the old proposition of
carrying Goals to Newcastle, doesn't It.
but 1t is nevertheless a fact that they
are shipping fruit from Oregon and
washington into California;" said G.
{. Emerson, the fruit and produce mer-
chant and president of the Northern
Exebange bank. Mr.. Emerson return
ca last evening from a flying trip to
the coast, and while he was out West
he Inquired a little into the fruit in
dustry OF the Pacific coast states.
Ihe fact Is that there will be no
California fruit for shipment this year.
me orchard country, the whole state
Tor the matter Of that suffered 80 Sc
verify from a droutl, that not only is
there not amy fruit for shipment at this
season, out they are buying Of their
neightors to the north. This shuts ms
OH from very general source of sup
ply for our peaches and plums," con
tinued Mr.. Emerson, "but don't know
how 1t will affect the orange crop.
The conditions in California mater
Tally help the growers in Washington
and Oregon, for they present a new
market that they are taking advantage
or. They cannot make much money as
things are in supplying this market,
though we buy from them to a very
great extent"
Why isn't this a good market" was
asked.
1T Is good enough market in some
respects, and we have to buy most Of
our peaches and plurns from them, but
the fresghts are a factor that must be
considered by the shipper. 1t costs from
$250 to $275 to lay a carload of fruit
down here from, say, Walla Walla,
Wash, and that generally means so
per cent of the value Of the fruit. Then
there is always the possibility of the
goods failing and losing great part
of their value"
us fruit raising as conspicuous a
factor in the wealth Of Washington as
it was?"
well, I don't know My trip was a
short one, and hardly had time to get
anything like specific facts, so had to
Judge from general conditions. This
year the fruit growers are in good
shape. The crop Is fairly large and
to the practical failure in California
But the present conditions are the
other extreme Of the conditions which
have prevailed. For instance, in the
neighborhcod of Walla Walla the fruit
growers so despadred of citing a
living from their orchards that they
had concluded that they would have to
abandon them. 1t actually went SO far,
this feeling of dep1 ession, that the
bankers and business men of Walla
Walla bad to form an association and
give the orchardists a guarantee of a
living In order to keep them On their
farms. This was a year ago last
spring. The deal was actually entered
into. for the people Of Walla Walla
knew that the future Of their town de-
pended on the success Of the orchard
lists. A living was guaranteed to the
starving horticulturists, ard it proved
a good investment for the people Of
the town, for last year there was
tremendous crop and the fruit growers
not only paid their debts, but laid up
money. Now they are in fairly good
condition.
1.-THE boom that was ON a few years
ago In fruit lands is not heard much Of
now, There is no doubt but that much
of the wealth Of both Washington and
Oregon depends on the development Of
the orchards, but so far as I could
learn it is rather expensive business
starting a fruit farm anywhere away
from the coast. ALI Of the interior VAL
leys have to be irrigated, and that is
always an expensive item. The dis
tance from large market and lack Of
local consumption tends to keep down
the prices. 1 spent some time at a
fruit farm of 500 acres in the neigh
borhood of Walla Walla. The orchard
Is seven years old and there are 10000
plum trees on it, in addition to about
100 acres of pears. This year the OWL
er will make some money. He has an
immense crop, but could get nothing
like an accurate estimate Of the value
Of 1t. When I was there the harvest
was in full blast, and the whole place
was a busy one. Men any boys are
engaged in the picking, and shipments
were being made at the rate of a car
load day. When the season advances
a little further along the shipments
will amount to three carloads a day.
Il never in my life saw such an in
dustrious lot Of people as those fruit
pickers. Harvesters in the wheat fields
here don't work at all by comparison.
Pay? Why, they make about $3.50 a
day They are paid by the piece, get
ting cents a box for their work. A
box Of fruit Is about twenty pounds.
AS a greater part Of the fruit Is pick
ed green, the men have to climb the
trees on ladders. The pick is taken to
a packing house in the center of the
farm, and there packed for shipment.
AS the season advances and the mar
ket falls off, the fruit is dried in a dry
ing house on the premises.
1.-THE aim Of the fruit farmer is to
get his fruit to market while it is
5rjo