The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-08-10
Canning and Evaporating Fruit to
Be Done on Large Scale.
TO SATISFY THE kLONDlKE.
Need Of Dried Fruits for the Alaska
Market Causes Erection of Evap-
Grating Plants-Stnte H0rticuItur-
nj Commissioners Baker Says This
Still Fighting Infected Fruits.

The canning and evaporating OF fruit
Washington will add this year 10 its al
ready large number OF wealth producers.
Two things might be taken as the cause
OF this new industry: first. the demand for
evaporated fruits 10 satisfy the klond Ike
demand, and second the large amount of
fruit which was los, last year by shipping
Although evaporating has been in progress
on small scale for several summers in
a few districts. it has not developed COM
mercial value. This year many evapora-
tors and canneries are being built hut
owing TO the desire Of producers 10 have
their fruit treated. the capacity will De
entirely Inadequate to the demand. At
Vancouver and near Olympia this industry
Is the cause of several large establish
ments.
j. K. Baker, state commissioner of hor-
t!cul'ure, arrived in the city yesterday
after completing tour of the state and
finding out the condition. OF the fruit
output. He is very we'll satisfied with the
outlook and especially the new interest
grafton. To a Post Intelligencer reporter
he said: There is a general activity among
the fruit growers OF the state this year
| find the crop splendid one and ii shows
a large increase over that OF other years
Many OF the growers will not be found
among the shippers this season as there
seems to be more in the evaporating and
canning of the fruit. Last year large
amount OF fruit was practically wasted on
account Of shipments, which were delayed
and the fruit spoiled. Another reason was
on account Of the low price which the
fruit commanded.
II have found that the small fruit grow
ers have the advantage over the larger
ones. The former can erect a small evap-
orator and with the assistance of the
family all the fruit can be looked after
The larger growers have to employ much
help. In spite OF the low prices the small
er producers can make money. but the
larger ones barely pull out even and in
some cases lose. This year many of the
shippers will sell direct to the evaporators
and there will undoubtedly be so large an
amount of fruit shipped to them, that a
slump Will occur.
The prune crop will be abundant this
year and 1t will be a good thing, as in
California the crop has been small and
in some places total failure Apples and
pears will be steady. The leading counties
tI!dt nave COMMERCIAL OTcnarCS are Clarke,
Yakima, Walla Wala, Whitman, Asot;n
Colfax and Garfield OF course there are
others. but these are the leading counties
As to the laws on infected fruits I have
very little to say. The inspectors OF the
different counties handle them and only
give my Interpretation of the law when
some dealer appeals. I will say this much
that the stringent law have been made
necessary OH account of the infected fruit
which California shiDs here If we allow
cd this to come into our state Il would
only be matter of time before our
fruit would be as bad as that shipped in
In regard 10 the local inspector will
say that he is very efficient. OF course
have been appealed too several times by
Seattle merchants, but this is large
place and strict rules must be applied or
we would be flooded by bad fruit When
the idea is spread abroad that Seattle will
be bad dumping ground for infected fruit
We will not have to throw overheard who,e
consignments."