The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-09-07
NEW PRUNE CURING PLANT.
BEING ERECTED AT ELBERroy IN
TIME FOR THIS YEARS CROP.
Tons of Green Fruit Per Day. the
Largest I'm the Paiouse Country's
Large Crop 10 Now Maturing.

Special Dispatch 10 the rcst-Inteiigcrcer.
l1l.BERTON, Sept. 1.-THE county
about Eiherton is ''f,iil Of prunes." This
little village will undoubtedly ship moro
prunes this season than any town I'm
Eastern Washington. the product OF
about 500 acres OF prunss finding a mar
ket here this season. The largest dry
ing and cvaporating plant in the Paiouso
country Is being erected here. and VIII
be completed and In operation by tho
time the prune crop Is ready to gather.
which with be from September - TO oc-
tober l.
The plant win have 4 capacity OF sew
enty tons OF green fruit per day. It
IS being erected and viii be operated by
II. r. Allen. Of Newhurg, Or. who has
a contract with the Elberton pruna
Growers Association.
Under the terms OF the contract Mr..
Allen agrees TO erect and operate tho
plant flve years. curing all the fruit Of
fsree the first year for one-half. After
association. II It desires TO purchase, ONE
half interest IN tne plant nj actual cost.
and ut any time thereafter he agrees to
as he owns an interest In the plant hts
interest shah not he less than one-hAif.
and he viii operate and manage 1t.
Btg Crop I'm SIGHT.
While seventy tons seems TO hc an
immenec amount OF fruit TO be dried every
pressed doubt about the plant being abba
to care for all the fruit offered here this
season. The yield Of all kinds OF fruit
is immense this year, and tho prunc crop
IL especially large.
w V. Ewing. four miles southwest OF
here, has twenty-five acres OF prune trees
that are loaded with fruit Near HIS
farm II. s. Hunt has a fine orchard of
twenty acres of Bartlett pears and ltnl-
ian prunes. and near Mr.. Hunt Frank
HAS s.wxI sal<
fruit.
Mr.. Ewing Is pioneer settler. having
lived on his farm eighteen years. and
is enthusiastic on prune culture Hia
orchard Is in fine condition. although tho
trees are young and have only been hear
formation as 10 the growing OF prunes,
Mr.. Ewing says that his orchard Of
twenty-five acres contains 1000 trees, an
average OF fso to each acre. He estI-
mates the yield OF each tree at 100 pounds
OF green fruit, worth | cent per pnund
or tieo per acre. lilo expects about 5000
from his twenty-five-acre orchard this
year. He saids In few years I ex-
pect TO see the raising % pruncs ono
OF the leading industries Of the Paiousa
Taking Mr.. Ewing's orchard az an aver
age. the aggregate OF tho prunc crop
around Eherton makes nice total liz
the 800 acres Controlled by tho associa-
ton Yields ~ well as MIR EswinK's or
chard. the total value OF the prune crop
10 be marketed at this place win ~
0o this year. and II viii Increase
from year to year az the trees grow
older
These figures only include prunes. and
there are many acres Of other fruits
principally apples and pears, In thia VI
clnlfy Mr., Hunt alone has twelve acres
81 Bartlett pear trees which are loaded
With nne fruit. lust beginning 10 ripcn
There are many acres OF applea IN this
vicinity and conservative estimates Of
the value of tho fruit to be exported
from Eslberton tnis year places the amount
az sioo.Un, which Ii greater than fha
value 81 the entire grain crop shipped
from klberton this season Yet fruit
growing is only In tie infancy.