The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-12-06
APPLE CROP IN WHITMAN.
COUNTY WILL THIS YEAR. 1T Is
SAID, SHIP 400 CAR LOADS.
Probable Naiue About $1Dooo-io-
tai Fruit Frop Worth I'm Weigh
borhood Of s5o0,0o0-Pnys Better
Than wheat, Growers Say.

Special Dispatch to the observation-disclosures
COLLAR Dec 5.--Few people realize
the Importance and magnitude OF the APP
pie crop OF whitman county. Even the
people who have lived in the county ior
years are surprised to learn tnat TINS
county will ship 400 car loads or apples
this season. yet this Is the estimate OF
fruit men who are well posted. Il ~
Porter of Lewiston. Idaho. who is one
of the most extensive and successlui
fruit growers of Snake river, has beeh
buying and shipping apples from various
points in Whitman county ana mas al
ready shipped 1i2 car loads. and the sea-
son is not vet ended. He will probebi
ship a dozen more cars before the close
of the season Zel NJ Beebc. of Colfax,
who Is buying and shipping. has shipped
thirty car loads from Coifax alone, ana
estimates the shipments from this one
point at fifty car loads for the season.
Garfield will ship seventy-hve car loacs,
these two towns with Pennington, being
the most important shipping points, but
there are a number of other places that
are not far behind these three towns In
the number of car loads shipped this
year.
In 1898 there was shipped from this
county about go car loads of apples OF
which Colfax shipped thirty and Garfield
fifty car loads If the increase in all
parts of the county has been equal to
that of these two towns the estimate of
400 car loads will be below rather than
above the actual amount The farmer re-
cefyes from 40 to As cents per box of %
pounds for the apples delivered a the
nearest railroad station. Each car con-
tains an average OF 800 boxes worth $500,
making the value of the apples shipped
from this county this season. $4,000 This
Is exclusive Of small shipments and those
consumed at home. which would probably
swell the total value OF the apples grown
in Whitman county to 100000.
This. together with the prune crop, the
peach. pear and plum crops, make an
aggregate of a large sum of money re-
ceived by farmers and orchardists of this
county for the fruit crop of this year. II
is difficult to form an accurate estimate
of the grand total but, including the
Snake river district on the Whitman coun-
ty side of the river, the total Will not
fall far short Of half a million dollars.
While the price paid for apples this fall
is the lowest in the history of the coun-
ty. there is far more money in raising APP
pies and other fruit at the present low
prices than In growing wheat. even at 30
cents per bushel, which price has not been
paid for several years, Mr.. Beebe says
there IL more money in apple growing at
at SO cents per bushei. Mr. Porter says
Apples at 80 cents per 100 pounds pay
better than wheat at 80 cents per hushel"
There Is an old saying In the Palouse
country. that III the price of wheat Will
average 80 cents per bushei this is the best
farming country In the world" Yet at
the present low price Of apples competent
than wheat at even the price mentioned
above, which is another proof of the rich
ness and productiveness OF the soil of
the Palouse country.