The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1903-09-23
APPLE GROWING IN THE
FAMOUS YAKIMA VALLEY
Good Prices Being Paid for Choice
StOck-The Red Varieties
Always In Demand.


The harvest of fall and winter apples
will begin in this valley in short time.
Several buyers are in the field and some
good offers have been made for the
fruit to be shipped to eastern cities. No
definite sales are reported, as the grow.
ers expect better prices than the buyers
are willing to name. Some of the larg-
est orchardists will hold for $l.25, or
better per box, for fall shipping and
higher if held until spring. 1t is esti-
mated that the crop in this district is
about % per cent. of that gathered in
1902.
The red apples are in demand in all
markets. Because of this the growers
have made large paintings of red va
rites during the year. Over 100000
fruit trees of various kinds were planted
last spring Of this list large major
ity was of the red apple varieties. The
principal sorts are the Ben Davis. Mis-
souri, Pippins. Northern Spy and SINH
lar colored fruits. If thorough can
vass of the valley was made and every
orchardist asked to give the varieties
planted the Ben Davis would probably
outnumber all others. 1t is the best
commercial fruit. because of coming
early into bearing and producing more
pounds to the tree than any other vari-
ETY..
Many of the orchardists of the Yaki-
ma valley have patterned after the ia
nous Kansas Wellhouse. said to be
the largest apple grower in tn world
He has one orchard which produced So
600 bushels. in one year at cost of
$4,000. The gross income from the
fruit was $4,000. The secret of his
success lies in the planting of fruits de-
manded by the markets. In putting out
II new orchard he planted GO per cent
pins and other red varieties. When a
farmer from the eastern states comes to
the orchards of the Sunnyside country
seeking information as to varieties to
plant he hears the same story from all
which is plant red apples.
Apples are picked and sorted by hand
Expert packers are required to box and
nail the covers on the fruits. The law
prohibits the shipping of diseased fruits
of all kinds. For this reason. to keep
up the reputation of the orchard and
the vicinity, the growers do not permit
any worm eaten, or specimens having
San Jose scale, to be packed for mar
ket at home or abroad The boxes
used hold approximately forty-five
pounds of fruit. This package is pre-
ferred in the western markets. but does
not meet the approval of eastern deal
ers, who are accustomed to the old bar
rel system of shipping apples.
Washington has about 100000 acres of
orchards. The area increases every
year at the rate of 10 to 20 per cent.
Every district in which apples can be
grown has new tracts planted to the
trees. The quick growing varieties
produce fair crops the third year after
planting. In the Sunnyside country an
apple orchard begins paying good prof
its at the fifth year from planting.
Trees will then bear five bushels each.
Many of the older orchards this year
will yield ten bushels to the tree As
an acre usually contains about fifty
trees the income from apples will be one
of the greatest sources of revenue in the
valley.
Shipments of Yakima apples are
made every year to China and Japan.