Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1904-10-14
GROWING INTEREST.
HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY MADE
A FINE DISPLAY.

More Than Score of the Leading Varieties
OF Apples on Exhibit - Large Ounces and
Fine Pears Commissioner A. Van Holder
bske Makes an Exceedingly Interesting Ad
dress on Culture and Care of Fruit - How
to Pick and Pack Properly" Hogs in the
Orchard Next Topic for Discussion. at the
Meeting November 18th.
Some of the fruits displayed last
Saturday by our county producers were
splendid evidences of what climate,
soil and care will do, even in a season
very generally regarded as an Gun.
favorable year" for almost everything
of farm or orchard growth. All the
large tables in the courtroom were
piled with the tempting beauties of
the best varieties of fruit. Gloria
Mundis weighing two pounds, nam.
moth ounces tipping the scales at y
ounces, and Olympia" Baldwins and
! Bellllowers, and Wealthy apples, big
AS ones" double fist" (whatever that is)
were on exhibition, and samples OF the
best selected to undergo the embalm-
ing" process for exhibition at the Lewis
and Clark Fair. But this is, by no
means, the end of effort in fruit and
vegetables. At the next meeting, Nov.
18th, another display will be made,
and at every meeting thereafter till
the 1st of June, seasonable articles
and products are desired, to make the
Thurston county display as near per-
lection as possible. Let nobody neg.
lect this golden opportunity to make
our resources known. Come in to the
Horticultural meetings, see what is
being done and lend your aid for doing
it.
The meeting, Saturday, was held in
the courtroom at 2 p. NJ, and rs an
nOunced State Commissioner A. Won
Holderbeke was present and delivered
a most practical, timely and interest
ing address on Picking and Packing
of Fruit" Among many other sug-
gestions, he advised leaving fruit on
the trees until thoroughly ripened to
apples to keep long you may pick
them early when quite green. AS
soon as the fruit, say apples, has ma
tured the seed, it has performed its OBJ
ject, and decay soon begins, which &C
counts for the keeping quality of the
green apples. He called attention to
the necessity of careful picking and
grading of fruit OF all kinds for mar
ket. Every apple that goes into box
should be Of the same size. A single
inferior product in box destroys the
reputation-or at least impairs the
whole product, Of the grower. Too
much care cannot be exercised in this
matter. He said he had seen whole
consignments of fruit graded lower for
a want of care in a single box that
passed under examination. Pack fruit
solidly in boxes and they stand bet
ter chance than if placed loosely, when
they suffer from jar. If you want
your apples to keep, place them in cool
places ventilated the first two weeks to
allow escape Of fermentation, after
wards close tightly and they should
keep we'll. Another way is to place
your apples in straw in a trench, roof
them over with boards and earth on
top. They will continue to ripen until
winter is we'll passed. The cooler they
are kept the longer they will remain
good. The more pains taken in pick
ing and handling fruit the longer it
will keep.
Never shake apples from the tree.
Use q sack, with open bottom closed
with string. Strap it over the shoul.
ders and pick carefully and place
each apple separately in the sack. BY
releasing the string gradually at the
bottom the apples can be placed in the
box without bruising. Another way Of
gathering is to place sack on pole
with cloth conduit to the ground;
then place the mouth OF the sack over
the apple and slightly jar, when it will
slide down the conduit without bruis-
ing.
Mr.. Won Holderbeke recommended
the packing of fruits for family use in
small packages. In all established
markets it will not be long until
reputation may be established for care
in this matter. TO command good
prices, reputation must be estab-
lished. 1t can only be done by care
and attention to these suggestions.
Western Washington has just as many
dollars in apples as the Eastern part of
the State, and as may be seen here,
with careful culture and picking some
OF the exhibits amply bear out the as.
sertion.
In a discussion that followed Mr..
Won Holderbeke's remarks, 1T was
stated that boxes used for apples in
ThurstOn county were considerably
larger than elsewhere and our produc.
ers labOred under that disadvantage in
the open market. The size of boxes
prescribed by law is lSxl2lxl0a inches
inside measure. The attention of pro.
ducers was specially called to this mat
ter.
Mr.. Bernard called attention to dan
ger from the pocket gopher on fruit
trees, and the Commissioner stated
that a simple contrivance had been
successfully used in some parts of the
State for smoking out and destroying
the pest.
On motion, Hogs in the Orchard"
was adopted for subject of discussion
at the next regular meeting.
The following exhibit of fruits and
vegetables was made:
J. d. Miller, Idaho pears.
o. v. Linn, Sickle pears.
G. M. Savage. German Baldwins and
Blue Pears, Maine and Alexander
apples.
Robt. Frost, Hall Butter pears.
Captain Gilbert, Sheldon pears.
o. ID. Sullivan, King apples.
W. ID. Bolinger, King apples.
Mr.. Trullinger. Gravenstein apples.
l.. B. Faulkner, Rhode Island
Greening.
Fred Schomber, BellAower.