The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1904-09-21
PRICES HAVE BEEN
FAIRLY SATISFACTORY
Peach and Prune Crops Practically All
Marketed-Freight Rates Against
Us.

The marketing of the peach and prune
crops of Yakima county is almost a
thing of the past for this year. Fruit
raisers and commission men are looking
back over the seasons work with a feel
ing of satisfaction, for, Notwithstanding
the enormous yield, the prices realized
have been fair, and in many cases really
better than the early conditions and OK
pectations led them TO look for. The
bulk of the peaches raised in this county
have been shipped east, to which mark
cts the most of our pears, or at least, a
great proportion of them, will also 90.
shipped as far east as New York on
consignment, and very fair returns have
resulted. OF both the peach and prunc
crops it can be said that the quality of
the fruit was never finer, and no doubt
this fact accounts for the satisfactory
prices received in spite of the unpre-
cedcnted yield.
The shipments of melons is about
over; As everybody interested in their
growth this year knows the season was
most unsatisfactory one. The over
production of cantaloupes made their
shipment in any considerable quantity
extremely hazardous. and the home
market has been without value to the
raiscrs 1t is safe to say tht the. acre
age devoted to cantaloupcs next year
will be evry small indeed, as compared
with the acreage this year.
The interest of the fruit growers now
centers in the apple market. At this
time the future conditions, and especial
ly the probable prices are very uncertain
No market is yet established. and the
local commission men are trying to stir
the matter up by interviewing the orch
ardists. getting an approximate idea of
the yield and determining if possible
how many carloads will be offered. The
! yield is said to be larger than ever be-
fore and the quality is up to the usual
standard. 1t is feared that low prices
!
almost certain by the arbitrary position
of the railroad in the matter of freight
rates. There have been times in the past
when the growers were confronted with
the same conditions that exist in this
county this season, due to an unusual
yield, when the Northern Pacific mas ia
vored the shippers with a special rate
of 60 cents per hundred pounds to North
Dakota points. This year a fiat refusal
to the request that this special rate be
granted has been made. and. of course,
the loss that might have thus been
avoided will have to be borne by the
producer. This loss amounts to Is cents
on each hundred pounds of fruit, the
regular rate to North Dakota points be-
ing IS cents.
! This refusal of the railroad comapny
90 grant the special rate on apples
amounts to a discrimination in favor of
the New York shippers, VINO are already
quoting apples at 1925 per barrel, laid
down, in North Dakota points. This
means about IS cents box for the SUI
perior Yakima apples, laid down at the
same or corresponding points.
California growers of prunes-many
fruits, In fact, but prunes especially
are said to be alarmed over the present
low prices of that product and also to
fear that the present condition of the
market may influence the growers to
speculate by holding large part of their
crop until next year That certainly is
a matter that should be taken into very
careful consideration. Unquestionablv
money mas been made many times by
holding crops when prices We're not salts
factory, but it is also true that in the
case of miperishable crops, as for in
stance, dried fruits, money has been
lost great many more times by the
pursuance of the same policy. Low
prices are more often due to over produc.
ton than to any other cause and hold.
ing the crop is not always the remedy,
if indeed there be one, while the risk
is certainly always present