The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-10-07
EXPERT ON STATE
FRUIT EXHIBIT
Says 1t ExceIs All Previous
Efforts.
SOME ESSENTIALS LACKING
SEVERAL IMPORTANT IMPROVE
MENTs SUGGESTED.
SOME ESSENTIALS LACKING

The fruit exhibit at the Utah state
lair excels both in quantity and quality
all previous efforts. and shows to splen-
did advantage the immense possibilities
of fruit growing in Utah. No state in
the Union, with the possible exception
OF California. offers such a diversity of
climatic and other conditions that IA
N0r the successful growing of every va
liety Of fruit except the tropical
The diversity of fruits exhibited at
the fair is surprising, single growers in
some Instances showing fifty 10 sixty
varieties Of fresh fruits. William
kraack, proprietor of the Zion fruit
ranch, three miles east of Sandy, has
on exhibition ten varieties Of peaches,
i've OF apples. seven of pears. ten Of
plums and pruues, eight of grapes, one
each Ct ounce. cherries, nectarines
and raspberries. and two varieties Of
strawberries, both on plants and in
boxes
A Creditable Fruit Exhibit.
The fruit exhibit as a whole is a cred
liable and artistic one from a growers
point of view, but is lacking in some
essential features which would make it
OF more lasting value to visitors There
is not that defniteuess of purpose and
of utility in the displays that the inn
portance Of the industry would warrant
from commercial standpoint The
tendency Of Utah fruit growers is 10
grow too many varieties of all kinds Of
fruits. a practice which greatly demOr-.
allies the business end Of the industry.
The fair management caters to this
prediction in making up its list of
premiums. prizes being offered in most
cases for best display OF any variety"
and best display and largest variety
of any designated fruit with little or no
consideration as 20 whether the COM
peting fruits are commercial varieties
or just fruit"
One Of the most serious results Of this
indiscriminate and multifarious plant
ing of fruit is that when, as In the pres
CIlt season, fruit is abundant. the local
market is oversupplied This cOudi-
ton cannot be relieved by shipping the
surplus to outside points because the
grower is unable to fill a car with one
commercial variety, and buyers object
10 handling mixed car lots. With all
the fruit grown in salt Lake county the
present season. there has probably
been not one carload of straight fruit
shipped to outside markets, while of
half the fruit sent to the Salt Lake
market had been shipped abroad. 1t
would have netted the growers double
what the local dealers offered them.
Room For improvements.
The state fair could do much to i'm
prove the fruit condition of Utah by
placing a higher educational value
upon the exhibit The exhibit could be
made to show what varieties to grow
for market, and what varieties for fam
lily use This Information would be
Invaluable 10 prospective fruit grow
ers who would patropize the fair more
generally with an object of learning
something. As it is now, the exhibit
is visited merely to admire the fine
fruit. much Of which is incorrectly
named by the exhibitors themselves.
Commercial Weakest Side.
The weakest side of fruit growing in
Utah is the commercial side The Utah
farmer can grow good fruit of all
kinds; he is becoming an adept in this
line. but when il comes to marketing
failure begins Very few indeed know
how 10 wrap and pack fruit for mar
ket as is evidenced from the fact that
1t is sent to market in every shape i'm
aginable, in old boxes, supplemented
by old fence boards, chicken coops, etc
Few know the size Of the regulation
fruit box. or how to fill ii properly
should they have it. The fair manage
1nent could help the fruit industry ma
teriaily by Offering prizes Of sufficient
worth 10 induce some Of our most sue
Cessful shippers 10 place on exhibition
I cases Of apples. peaches. pears. prunes
etc, wrapped and packed as required
in the eastern and foreign markets
such an exhibit would be a valuable
object lesson to every fruit farmer who
visited the fair. This feature of the
fruit exhibit at the irrigation congress
in Ogden one year ago brought out the
keeneSt competition among some OF the
big shippers of this and adjoining
states. 1t will be remembered that a
Moab. Grand county. fruit grower
John r. Miller won the gold medal for
The best fruit pack shown at that noted
exhibition
a few changes i'm the manner and
style of putting up the fruit depart
ment along the lines here suggested
would very materially improve the ex-
hibit and make il a means TO the bet
terment and uplifting OF one Of Utah's
most important industries.