The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-02-15

,ior in the icing of these cars. A firm
~ Chicago received a car of melons
enom a point in Indiana $50 miles
way and were charged $45 for the
'oina Cars of melons came to the
rome house from Louisiana, nine hun
Jred miles away, and the icing was
onIv $780, An investigation revealed
tbe fact that the railroad furnished
nc own cars and did it's own icing
from the southern state and the $50
cbarged amply covered the cost, but
in the other case the Armour COM
Many owned the car and did it's own
icing. Investigation further revealed
the fact that SIS would have been
mite sufficient for the icing from In
diana. The president of the United
states has taken up this outrage and
cavs it must be abated. Let us stand
Inv President Roosevelt in this matter
and see to it that our congressman do
their duty. If | am correctly in
formed the Northern Pacific railroad
uses it's own cars and have driven all
nrivate refrigerator cars from it's
lines. My experience has been that
the rates for icing are reasonable
with this railroad. If others have a
different experience let them speak
out. There is no question but the pri-
vate car monopoly as it has been car
ried on by the Armour Company on
many of the railroads in the middle
west is a swindle and should be
souelched. We should write to our
congressman and urge them to help
us in this matter. Cry out against it
as the ancient Roman cried out
against Carthage est-must be
destroyed.
Recently the editor of this depart
ment by invitation attended the Hor-
ticultural Institute at North Yakima
and delivered an address on PROFIT
in apple growing and some difficulties
to be encountered" The substance of
my address on that occasion has been
given in these columns, or will be,
and there is no need of REPETITION. The
question brought out some lively dis
cussions. One of the questions that
the writer was called upon twice to
answer was: "Why do the Hood river
growers get a better price for their
apples than we do in the Yakima val
ley?" The answer in substance was,
not because they can or do raise bet
ter apples than we do. The HOOD
River growers do claim superiority in
their fruit but that is not an unusual
thing in different sections of our coun-
try. | have seen the Hood River fruit
but have seen equally as fine fruit
grown in the Yakima valley, in the
Wenatchee valley, near Lake Chelan
and a number of other places in
Washington and Idaho. Perhaps it
would be quite right to say that while
Hood River growers do not raise any
better fruit than we do, they do not
raise as much poor fruit as we do.
There is a very enterprising class OF
men engaged in fruit growing at Hood
River and in setting out their or
chards they have as a rule planted
only the best varieties. They are
ahead of us in that respect Then they
have very compact organization and
practically sell all their fruit together.
They are able to hold on to their fruit
till they get good offer and then 1t
all goes. The buyers have learned
that large amount of very fine fruit
can be secured at Hood River and
they bid against each other. Then
the packing at Hood River is FAR
above the average as l have pointed
out in these columns in former issues.