Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1905-10-30
OREGON
FULL OF
PRUNES
The Best In the World, and
Salem is in the Center
of the Industry

90 You can say that, take " year III
and year out, in Oregon, there is no
branch Of agriculture that pays 50 con
slant and liberal dividends as the
prune industry" That was the start
ling statement made to a Journal re-
porter by W. G. Tillson Of the Tillson
company Of this city.
"There is no danger that the pres
emit high prices for prunes will weak
en-. f" said II. 8. Gile, president Of the
willamette Valley Prune association.
lie bases this statement upon the
ground that there are not 80 car loads
Of prunes in the whole state Of Orc
gon. that are not sold
According to the statements Of both
Of these men. the Oregon prune which
has always led the world, is this year
superior to the prune Of all former
years. The -season seemed TO be just
right for the proper development, and
the result was that we have a larger
pfune and richer in sugar. The excel
lent quality combined with The fact
that the demand for prunes now OK.
cecds the supply, enabled tho produc.
crs to sci their crop At good prices
This years prunes were nearly all
3O4O's and brought from four and
half to Eve cents per pound. Many
whole crops were cold for Eve cents
without any grading. At this ratio Il
will be seen, by any ono who Il az all
familiar with tho industry, that prunes
will pay better than any kind Of grain.
one widow who has eight acres In
prunea sold her crop for ti7oo, while
a man with nearly 20 acres cleared up
between $1,000 aud $4,000.
cit "a q good industry and well
adapted 10 this state and this vieini'
~" says Mr. Tilson, and tho facts
seem 60 bear out his testimony. There
were three million pounds raised In
tho state this year, though it is con.
sidefed an on year, and they are all
out Of first hands.
The crop this ycar throughout tho en-
tire state, was about one.third Of what
Il was two years ago. In the vicinity
of salem, however, Il Il generally con.
sideFea 20 be moro than third BE-.
cause Of tho fact that many Of tho or,
ehaFds are located on hill lands, and
the hill lands yielded better than the
bottom lands, this season.
Salem tho Prune Center.
That Salem Is the pFune center or
Oregon their can be no doubt. More
prunes arc packed By tho two large
establishments Ia this city than by
al the other packers Of the states The
business OF these two firms is eontaht-
ly grown, as Is seen By tho fact that
both OF these establishments have
handled double the amount Of pFunes
this year that they have handled any
previous year, aud this, In spite Of
the fact that tho present crop is short,
The "postage stamp freight rate
on prunes has enabled the packers 10
ship in their pTunes from every quar-
ter Of the state. According 20 this
rate Il costs 10 cents per 100 pounds
10 ship pFunes from Turner TO Salem,
and just the same from MedfoFd 10
Salem, AS a result, the Salem packer
can pay the southern Oregon grower
just as much for his product as the
man who lives within a few miles OF the
city. PFunes have, aud are being ship
ped in this year by the carload from
nearly every station in tho state.
Those points which have furnished the
most are Woodburn, Medford, MeAinn-
Vile, Grants Pass, Jefferson, Albany,
Corvallis, Shaw, Oakland and Dallas.
Gile q Co. employ from 60 10 20
people and have a weekly pay roll Of
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