The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1905-09-01


alone in the honey they gather and
store up for their own use and that OF
man. but such insects perform an i'm
portant work in the pollenation of
fruits. In some cases without this
work of insects no fruit would be
raised at all and in most cases great
benefit comes to fruit by this cross
pollenation.
In recent issue of this paper |
called attention to the fine Hale's
Early peaches shown at the Lewis and
Clark fair from Whatcom county. J..
Wayland Clark has charge of the ex-
hibit from that county. He is an
adept at such work He knows how to
arrange his exhibit so as to show to
the best advantage He had charge
of an exhibit at st. Louis last year
and is a man of experience in that
line. He is a very genial fellow and
we are glad to have him as one of the
washington family" as we call those
in the Washington building. He has
shown some other peaches that are
fine. The finest Bradshaw plums
shown in our building came from
Whatcom and were very Hastily ar
ranged by Mr.. Clark. The Duchess
apples shown by that county are the
finest I have seen this year, and !
say this Notwithstanding the fact that
had the Duchess from my own fruit
ranch near Zillah, Yakima county.
r.
The following communication from
J. F. Cass of Skagit County. comes to
hand just as I am preparing these
notes and is very gladly given to the
readers of The Ranch. Mr.. Cass needs
no introduction to the most of our
readers. He is we'll known to most
of the fruit growers of the state. He
was formerly secretary of the State
Board of Horticulture and brought out
the third biennial report, and as
now remember it, the best one ever
brought out If we had kept in the
good old ways then in vogue and had
not run off after strange gods we
would not now have to acknowledge
that the state of Oregon is far ahead
of us in the matter of reports. Not
thing has come from our new tangled
arrangement that is worthy of being
preserved for one day. I certainly APP
preciate what Mr.. Cass saws about my
notes. No man whom ] know in the
state of Washington is more competent
to Judge of the worth of what is said
in this or any other paper concerning
horticulture Here follows Mr.. Cass's
letter:
''Dear Mr.. Walden:-Your note as to
the superior ualitv of the Hale's Early
peach as crown in Whatcom county
and on exhibition at the Portland fair,
does not surprise me All along inntno nave We
= some of the varieties of peaches in the
Puget Sound region as profitable fruit
for both market and home use. And,
third biennial report of the State Board
of Horticulture. Hales Early does well
in all the coast counties. But the most
reliable peach that 7 have found is the
here as any of the apples. And the
quality of the fruit tthoueh the variety
is one of the inferior kinds) when well
rpened on the tree, is equal to anything
that comes to our market. The Serrate
Early York is another variety adapted
to our conditions, and is a sure cropper.
Tt can not be found in our home nur-
series. but perhaps could be got in the
east where it was popular forty or fifty
years ago There is a strange and utter
want of knowledge here as to the prun-
peach tree. IT should have its branches
shortened and thinned out each year.
"The difference in the rainfall OF the
different counties of Puget Sound, we
believe, is caused bv the vapor clouds
passing over the Olympic range of
mountains where most of the -precipi-
tation takes place. These clouds pass
ing up the open way of the, Chehalis
valley gives heavy rail-fall to the
counties of Thurston, Pierce and King,
while we here have but one-half the
rainfall of that district, and about
twice the number of clear days in win
ter In fact WILDLY Island, and the
region of Anacortes. Skagit county,
nearly resembles portions of eastern
WaShin gtOn in this respect,
"There is no need of your being so
modest as to the value of your horti-
cultural notes For practical inform