The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1906-12-30


ly every variety of fruit grown the crop
has been the greatest ever known in
the record OF the industry, while the in
come derived therefa'om places it in the
ranks of the other great agricultural
industries of the state.
The leading fruit counties of the state
are Salt Lake, Utah, Weber. Box Elder
Davis, Grand Sanpete, Sewer and
Cache. All these were shippers of fruit
by the carload this season. Several
Cther counties support extensive or
cards notably Washington, Tooele,
Juab, Willard, Emery and Uintah, but
only supply the local market through
peddleT1f wagons, etc.
Utah countN is the leading shirper
for the year. Besides sending large
quantities to the Salt Lake and other
markets in wagons. and supporting two
or three caEnerieS, there were over $50
cars of fruit shipped to outside mar
kets, a large part of the output being
small fruits.
Weber has 1912 acres in fruit, with
$50 acres more set out this year. The
fruit growers shipped abroad over 200
cars of fruit, besioes supplying a large
local market and a number of canning
plants.
Box Elder produced a total value of
S2j6. $50 in fruit: 200 cars were shipped
10 outside markets. besides large guam
titles sent by wagon to Cache and Rich
counties, and two canneries were sup
ported.
Sanpete and Sewer counties sent out
five ears of prunes. The value of the
farmers fruit output was over $4,000
for the year.
Moab, in Grand county. keeps up its
good record as a fruit producer. Though
thirty-five miles from the railroad, its
enterprisiI'g fruit growers sent out
twenty-five carloads of apples, peaches
and pears J. P Miller, one of the
leading growers of Moab, sold one car
OF pears i'm Liverpool ard another one in
New York. Yet Moab has several ear
loads OF apples in storage for future
shipments.
Salt Lake and Cache counties en-
ters,d the list of shippers this year. the
first-named with three cars and the last
with one to its credit Salt Lake has
hitherto absorbed all the fruit grown in
The county, as well as much that was
produced in Davis and Utah counties.
Hanoicaps to Fruit Industry.
The experience Of the fruit growers
during the season just closed empha-
sizes the necessity of organization and
unity of effort in the matter of diSpos-
ing of their products. AS a rule very
poor prices prevailed throughout the
season for all classes of fruit, despite
the fact that the quality was fair to
excellent in every kind. Peaches were
sold in the streets of Salt Lake as low
as Is cents a case, which were worth
three times as much. Many growers
have become discouraged and would
like to get into some other business.
Those growers. however, who had
enough fruit of one kind to ship in
straight carloads have no complaints TO
make Of tic returns from their or
chards Peaches shipped away Noted
the growers something better than 40
cents case, with an unlimited market
demand for their orchard and product.
Had the small growers combined and
shipped in car lots, they, too, would
have shared in the best prices obtained
in outside markets.
The selling of good fruit appears to
be a simple prupOsition-tO grow the
kind wanted in sufficient quantity to
fill a car or more at a time and pack it
in proper style. Some of our larger
peach growers who own or control the
output of ten to twenty acres or more
always have their fruit crop sold a year
ahead, and have no trouble to find buy
ers at good prices. The buyer comes to
their orchards when the crop is gath
cred, pays for the car of fruit as soon
as it is loaded on the car, taking ali
the fruit he can get, and contracting
for next years crop before he leaves
the grounds.
If tho small orchard growers of every
fruit section of the state would form
fruit growers unions they could dispose
OF all their fruit just as advantageOusly
as the large growers. They could CO.
operate together and establish a can
merry or jam factory. to take care of
the oVer-ripe or imperfect fruit, send
away all the fancy fruit for fancy
prices, and thus make every part of the
industry pay. Viewed in the light of
present conditions. the want of organ
izatiOn is the weakest spot in the fruit
business in this state, and until recOg-
1lized and remedied by the fruit grow
ers themselves better conditions will
rot obtain, as only the larger fruit
growers can expect to get fair returns
for their crops.
How Union Helps.
Four years ago the apple growers of
Oregon were in the same uforganized
condition as Utah fruit growers, handi-
capped by poor prices and an uncertain
market. The best price they could OBJ
tain for their fancy apples was 50 cents
bushel. They organized an apple
growers union, got an efficient man
ager and assistants and marketed their
crop on strict business principles. The
Oregon apple has become famous
through the push of its growers, and
the price has risen from 50 cents to near
So a bushei box, delivered at their own
railroad station. All this was accom-
plished by the union.
A fruit growers union can effect the
combining of the small quantities of in
dividual growers and make up straight
carloads. The union can establish a sys-
tenn of packing and inspection that Sc
cures a uniform pack and fancy grade
for the outside market, and can pro-
vide facilities for taking care of ordi-
nary fruit at home, through a cannery.
evaporating plant or vinegar factory.
IL can also save members large sums
in the purchase CT boxes, paper and
other supplies
Another deleterious factor in the fruit
industry in this state, that operates
against its greater prosperity, is the
numberless varieties of fruit grown OF
any given kind. The old orchards of
the state were planted after the plan
of an experimental garden. The result
IS a great quantity of fruit, of splendid
Quality when nrOporlV cared for but