The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1906-01-20
THE BIG FOUR FRUITS.
Colonel Parker Earle Writes About
the Growing of Apples, Pears,
Peaches and Plums.

EQlCOr Odlly hecOTu."Mdny c1L1-
zens have asked me my latest opin-
ion as to the future Of fruit growing
in our Valley, as compared with
fruit growing in California, where 1
studied the present conditions some
what carefully. l wish to say with
emphasis that l believe that the Pc
cos Valley a great advantages over
California for all those fruits which
our climate permits us to grow. Our
four great fruits are apples, pears,
plums and peaches. To this list we
may add the California class of
grapes, if we will protect the vines
in the winter as they do in the Rio
Grande Valley.
OF course apples is the only fruit
largeIy I-anted. This is a mistake,
as each of the other kinds named is
nearly as reliable as apples, when the
right locations are used, and varie-
ties are wisely chosen. l believe that
apples are SO widely n SO largely
planted in the United States that
when there is a general crop prices
"tf AuiS AoW ~ SAAOoS 1O"h III oa
humid districts. But even then the
high class apples-which means with
out any blemishes and wrapped in
white paper and packed in bushel
boxes-which are grown in the semi
arid high-altitude districts, like the
Pecos Valley, n the Grand Valley
of Colorado, and in certain parts of
Oregon and Washington, that these
apples will always De wanted at high
prices.
Last ear was one of apple search
ty. Sound apples in York state, and
elsewhere, sold at $500 to $500 per
barrel at the orchard. This is fully
twice tbs price of common years.
And very fancy apples from Colorado
and Oregon brought as much per
bushei box as the Eastern apples did
per barrel. Prices for Grand Valley
apples reached the unusual figure of
$500 per box last autumn. This was
for Jonathan.
1 think there is every encourage
nlsnt to the Pecos Valley men to
grow apples, il they will only do it
in the same theFeushssoipg way
which men in Colorado and Oregon
constantly pursue, and will plant the
light kinds. But L believe now even
more than | did 4 ysar ago, that there
is in our Valley an unequalled feld
for pear, plum and peach growing,
By universal testimony the pear is
rapidly becoming an extinct fruit in
America, except fos some inferior
kinds like the Kieffer. This is be-
cause of the blight, which prevails
almost everywhere, v in Califor-
mia, where losses are very great in
the last W years. Fhe prices for
good summer pears are uniformly
high. and for autumn pears higher.
Very few good Bart1etts from the Pa
ciic Coast have sold for less thai
$500 for a 40fb box this last year,
and some have sold for double that
figure. And their quality is growing
poorer, year by ear Later pears
were selling all through September
for $500 and up, and a large dealer
in Chicago told me last autumn that
he should get $500 to $500 per box
for some car loads of pears he had
coming for the November and Deem
Der trade. All the opinion I could
gather everywhere is the same, that
prices for good pears-for fine fruit,
handled right-woula always be high |
hereafter, and especially high for
late keeping pears. The prices given |
me mea 10 cents to IL cents a
pound for late pears, at wholesale, |
and would be a clear net of 7 to 9 |
cents in the orchard, at Roswell. II
think these facts should receive at
About peaches. notwithstanding |
the immense acreage and large crops
of peaches now produced in the hui
mid states, there is a great demand
for better keeping and better quality
peaches grown in the arid districts
Of the mountainous West. For Cali
peaches, half immature and
Door of quality as they are, but with
great keeping quality, are sold all
he East. and go in large guam
of Colorado told me hat his
peaches last year had sold for prices
that had paid him, in some cases,
one thousand dollars an acre for his
crop, and that he and his neighbors
that when they got only fiv hun
1red per acre they were 1ot doing
very well. At this same time Mich
igan peaches were selling in Chicago
for 10. Is, and 20 cents per one-third
bushel basket.
It takes the sunshine of our valleys