The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-05-15
COM MISSION ROW

erS OF Seattle VINO nanQle large pOr-
ton of the fruit produced in the north
west and who consequently find it a
part of their business to keep in touch
with the various fruit districts and
the condition of the crop, state that
they believe the present year will be
the best in the history of the north
west in Embarrassing. Reports coming
from all the fruit sections are exceed
ingly optimistic, with only one or two
exceptions, and those will not more
than slightly affect the northwestern
market.
The outlook for big apple crop is
men say that the market promises to
hold up well, SO that ranchers will
realize good prices for their large pro-
duction. Over in Wenatchee valley
many hundreds of trees will commence
bearing fruit this year and all of the
old trees are well laden and soon
promise to be borne down with the
weight of their juicy fruits. Condi-
tions are the same in the Yakima
country, thousands of new trees prom
Using this year to add vastly to the
output of the Yakima valley and Sun
nyside. The crop on the west side of
the mountains is also developing well
and abundantly. A number of fruit
growers who have had only small sue
cess with other fruits will begin this
year and devote more attention to
apples.
On the west side of the mountains,
on the islands of Puget Sound and in
the Lake Washington section, where
as fine strawberries are raised as in
any place else in the world, the crop of
this fruit is fine this year, and prom
Uses to be not only better in quality
but much larger in quantity than in
former years. The reports that the
strawberry crop in these sections was
injured and would be late on account
of the late frosts this spring does not
seem to have much foundation, accord
ing to the outlook which is now report
ed by commission men. H. S. Elmer
son, of H. S. Emerson e Co., states
that there will be plenty of Strawber-
ries on the Seattle market as soon as
the slocal season sets in, even if the
crop in other sections Of the north
west is poor, owing to the good con-
Sound crop. 81 understand that the
strawberry crop in the Kennewicl1
valley is light" he said, land that the
season there will be very short; also
that the Hood River crop will be much
lighter than heretofore, owing to the
fact that many of the growers who
fact many of the growers who have
hitherto devoted almost their sole
attention to strawberries will begin
this year to devote more attention to
apples, having decided that the latter
are the most profitable. AS the Hood
river and large portion of the Ken
newick crop goes east, however, this
will not affect our local markets."
The reason for the change of policy
on the part of some of the Hood river
growers is said to be because of their
experience last year, which was rather
discouraging. The season came late,
and by the time their berries reached
the eastern markets they came into
competition with berries from other
sections which usually reached the
markets subsequently to those from
Hood river. These berries were raised
closer to the markets, and Oregon
growers found it difficult to pay the
long-haul freight charges and have any
profit left after selling in competition
with rival berries. Hood river will
still continue to raise lots of strawber-
ries, but some of the growers will
specialize apples hereafter.
J. B. Powles states that the rains
of the last few days have placed the
strawberry crop in the section sur
rounding Puget Sound in good shape,
and, while the prospects were good
enough even before, now he looks for
what may prove a record production.
Ryan & Newton say that reports are
RI tho offoct tbat tho ORION Of 90 rlv