The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-06-15
Probably the Purple Guigne Cherry.

Probably the Purple Guigne Cherry
The Ranch is in receipt of an inter
esting communication from W. N.
White, of w. N. White & Co., dealers
in fruits and general produce at 1878
Park Place, New York City. 1t is
clear that Mr.. White is keeping close
tab on fruit matters in the Pacific
northwest. His paragraph in rela-
ton to the unnamed cherry on the
farm of Mr. Swartwood at Orondo,
Wash, is of particular value, not only
to Mr.. Swartwood but to several others
who appear to possess the same kind
of a cherry whose name they do not
know Mr.. Whites communication
follows in full; it is dated June 9Th:
Editor The Ranch: In your issue
of the first inst. l am very much in
terested in quite lot of things. First,
your Mr. L. e. Larsen wants to know
the name of cherry which ripens
from the 18th to the Goth of May,
which he says is dark purple when
ripe and of the same foliage as the
Royal Ann" Without seeing the cher
ry l venture to say it is what is known
|
this country as the Purple Guigne."
When ripe it is very fine eating cher
ry, but it is poor carrier, as it (what
is known amongst the fruit mer-
chants) "goes blind" or off color in
"a hours, but for home use or nearby
markets it is one of the finest to eat
or to cook and a wonderful cropper
every year. In England it is cOnsid-
cred one of the finest cherries that
was ever grown.
"Now about another matter: You
talk about the prune crop in. western
Washington and that it is precarious
time in a profitable market. Will any
of your readers who are interested let
me know whether they are Italian or
French prunes? And if they ever
have done any marketing of their
prunes packed four baskets in a case,
each basket holding little under
five pounds? At times, when they are
properly packed and sent forward in
refrigerator cars, l have known them
sold in England at from So to $3.50
per box. | repeat, if any of your read
ers are interested and will write me,
l will go into fuller particulars.
"Now allow me to say under your
article Orchard Problems; Picking
and Packing Fruit that after having
been in the fruit business for over
30 years, I think this article is one
of the best | have ever seen and |
cannot too strongly impress upon every
fruit grower who is raising and pack
ing fruit for market, that if he will
pay attention to the lines laid down
in this article he is sure to make his
business a profitable one. The ideas
contained in that article are as good
as anything l have ever seen, but |
would like just to add little, viz,
that in marketing peaches, pears and
plums, when the same are being picked
at a warm temperature, they should
be taken to store and not packed up
for market until the next day so as to
allow the outside heat to get out of
the fruit Many a grower has had
his fruit spoiled by packing the same
in the orchard and shipping them out
the same day.
Another matter: You say 1T is
better to have springs on the wagons
used for hauling The man who can
not afford to have a spring wagon to
haul about his fruit had better go out
of business. Every jolt produces a
bruise; no picker should be allowed to
throw fruit into any basket, but
should place it in with his own hands
| and they should be taken to the StOr.