The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-12-15

for home use that would not be the
best for commercial purposes. The
reasons are obvious. AS rule, for
Puget Sound orchard l would recon-
mend those apples that naturally are
of high color. The Winesap, the Spitz-
enburg, the Baldwin, the Northern
Spy. Grimes Golden and Hubartson's
Nonesuch, will all do well in this
section of our state.
Mr.. New also wants to know about
rrunes, ounces and peaches. They
will all do we'll at Stanwood, unless
it is peaches. In many parts OF the
Sound peaches do not do well and
consequently are not raised except in
very rare cases. Fine peaches have
been raised in Whatcom county and
have called attention to that fact in
The Ranch. I was surprised at the
exhibit of peaches from that county
shown by my friend, J. Wayland
Clarke, at the Portland fair in 1903
But there is less rainfall in Whatcom
county than in other parts OF the
Sound country and I believe that ac-
counts for the fine peaches shown
by friend Clarke. l have my doubts
about peaches being a successful crop
at Stanwood. 1t would be good thing
to try few peach trees and II they
prove a success will be only too glad
to report the fact.
am puzzled and worried about one
thing and I hardly know what TO 40
about it. Persons are frequently
coming to me and writing me and ask
ing about certain schemes that are
being widely advertised in the papers.
| have my doubts about the success
of some of these schemes and tnat
toe without doubling the honesty or
sincerity of anybody. 1t is very easy
for men who are not well informed TO
he mistaken as to what will be the
outcome of certain ventures. But
what are these schemes? They per-
haps are not all alike in some re-
spects. but there are certain points OF
resemblance. Some of them consist
in q company being formed and tracts
of land ranging from few hundred
acres to several thousand Delng
bought. These tracts are to be pre-
rared and set out to orchard and then
sold in plats varying in size from
few acres up to any size man may
want and his purse Will reach. THESE
Mats can be paid for on the Install
ment plan running for five or ten
wears. The company obl1gates ltsell
to care for these orchards Till they
come into bearing. There seems TO
he nothing unfair in all this and noth-
ing of the kind may be intended
Rut with my knowledge OF frult
growing I should be very slow to step
into one of these ventures. In the nrSt
Mace. the price asked for such orcn-
ards is very high, if my information IS
correct. Apple orchards in some very
favorable places may be worth $looo
ner acre but such localities are lew
and far between. But the statements
NV which such values are attempted
To he sustained are misleading III
some cases to my certain knowledge
Tn one advertisement a sworn state
ment is given from a man who says
that in 1905 he sold certain number
of boxes of apples per tree when at
q certain number OF trees 10 the ACRE
would give man net lhconle Vi
$500 per acre. All this is propaply
true but certain things are not men
toned and may not have been thougnt
of by the inexperienced company III
1908 there was a very light crop OF
apples in the country and prices ruled
very high. | know that last winter
Zen Davis apples sold at wholesale
in Seattle for $1.75 per box. How often
do they reach such price? I have
sold thousands of boxes OF them 1. o. D.
al Toppenish for so cents per pox.
There is very little margin, If any, IN
them at that price
II
Then on a young orchard a man
NOV hava no nests whereas in a lew