The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1906-09-01
COMMISSION ROW TALK.

The present marketing season must
be proving a very satisfactory one to
the ranchers, judging from indications
on Commission Row, Seattle, which is
the produce center of the Northwest.
Not only have crops been good, the
commission men say, but market con-
ditions have been excellent and the
farmers have received good prices for
large crops.
A. D. Blowers & Co. state that the
best of prices have prevailed through
out almost the entire season, and that
at scarcely any time has the market
been glutted on any kind of fruits or
vegetables, SO great has been the de-
mand The number of new farms
which have been brought under cul-
tivation during the past one or two
years has been very great, and it can
readily be seen that this would result
in an ever-increasing supply of fruit
and various kinds of produce pouring
into the Seattle market for distribu
ton. Unless the market had increased
in like proportion, there might have
/ been an Over-Supply and prices would
have consequently had slump which
would have been hard on the prOduc
ers. However, the market has grown
rapidly also, in fact, in greater pro-
portion than the acreage under cul-
tivation has increased, SO that the in
creased number of farmers in the
northwest not only still find the mar
ket as strong as it was several years
ago, but even better. The growth OF
the city of Seattle has been tremen-
dous and this alone has provided a
vast market for northwestern produce.
At the same time the market in the
surrounding towns and cities, as well
as in Alaska, British Columbia and
other sections, have greatly expand
ed and the increase in demand for
fresh fruits, vegetables and produce
of all kinds has surprised the most
optimistic of the commission men on
the street.
There has been noticeable i'm
provement in the manner in which
fruit growers have packed their fruit
the past year or two. J. B. Powles,
one of the best known of the commits
sion men, says that there has been
scarcely any ground for complaint
from the commission men on this
score either this year or last. "Of
course, in some instances, there is
still room for improvement" he said.
Apples now and then do not arrive
in quite as good shape as we should
like to have them, but during the past
year or two, the growers have been
doing much better, and last season
nearly all the apples we received were
in good shape and we'll packed. There
is one thing new growers should take
care of, and that is to not ship their
fruit too ripe. 1t used to be, several
years ago, that numbers of otherwise
good and valuable consignments
would reach us in almost useless shape
because care was not exercised in the
selection of the fruit and some of it
was shipped in such ripe condition
that by the time it reached us it was
spoiled We have had very little
trouble this year, however. We have
also received few consignments which
though now and then we get fruit
which is wormy. l think the ranch
ers are making a study of the ship
ping business now, realizing that it
is an important matter which has al
most as much to do with their years
profits as the raising of their crops.
A seasons hard labor can soon be
set at naught if the fruit is shipped
poorly and arrives on the market in
a useless condition, and the ranchers
find that it is good business to post
themselves on these points. We now
receive many consignments of fruit
which is in fine enough shape to al
low reshipping. The crop this year
has been a good one and growers are
receiving satisfactory prices. Early
CraWf0rdS are little late reaching