The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1907-10-05

THERE are said to be approx
- mately 100, 900 acres of land in
this state in bearing orchards and it
IS estimated that by 1910, 60, ,OOG
acres more will have been added to
the fruit bearing area. The apple
crop OF the state this year is estimat-
ed oy growers and inspectors to be
worth from SO, 900, 900 to- $40, 900, 600
OF which over $5, 900, 900 will be paid
for fruit packed for export.
The bulk of the crop is made up of
Spitzenburg, Newtown pippins, Wine
SIP, Jonathan and other winter varie-
ties, which can be shipped anywhere,
the chief districts being the Yakima,
Wenatchee, Spokane and Prosser
valleys in the order named, according
to Mr.. August Wolf, of Spokane, who
also says that "much of this fruit will
be sent to Atlantic coast markets
and England, France, Germany,
Australia and the Orient. New York,
Boston and Chicago are the chief dis
tributing points east of the Rocky
Mountains, and from these the job
bers and dealers in various parts of
the West, East and South are sup
piled. The big red apple is the favor
ite Of Americans and Austr alians.
while the Englishmen are fond of the
various varieties of pippins, which al
so have regulations in Denmark and
Sweden and other parts of Europe.
Bostonians will readily pay the top
price for big red apples, the New
York markets. the best for Winesaps
and Spitzenburgs, and Chicago wants
flavor rather than color and size."
''Stated commercially, the crop in
Washington for shipment this year IS
matter of 5000, 900 boxes, each
containing fifty pounds Of apples.
The fruit was grown in thirty-seven
counties, those having more than 75,-
900 trees being Yakima, 1,248, 600,
Chelan, 100000; Spokane, 311, 100;
Pierce, 100000; Whitman, 2O3, 900;
Cowli-z, 165, 900; Kitsap, 154, 600;
Whatcom, 10000; Columbia, 80, OOO,
and Thurston, $4,000. In San Juan
county the number Of bearing trees
is said to be about $4,000. The crop
would fill 8, ,333 cars of 80, 900 pounds
each, or make $50 trains of 33 cars
each. Laid end to end the boxes, IS
inches in length and IL inches high,
would stretch /, ,42O miles, and if piled
up they would make shaft 947 miles
high.
1T is not in apples alone that Wash
ington has come to the front as q
fruit producing state. Reports COM
piled by State Fruit Commissioner
Huntley show that in addition to al
most four full townships of apple
trees, the state had at the beginning
of last year s49, ,299 plum and prune
trees, 764, 1856 peach trees, 500, ,633
pear trees. 243, 459 cherry trees, 3d.
689 apricot trees, 1882 English
walnut trees, Is, 1876 almond trees and
{, ,988 ounce trees, and that thousands
Of trees have been planted since the
statistics were gathered.
.sThe Legislature at its last session
enacted laws to insure better fruit,
among the provisions being the fol-
lowing:
"All boxes, crates, baskets or pack
ages containing fruit offered or trans
ported for sale within this state shall
be marked with the name of the var
;ety Tor il the variety IS unknown, the
said box, crate, basket or package
shall be.marked variety unknown),
and with the name OF the actual local
ity or district where grown, and no
such. box, crate, basket or package
shall bear the name Of any locality,
Dlace or district other than that ii
which said fruit was actually grown "
Mrs. Hill, of Seattle, IS the guest
Of her brother, g. B. Driegs, and
Mrs. briggs.