The Delta independent., 1908-05-01
Fair Showing
For Fruit.
From Many Sections the
Yield in Certain
Classes is Good.
Latest Reports Show That Some Sec
tons Have Fifty to Seventy
five Percent Crop.

In making up report of the damage
to fruit by the frosts of Saturday and
Sunday nights, the INDEPENDENT is
sandwiching in paragraphs embodying
information received from the different
sections up to the date of the papers
issue.
1t is too early, even now, to say just
what the damage amounts to. 1t is
safe to say, however, that-as is true
in all such cases-the damage is not
nearly so great as was at first feared.
In the course of another week it can
be told more definitely to what extent
the crop has in fact been injured.
Many reports claim there will be half
a crop. If by this they mean that but
half the buds were destroyed, there
would remain full crop, for the trees
promised to be overloaded to an extent
that more than half of the fruit set
would have had to be removed. If these
same reports should insure the raising
of half of a perfect yield, the crop
would still be of as much value because
of better matket and finer fruit. as
would have been full crop.
Summing the whole matter up, the
frosts mentioned did much damage to
fruit. The half crop prophecy can only
apply to an average Of large territory,
over which there will be scattering
trees and likely whole orchards which
will produce nothing. In other strips
and spots of the same area there will
be trees and orchards which will pro-
duce well. There will be fruit for the
people. but the frost damage will fall
heavily on some fruit growers and
lightly upsn others.
A Fruit Summary published in yes
terday's Grand Junction News, is as
follows:
Palisade- Almost full crop of peaches.
Grand Junction and vicinity-50 per
cent crop apples and pears; 25 per
cent crop peaches.
Paonia-75 per cent crop of all vari-
eties of fruit.
Delta-5o per cent crop apples; light
crop peaches.
Hotchkiss-Very light crop of all
fruits.
Montrose-5O per cent crop apples;
very few peaches.
Hood River. Ore. NO damage.
Rogue River, Ore. Slight damage.
Washington No damage in state
Utah-Fruit hard hit in Provo Val
ley: estimate cannot be made now.
Fremont County, Colo. Practically
entire crop wiped out.
Pennington and Aztec, N. M.-Less
than 25 per cent crop.
Denver-All small fruits in northern
district froze.
Colorado Springs-Freeze worst in
history; even early flowers frozen.
Payette, Ida. Very slight damage.
In the matter vi being well off. our
valley people can profit by comparison
with many sections Of the United States
which reports prove are in absolutely
deplorable condition. In Kansas and
oehSA seoeSS ~ 10 uioutu. lurOuSn tne
southern states as we'll as Nebraska
and the Dakotas, cyclones and tornadoes
have destroyed property up into the
millions, caused hundreds of deaths and
manned thousands. In some of the
fruit growing sections frosts have
swept everything. Here we have every
prospect of resourceful crops of grain,
hay, sugar beets, potatoes. melons and
good lot of fruit.
Mr.. States phoned down from Red
Mountain this morning that he has
been examining the fruit situation;
that he found plenty of live peaches,
both Early Alexander and Elbertas;
that there will be in that section fair
crop of apples. peaches, some pears
and late cherries.
Reports from all the fruit growing
districts speak hopefully for part of
crop except the Canon City district.
Many of the sections think half n crop
will be saved. Should that be construed
to mean half the bloom, the trees
would still be overloaded and have to
be thinned.
Evidently what the Southeastern
part of the country needs to plant in
the way Of fruit. Ia varieties of late
blooming trees, If they can get them;