The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1908-03-27
SchIeicher on Crane
Growing.
Foreign and Home Varieties Yield.
: ed a Net Profit Of $500 Per
Acre Average for 10
Years.

"My best selling grapes are the
Flame Tokay, White Malaga, Ram
1nonia and Black Cornichon.: Each
vine produces Is to II pounds year in
and year out. These are packed in
crates of "a pounds. l have a ready
market for all can raise. Some v.tri-
eties keep well and about Christmas
time net the grower 81 % to 81 81 per
crate. The returns amount to about
$40 per acre under ordinary condi-
tions. l estimate the expense Of rails
ing and packing at $75, SO that the
usual actual profits per acre are d.
bout $500. For ten years this vine
yard has paid me net over $500 per
acre on the average. l make con-
siderable wine each year. 1t is my
opinion that If more people would go
into grape culture in this valley our
market facilities W ould receive better
prices. ..---
There is no doubt here any more
that the growing OF the foreign
grapes is al unqualified success, and
that it will, within a few years be-
come the leading HIS well as best pay
Ing branch Of horticulture in all the
localities of the inland country ad-
apted to it by china tic conditions.
The Tokay, Malaga and variety
from Eastern Europe called the RAM
monia, are the best paying varieties
for shipment, closely followed by
Muscat, Emperor and Cornichon.
We have adopted a system of WIN
ter covering Which consists OF aging
down the two canes reserved for
next years bearing tin the trellis
systefn) after pruning In the fall, and
plOwing furrow over them, which
is removed in the Spring.
This would really only be necessary
once In six or seven years when it
gets cold enough to kill the fruit buds
on the canes, but it pays to do it
and insure a full crop every year. In
fact the cultivation g. vineyard gets
by it, In late fall and early spring is
worth the trouble and expense.
The Malaga can he used for making
raisins, but is not used as much for
the, purpose as the Muscat OF Alexan-
dria. The Malaga is one Of the vari-
eties that are shipped from Spain in
cork dust all over the world every
year for Christmas grapes, and there
IL no reason why they cannot he kept
here for winter Use by storing prop
erly. For shipment use the regular
crate containing four five pound bas-
kets For home markets use the
eastern paper and wooden baskets
with handles. Our market has been
Spokane, British Columbia, Montana
and on to st, Paul. But the last two
seasons the home demand, meaning
Spokane and the tributary markets,
have made h greater demand upon
the home grown grapes than could
be supplied, and this at very salts
factory. prices This means good
grapes. well packed and offered in all
attractive way. The poor article
goes begging at half piice.
There is no limit to the market
whenever there are enough Of the
leading shipping grapes raised in one
n-iyhborhoOd 50 us to ship in car
load lots, as we can reach the north
ern tier Of states easier and much
quicker than can California growers.
aud the eastern states fully as easily
Upon the completion Of the road
down Snake river, which will be in a
few months, we can lay our produce
In the Portland an Sound city
markets in II to Is no irs, rs against
4S to 60 from the Sa raInentO river
points and II we can only get all ex-
press rate for 400 miles as low as the
carriers have been giving California
for 500 to 1000 miles, t IL re Is no rea-
son why the Coast III rkets should
not be ours.
have had the Thompson Seedless
Ill UcdEluk lOl y yC0A D - - -
", but the demand 70 such small
grape has been so poo that graft
ed them over to bette: elling varle-
ties, all but a few vine or home use.
In fact, every variety OF European
grape that does well in California;
does we'll here also.
The early paintings Ct grapes in
this valley were maink Of Sweet
water and other Chlsse1as varieties.
and Black Hamburg. While all OF
these, and especially the latter, are
deservedly favorites for home con-
sumption and shipment to nearby
mark cts, their planting in the future
4, not to be recommended on any ex-
teusive scale. Commercial VINEYARDS
should be of those varieties which,