The ranch. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1902-1914, 1909-05-01

enforced, we would be compelled to
have almost as many sizes in our
boxes as we have varieties to sell. 1t
can easily be seen that such a
regulation would never do. The grape
growers of the State Of New York
are opposing the law because Of this
difference in the weight of grapes.
While | was writing these notes,
l was called to the phone by a stran-
ger who wanted information about
buying an orchard. He has neve
seen the orchard and has never been
in that part of the state. The orchard
is to be planted and cared for up
to a certain time or a certain stage of
bearing, the buyer in the meantime
making payments on his orchard.
People are coming to me almost con-
stantly and making similar inquiries.
In most cases 1 have to tell them that
1 do not know whether such an invest
ment is a good one or not. I told
this man that he would better go
and look at the situation and make
inquiries in the neighborhood about
frost, look into the water supply If
irrigation is needed. l have no doubt
but some of these ready made orchard
schemes are all right and will turn
out as it is claimed they will. But
seriously doubt if all will. 1 know
that in some cases in the advertise.
ments in which the merits of some
of these schemes are set forth there
are some things that can never be re-
allied. When any one claims that an
apple orchard will bring in a net in
come of $1,000 every year after 1t
comes into bearing, he states what he
knows to be false or what he does
not know anything about, and that is
equivalent to a falsehood. My adj
vice is the same in all cases,
and that is, look well into
any such a scheme before you invest.
There is a very fine opening here for
INSCRIPTIONS schemers to fleece the
lambs or to catch the suckers. To
even dream that some schemers will
not enter such an opening and do their
dirty work is to give the lie to all ex-
p%erience. No doubt in some cases the
just will suffer with the unjust. Be
careful.
Many people are making inquiries
about the prospect for the coming
fruit crop. Apples are thus far in
good condition. They do not kill in
the bud as peaches sometimes do, I'M
less the cold is severe enough to kill
the limbs and that rarely occurs
Peaches will not stand a temperature
of 20 below zero, and Is below will in
most cases destroy the buds. One
we'll informed man says that the
Yakima valley will not have a a
load of peaches the coming summer.
II any locality in that valley has es-
capped, I have failed to hear of it. My
son writes me that we will not have
10 boxes of peaches On Our 35 acres
of trees. l am not able to speak SO
definitely about other parts of the
state but reports seem to indicate
that there will be no peaches in the
state of Washington except along the
Snake River, and reports are some
what conflicting about that region.
If peaches are a failure in the great
Northwest except in a very few cases,
then apples will be higher as the re-
suit. This failure may not influence
the price of apples very much, but the
law holds good that a shortage in one
kind of fruit will stiffen the price in
other kinds. The apple grower should
take good care of his crop. Spray
thoroughly, thin we'll and cultivate
well.
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