Semi-weekly herald., 1909-03-11
CONCERNING APPLES.

ley raised some 5000 boxes of fine ap-
pies last year? Did you know that
they never had failure in the fruit
crop in the valley last season? Did
you know that enough apples to supply
Durango and Silyerton were produced
III the Animas valley the past year?
You do know. of course. that the Ami
mas apples are of the finest quality?
There are enough apples to last
till the 1909 crop is ripe. T. A. Kerr
says he has 140 boxes, Edgar Buchan-
an has about 200 boxes and the rest
in like proportion. La Plata county is
coming to the front in apples and 9th
er fruits. Soil experts tell us that
we have just as good fruit land in |
this county as in the Grand Junction |
belt. Water for irrigation is just as
plentiful. and our freight rates are no
higher than theirs. The Animas val
ley farmers have demonstrated that
fine fruit can be produced in La Plata
county. Let the rest OF the county fol-
low suit.
In the Allison district, which is said
u be adapted TO fruit raising the farm.
ers have already set out q great many
acres In trees. principally apples.
There is no fruit which pays better
than good variety OF winter apple.
since 1t is always in demand and can
be depended upon TO fetch a good
price.
A good fruit growers association
may be OF great assistance in protect
| ing both the producer and consumer
and in creating u steady market for
the fruit handled. The following arti-
Gle from the Pennington Enterprise is
timely and contains some excellent
suggestions along this line. We there
fore reproduce 1t in full:
THE organization of fruit growers
association In this valley is a most i'm
portant step. If It is properly man
aged. as no doubt it will be, ii will be
very beneficial TO the fruit growers in
finding market, at the very highest
| price, for all the fruit produced in the
valley. These fruit growers associa
lions are operated in different ways.
In Colorado the manager of the asso-
citation is required to do most OF the
work. In the Hood river valley In
Oregon, the directors OF the associa
ton meet once a week to sell the fruit.
An estimate is made of the fruit to be
produced in the valley as early In the
season as possible. and then printed
slips of the varieties and amounts are
sent out to the various buyers. When
these come in the apples are, of
course, struck off to the highest bid
der. list of the fruit still unsold
is made up at this time and again
sent out for bids. This process is
continued until the crop has been
sold. The manager devotes practical.
ly all his time to overseeing the pick
ing and packing of the fruit. going
upon the theory that If the fruit is
picked and packed In the very best
possible manner, IL will sell itself,
provided. of course, that 1t is well
grown. This is new idea, but that
it works under their conditions is cer-
tainly proven by the price they re-.
ceive. And, furthermore, they have
this year calls for at least thousand
cars more than they are able to pro
duce.
"One feature that helps the associa.
tion to secure good price is the care
with which the fruit is handled. wiped,
ed in the box.
The apples are. of course, very
carefully sorted as to size and color,
and not only is each fruit wrapped
with paper, but piece of layer paper
is placed between each two layers of
apples In the box. Their principal
market sorts are The Spitzenburg and
Yellow Newton; but there is no rea-
son why our Jonathans. Winesaps, and
Rome Beauties are not just as perfect
as the varieties grown at Hood river;
and furthermore, II well handled, our
| apples should bring the same prices.
at would seem that Our growers
have many things to learn in regard
to producing. as well as packing, fancy
fruit. This is the only class of fruit
that pays growers, who live this dis
tance from the market, to produce
ut does us all good to have an op-
portunity to compare our methods and
results with those OF other regions.
particularly when that region has been
more successful"