The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1909-07-01
NO STORE COMPLETE WITHOUT
v V|ENATCHEE APPLES
This Is the Statement Made by C. w.
Wilmeroth, a Prominent Fruit Buyer
From Chicago, Representing New
York, Philadelphia and Chicago Ap-
pie Exporting Houses.

c. W. Wilmeroth, of Chicago, rep
resenting Olivet Bros, New York
NJ. Fry & Co. of Chicago, big apple
firms, arrived in the city this morn
ing for personal inspection of the
Wenatchee valley Mr.. Wilmeroth
was found at the office of Colbert &
Elliott by a World representative
Mr.. WilmerOth was formerly asso-
ciated in business with Charles P
Elliott, the father of Z. NJ. Elliott
of this city. True to the nature OF
Mr.. Wilmeroth's business as a buyer
it was some little time before the
fact developed that he was an apple
buyer and that he was here for the
purpose OF sizing up the probable
yield and fruit conditions of this val
ley, but he was finally persuaded to
express his opinion on the apple crop
of the United States for the year
1909.
Il have seen the Boise, Nampa,
Payette. Grand Ronde, Yakima and
Wenatchee districts. I am going
from here to the Spokane, Meyers
Falls, Dayton and Hood R;rar eoaA-
: les, and from what I have seen
and / am frank to say that I have
examined very closely, the entire
western country, with the exception
of Colorado, will have little lighter
crop than usual.
Owing to the judicious use of
fire pots. the Grand Junction and
North Forks country. Colorado, will
have bumper peach crop, which
of course will bring fabulous prices,
owing to the fact that these will be
practically the only fancy peaches on
the market this year."
On being questioned as to the use
of fire pots, Mr. Wilmeroth said:
The fire pot as used by the Colo
RADIO peach, grower, is very similar to
the plumbers furnace. They are
sheet iron cylinder affairs about
or 10 inches in diameter and from
Is inches to foot high, partially
filled with crude oil, with a wick
protruding from the top. The wick
is lighted and perhaps three or four
of these pots are placed at intervals
of 100 feet apart. making about
three or four to the acre. They are
very efficient in checking the killing
frosts, inasmuch as they heat the air
and cause warm air currents to pass
through the trees, protecting, as 1t
were, the buds"
Mr.. Wilmeroth was asked as to
the prices Wenatchee fruit would
bring this year, and the gentleman
was perfectly frank in saying that it
was rather doubtful, even though
our crop is little short, that prices
would go any higher than last year.
inasmuch as the Ben Davis section,
which represents 35 per cent of the
bearing fruit trees of the United
States and includes those middle
western states, Missouri, Kansas, Ar
kansas, Indiana, portion of Illinois,
etc., will have, from present indica-
tions, an enormous crop. However,
the effect of this particular Ben
Davis section on the Wenatchee crop
is decreasing year by year, inasmuch
as the farmers through the middle
western states are discouraged with
apple growing and are inclined to
neglect their trees Simply because
when they do have large crops they
are either unprepared for their hand
ling in the way of pickers, barrels,
etc, or If the farmers do prepare
themselves for properly picking and
packing the apples, market condi-
tsons for the mediocre apple is such
that the price is not in keeping with
1Igafit and the farmer barely breaks
even. The es1lt is that year by
wear neglects his trees
more : snd tie Ben Davis Sec
tion and H. ...-,e is coming in the
very near Nwhen competition