The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-08-27


best organized fruit growers associa-
ton In the world.
The association is ten years old
and has membership Of five hundred.
Each member Is limited to fifteen
shares, while the men with one share
has one vote the man with fifteen
shares has only one vote. The en-
trance fee is one dollar. The man
who has only a few crates or pounds
of fruit receives the same consid.
Grafton that is accorded the man who
sells big crop. At the opening of
the season the manager borrows
money at the bank to pay for labor
and products, the bank to be paid
back with the first money coming in.
What is left over goes to the individ-
ual members or for improving their
plant. They use sanitary cans and
have them all sizes from pound to
one gallon.
The fruit when brought to the can
merry Is sorted and classified II not
fit for shipment as fresh fruit Is can
ned in syrup or made into jams. Last
year the output of raspberries and
blackberries alone was two-hundred
forty thousand cans. While the'oth-
er products were enormous, the ber-
ries took the lead.
The manager said they had a trial
order for three car loads of berries
to be shipped to Boston, Mass. They
deal almost exclusively with whole
sale dealers. The association is now
operating two stations one at Puyal-
lup the other at Sumner, Wash, but
will soon open two more stations to
take care Of the territory made avail
able by the Milwaukee branch rail-
road.
They have capital stock Of $3.50
| $4,000 assets and $4,000 debts.
The manager said they were be-
yond the experimental stage but said
1t cost them four thousand dollars to
learn that they couldn't tell folks how
to buy. Said 1t was their business
now to sell as other people wanted
to buy
They have branch houses in all the
large cities of the northwest to handle
their products through the fruit sea
son.
/ was taken to the berry yard be-
| longing to Mr.. Hale which was a fair
sample they told me of those owned
| by the association. This yard was
! free from weeds and thoroughly cui-
tivated. The briars are in rows about
6 feet apart each way, are trained on
two sets of wires, the two year old
stalks on the upper wire about 5 feet
high while this years growth is two
feet from the ground. All berries
are picked from the top, and the
pickers are assigned certain portions
and not allowed to pick at random
or just where they please.
The workmen in the cannery do
not need to be members of the associ-
alton but the one that is best fitted
for the place fills 1t.
Before the berry season opens the
manager goes to different cities and
ascertains what berries or fruits they
will have to compete with, the prob
able output of other localities and
every thing that will enable him to
proceed in business like way. They
never want to flood the market IL 1t
can be avoided better fall short a
few crates than to have some to spoil,
or have to cut prices in order to dis
pose of them.
The association ships fresh berries
as far east as Omaha in. pony refri-
getors.
The berries are large and Of very
fine favor.
Senator Paulhemus took me to din
ner where some OF the fresh red rasp-
berries were served with cream Mr..
Hale met us at dinner and talked
very enthusiastically about their man
ager, Senator Paulhamus and said If