The Kennewick courier. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1905-1914, 1911-02-03
COLLINS TALKS
STRAWBERRIES
Dealer Tells Growers to Increase
their Acreage on this
Profitable Crop

In a recent government report,
note was made that more money was
made, considering the size of the
investment and the time in growing
strawberries for market, than in any
other fruit ever grown. Still the
acreage i'll berries in this valley is
getting less, each year, and it is ex-
specially true near Kennewick. Stop
and think moment what crop OF
early strawberries means.
First, they are the only crop that
will bear the first year; second, they
are the first fruit on the market in
the spring, and they bring big
prices. They are never a drug on
the market, and this cannot be said
of all fruits. True, they have their
dul! season, but the berries here
have demand which is growing
every year.
| would like to see 500 or 1000
acres coming into bearing this year.
Some of the growers are going
back to strawberries this year. They
are using fertilizer to increase the
strength of the plant, in case an
early frost nips the first blooms, as
there will be an immediate second
growth. The success of this has
been proven in past years, that un-
less the plant is strong, its whole
vitality goes into the first buds,
leaving nothing if they are nipped.
Growers who have experimental
long this line are satisfied as to this
and are now bound to make Sue
cess. The fellow that sticks to ber-
ries will win out.
Once you get your ground worked
up to high state of fertilization
and you can grow the biggest, best
berries you ever saw, and they will
be tirmer and better shippers, than
without the fertilizer.
We believe that Kennewick
Fruit Growers, association ought to
be organized to promote the in
terests of the fruit growers, to study
ways to produce more and better
fruit, to take up methods of hand
ling fruit, to exchange ideas as to
the methods of getting the best re-
suits from the places in the valley.
Kennewick made her first hit on
the market with Strawberries some
six years ago. Since that time she
has made several hits-some good,
some bad We want to made hits
all right, but only good hits. Ken
pewick could be worked up to The
Strawberry City. and could put
away many thousand dollars each
year from her early berries. In fur
therance of that idea, if the growers
want it, and we believe it is good
business, we will take steps to have
a meeting and get some good, practi
cal berry men here and get the in
terest up, get the berry growers or
ganized again to keep the grade,
pack, etc, so the buyers could guar
antee the quality.
Don't stop raising berries for a
moment, for fear of over-production.
The whole of the Kennewick valley
could be put into berries and they
would all be sold. A straight car
load could be placed on the market
of each city within a radius of 700
miles. Place your finger on the map
and see how many PEOPLE that would
include. See for yourself whether a
glut in the market is to be feared.
Last year we shipped Kennewick
berries, without ice. east OF the
Missotri river, and they arrived in
good condition. BY careful grading.
we can put our berries on markets
600 or 700 miles away and get the
best of satisfaction. There are good
big markets open to firm berries,
even when the nearby markets seem
overloaded you can get good money
for them; always have and always
can, SO long as a good berry is pro-
duced, Here, with the soil, the
climate, and everything that goes
to make good berries, it is a shame
not to be getting the frost out of it.
Somebody has said: The Lord
might have made better fruit thar
the strawberry-but He didn't >
We sound warning-don't get out
Of the berry business They belong
to kennewick, and we are looked
to for them, and should not LOSE
the advertising We already have.
We can handle all the berries
raised here along with our other bus
iness, without extra help. We car
get the markets. All you have to