El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1911-06-10
FRANK G.. CARPENTERS LETTER.


little orchard OF less than 500 trees
which has been so well managed by
young woman farmer that it is an OBJ
ject lesson for miles around. In the
latter case the trees were set out in
1880. 81 years ago, and it was Is
years after that before they began to
give crops commercially profitable One
can plant 500 trees on u acres Of
ground and have room to spare. This is
what the girl did with her trees In
1903 her net profits were 1852: in 1907,
1882 in 1908. s1227; in 1909. s324S, and
in 1910 she had gross receir IS of over
$500, yielding her a net profit of s3S62.
Moreo over, her trees have begun to show
what they viii do and there is no rea-
son why her crop should not be greatly
increased as the years go on.
VIII the Apple Market BE GIutted.
Stories similar to these are known TO
all who have any acquaintance with
the apple regions of the United States.
They are founded on present conditions
and are the cause of the enormous ex-
tent to which new orchards are being
planted all over the country. Many Of
the government clerks At Washington
are investing in orchard schemes. Some
Of the fruit experts of the agriculeu-
raj department have their independent
orchards, and not few of Uncle
Sans employees have gone into the
business and are making good.
At the same time apple lands are. be-
ing exploited. as orange lands were
some years ago. and syndicates are
formed to manage orchards al a fixed
price per acre or tree. The planting is
very extensive and this is especially so
in the Pacific northwest and in Virgin
ia, West Virginia and Maryland 1t
is also true OF the ether apple regions,
although to a minor extent.
Last year. am told, the shipments
of apples from the Washington, Orc
gon and Idaho regions amounted %.
10000 carloads, and moreover when the
trees that are now being planted come
into bearing. say 10 years from now,
there will be from that region more
than 1000 carloads The most OF
these shipments go in boxes. bat VEN
ture a carload Of barrels would contain
about the same number of apples. At
200 barrels to the car which is an av
erage shipment in the east-I have my
self shipped 800 barrels in one car
this 100000 carloads would equal TO-
100000 barrels of apples. This is the
potential product 10 years from now
of the Pacific northwest and that part
of the country produces comparative
ly small portion of our total crop.
Now. within the past 10 years the
apple crop of the United States has
ranged from %. 0e0. 900 to so. 000.0 bar
rels We had 22.000 600 barrels in 1909.
and during the past five years the aver
age has been about 2S,000.000 barrels.
The big yields were all during the ear
lier part Of the decennial period, the
statistics of which the department. Of
agriculture considers unreliable
At the estimate I have given for the
Pacific northwest the crop of that re-
gion in 1921 would be almost equal to
the total crop of the United States for
1909 and, if a proportionate increase
goes on in the other known apple re-
gions. there may be an enormous glut
in the market This, is a possible sit
uation which the present investor in
apple lands should consider Even If
the $4,000 900 barrels were correct the
product 10 years from now, supposing
the orchards just planted to come into
bearing. will probably be far in excess
of that figure.
Cooperation and Advertising.
On the other hand. by cooperation
and advertising and the proper hand
ling of the crop, there is no doubt that
the United States will consume or ex-
port all the apples that are now being
planted. This is one of the big works
which Uncle Sam is doing. One branch
of the bureau of pomology is devoted
to It, 1t has it's agents at home and
abroad, and its inspectors are instruct
ing the people. Our export of apples
has already reached 100000 barrels.
and at reduced prices and with more
care in packing it can be greatly In
creased. What we need is the same
kind Of work there has been done by
southern California as to its orange
crop. The organizations there have so
systematized the shipping and market
ing that oranges are cheaper than ap-
pies in most parts of the United States
I dropped into the Center market, here
in Washington. yesterday. and asked
the price of some No. l Wenatchee ap-
pies. I was told that they were 10