Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1912-12-17
Apple Growing In Northwest.

l ocrat. Paris. He.
Apple Growing In Northwest.
HIGH PRICE OF LAND AND DISTANCE
FROM MARKET FACTORS WHICH AZ
Feet COMPETITION WITH EASTERN
ORCHARDS.
| &c. Il. Thomson. Washington, D. c., In Tribune
Farmer.)
We can all learn from the experience
of others, and especially is this true In
farming. Many Of the most difficult
agricultural problems that confront the
American farmer to. day are being work
cd out by . study OF the experiences OF
farmers in different regions. One Of
the most Interesting, rs we'll as Of great
Importance, is the development OF the
fruit industry in the different parts OF
this country.
Successful farming 10, as . rule, based
on we'll grounded experience, but In the
case of the apple growing industry, As
found in some Of our newly developed
regions, this is not true. Most OF the
readers Of this paper are we'll acquainted
with conditions In the fruit growing dis.
tricts OF our Eastern states, and brief
discussion of this same industry in the
Pacific states may prove OF interest.
Many persons fail to understand the
true proportions Of the present fruit
growing business, particularly of apple
production. This type of farming has
developed very rapidly within the last
ten or fifteen years. It has made the
most rapid development In the far West
ern states. For the year 1909 the last
census gives the total production OF
apples in Washington and Oregon as 1915
per cent of the total production OF New
York and Pennsylvania, the former big
apple producing localities. In the year
1899 production In the same region was
the remarkably small figure OF S.3 per
cent OF that of these Eastern states.
The Apple Industry in the West.-in
contrast with Eastern conditions, the
development Of the Western apple In
dustry has been confined to few favor
able locations. The Wenatchee and va
kima districts, in Washington; the Hood
River and Rogue River districts, In Ore
pon: the Watsonville area, in California,
and many important districts In the
mountain states are the principal areas
of the apple growing industry In the
Western states. The main bulk OF the
apple crop In the Pacific Northwest is
produced In irrigated regions. The dis.
tricts where Irrigation can be practised
and which are favorable to the produc-
ton of apples and other fruits are neces-
ssrily few, and this has been the means
of intensifying the apple industry to Q
marked degree.
The limited area available for planting,
the high price Of land In these areas and
the organization on the basis OF large
profits to the acre all have contributed
to q type of agricultural development
such az is not found In the Eastern
states. These factors have been the
means of causing two marked character
istios in the development OF that indus
/. The small size OF the farm. or
ranch. "a il is called In those states, and,
Q. The lack Of diversiflcation OF farm
crops. >.
the formation of selling organizations,
as the result of the great distance from
market.
Climatic and soil conditions. as found
in the favored localities, coupled with
the control of moisture In the irrigated
districts, cannot fail to give good results
from the standpoint OF production.
There 10 no question that In the early de-
velopmeut OF the apple industry In the
Pacific states splendid results have been
achieved. This success accounts Tor the
great interest displayed in apple pro-
duction In favorable districts.
In the short space allotted here no
attempt will be made to discuss the or
chsrd practises as followed in that re-
pion. It IL sufficient to state that the
methods Of production have been care
fully worked out and have reached
high state OF development. Some OF
these NAV be suited to Eastern condi-
tions. but In the main they are adapted
only to the districts in which they nave
been perfected. A..
The Size of Farms.-The farms In the
irrigated fruit regions are small In area.
Many Of them contain only i've acres,
and q large number OF them range from
fifteen to thirty acres. As rule the
land is all set to trees except the space
occupied by buildings. Usually the
tree rows are as close together as Is just
ifisbls for the best growth Of tho
trees. This leaves no land for other
farm crops-not even any crop for the
support OF work stock. Practically no
stock is kept on the farms except one or
two horses, and possibly . family COW.
In few places poultry raising has been
combined With fruit growing, but this
seems to be the exception rather than
the rule. =,
These small farms are necessarily run
on an intensive scale in order that they
may yield crops large enough to return
a sufficient income. Where farmer
has only limited area for bis fruit, ana
when bis land 10 valued at from $500 to
s.. 600 an acre, be naturally endeavors TO
utilize 1t to tho best possible advantage.
A certain income 10 needed to support
the farmers family, and II bis income an
acre Ii small, as is the case with most
general farmers In any state, he must
q necessarily have larger acreage than II
the income an acre is large. SO long a.
good crops and good prices are received
the man with tho small farm is reason
ably safe, but In the event OF loss OF crop
or Door prices he has nothing to fall
back on. Furthermore, farmer makes
bis income by combined use OF his capl-
tai and his labor. II bis farm ID 10
small ~ to give him employment during
only small part Of the year, then MS
wages must necessarily be meagre un-
less tho work which he 10 doing returns
very high profit for the time actually
employed.
The Need for Diversiflcstion OF Crops.
Another very striking Characteristic OF
the fruit farms In tho Pacific Northwest
10 tho lack of diversification In crops.
As stated in Q former paragraph, the
farms are small In area aud are practi-
cslly all set to fruit trees. No other
crops are grown for market, except pos.
sibiy, small fruits, and In some instances
peaches In tho young apple orchards.
In the Eastern states We find tho farmer
growing several crops, suoh - Wneat,
potatoes, beans and hay, - weli - se!l-
ine milk, butter and eggs. The North
western fruit farmer devoees MIS- entIre
time to the one crop which no nas Sc
lected for bis farm. He makes tnas nis
study, and leaves nothing undone which
viii Increase the profits, from the time
tho trees are planted until the apple: arc
sold In the large markets. The apple or
other fruit, - the case may be, 10 thus
speciality with the grower, and u 70 on
this ono crop that he depends entirely
for bis income.