The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-06-05
ORCHARDS WILL
HANDFUL RECORD
Poraologists Of This State Will
Outclass Oregon and Idaho
Together in Quantity
FIFTEEN MILLION DOLLARS
TO.BE PICKED FROM TREES
State Horticultural Commissioner
Huntley Returns From a Trip
Over the State and Gives Out
Es2s Statistics

Exceeding the combined fruit crops
of Oregon and Idaho by several hum
dred cars, the crop for Washington
this year will be the largest in the
history of the state. Nearly $4,000
900 worth of fruit will be delivered
by the orchardists to the middlemen
this year from the fruit districts of
this state, according to the predic-
lions of Frederick A. Huntley, state
commissioner of horticulture.
At his office in the Savage Scofield
building yesterday. says the Tacoma
Ledger. where he attends to the state
horticultural business when not en-
gagged in visiting the farm and fruit
land of the state, Commissioner Hunt
ley computed that the Northwest fruit
crop for this season would exceed by
several million dollars that of any
preceding year. Only two fruits will
and cherries. The rains and cool
weather of the last two weeks which
have been even more noticeable in the
fruit raising territories than they
have on Puget Sound, caused the
newly formed prunes and cherries to
drop from the trees. The fruit left
will make probably an average crop,
Other fruits will be raised in phe-
nomenal quantities, said Commission
Or Huntley.
VIII Exceed Banner Crop
the Northwest crops for the sum-
Gasr Of 1912 will bring nearly s15,-
eeo.ooo revenue to the growers. While
~ too early to form a definite idea
about the detailed output, conditions
a. present indicate that it will aggre-
note close to 1900 cars of apples and
Hoars, between 1900 and 5000 cars
De peaches and large shipments Of
Soars and apricots. The banner. crop
1910. which was considered most
yAusual one, will be exceeded this
Hoar by at least 33 1-3 per cent, ac-
Sording to the horticultural commits
Adoner. AN sa sffc
The peach crop this year will be a
Stupendous one, according to present
indications. Commissioner Huntley
said the most serious part OF the
early season Is over, and that there
is little danger Of any severe weather
devastation OF the fruit The COM
missioner returned this week from a
tour Of the eastern Washington fruit
counties. and says the growers are
more enthusiastic this year than at
any previous time In his experience.
No Waste Of Fruit
There Will not be the waste of
fruit and oversupply this year that
marked the banner crop Of 1910"
said Commissioner Hutley. "The
fruit growers associations of the
preparation for disposing of their
crops. A great percentage Of the
fruit crops Of Washington will be
shipped to eastern states that are not
30 plentkully endowed. This Is one
reason the growers are more opti-
mistic than usual
Heretofore the fruit raisers, UNI
less they had contracted In advance
for their crops, were forced to sell at
almost any price to the local commits
sion and middlemen. This year they
have sent out canvassers from their
associations, who have gone through
the east and obtained large orders in
advance. In other years the associa-
lions catered only to the large east
ern cities, but this year the agents
have gone to the smaller cities and
have done record breaking business
Better Distribution
at used to be that an entire train
load of fruit would be sent to an
eastern city. and would be at the
mercy of the commission men to
whom it was consigned. This season,
however, the shipments will be bro
ken up into carload lots. which will
go to hundreds Of the smaller cities
and be delivered directly to the gro
GERS OF 1rulI dealers WHO VIII handle
them. The new scheme means that
very little Of the crop, no matter how
big it is, will be wasted and that the
farmers probably will reap a greater
profit than in any previous year.
The heavy crop is partially due to
the fact that most fruits bear bien-
nially and because of the unusually
good weather conditions of this
spring There have been no severe
frosts to injure the crops and just
enough rain had fallen to insure an
early and well-ripened crop in most
OF the fruit. It has happened that
practically all of the biennial fruits
are bearing this year.
Enormous Apple Crop
Apple crops will be enormous. The
output, as it has been approximately
summarized by the horticultural au-
thorities, will be as follows:
Washington
Yakima valley. apple and pears 5000
Wenatchee. apples and pears. 1000
Spokane, Palouse and Walla
Walla. apples ............ 1000
Columbia river district, apples. 100
Total Washington .11.10O
Oregon
Southern Oregon, apples & pears 500