The Lynden tribune. [volume] (Lynden, Wash.) 1908-current, 1912-07-18
BERRY COMMITTEE
MAKES REPORT,

The editor of The Tribune kindly Of
fered space to the committee on con-
stitution and bylaws of the proposed
fruit growers association in process of
formation in Lynden, to make a state
laent Of its aims and purposes, and, as
said committee meets with many inquir-
les regarding the same, it concluded TO
take advantage of his offer
AS was stated last week. a party of
ten citizens of Lynden interested in
fruit culture, made trip to Puyallup TO
spy the goodly land Not, however.
like Joshua's scouts, with an idea of
possession but with a desire. if the
view were favorable. to induce the res
idents of the Nooksack valley to build
up a country equal to. or greater than,
that surrounding Puyallup.
And the unanimous verdict of the party
is that all that is required to create a
fruit district in the valley of the Nook
sack that will rival the justly famous
White River valley is concentrated and
continued effort. \ careful and impair
tial comparison of the growing fruits
common to the two districts will con
vince any observing person that the
Puyallup district has no natural advaE-
tages in the production of fruit not pos
sessed by this one
Ten years ago conditions in the Whit
River valley were similar to existing
conditions in the Nooksack. Land was
no higher in price. Fruit of the various
kinds was raised in an aimless and des-
ultory way, as it has been here, and.
as q like Consequence, there was no
market for the surplus, Fruit growers
We're hopeless and discouraged, They
knew they could produce fruit, espcci-
ally small fruit and berries, in unlimit-
ed quantities and of excellent quality,
but a comparatively small amount was
sufficient to satisfy the local edmand,
the only market, and beyond that was
waste and loss
IN 1902-03 they organized the Sumner
and Puyallup Fruit Growers Association
and began to encourage the cultivation
of fruits, and to seek a profitable mar
ket for them. Its beginning was very
modest one 1t was in operation a
couple of years before it could install a
little $500. cannery outfit to utilize the
product not of a sufficiently high grade
to ship in the natural state TO a crit
ical market.
Since then, the growth of that Sec
tion has been marvellous. and today. 1t
! is one of the richest districts in the
world Land that ten years ago was Of
fered for sale at 500 TO 500 per acre
would now bring, if placed on the mar
ket. as high as $500 per acre. The
little warehouse and cannery have
become one of the largest establish
ments of the bknd in existence, and
| it, and the fields in its contributory
territory affords paying employment 10
many hundreds of people more than
could be sustained before fruit growing
became the principal industry.
Those conditions can be duplicated in
this valley, and in even shorter time
than brought about the wonderful
| transformation in the Puyallup district.
for they Were pioneers and we may
reap the benefit of their experience.
Many things that Were experiments
| with them have gone into the odmain Of
practical fact. and may be employed now
without fear of loss or failure.
In drafting a constitution and by
laws for the Lynden Fruit Growers AS
sociation, the form of the Puyallup as
| sociation has been pretty closely fol-
lowed, the changes made being design
ed TO meet the different conditions oc-
easioned by time and place. The OBJ