The Emmett index. [volume] (Emmett, Idaho) 1893-1925, 1912-01-18
BOOSTS THE PAY.
ETTE VALLEY
P. Monroe Smock Paints a
Glowing Picture of This
Section


valley fruit raiser, lawyer, poet an
all round Idaho booster, is at pre-
sent visiting at his old home a
Meadville, Pa, and in recent is
sue of the Tribune-Republican o
that city he has an interview il
which he proves that he is boost
ing southern Idaho as a fruit rails
ing section while on his trip. The
interview ollows:
A representative of the Tribune
Republican had little talk Fri
} day with a representative western
man, p. Monroe Smock. He is al
eastern boy and his old home was
at Geneva, in Crawford, county, but
since he located in the Payette val
ley, Idaho, some years ago, he
has developed a distinctly west
ern poise physically and mentally
and while he speaks well of the
legal profession, Of which he is
an active member, it is in talking
fruit growing that he expands and
seem to feel his greatest pride. Mr..
Smock is president of the New Ply
mouth Fruit Growers union, and
when he saw he was to be quoted
he kindly consented to an inter-
view, and dictated the following
interesting story:
Like Lord Byron the Payette val
ley of Idaho awoke one morning
about three years ago to find it.
self famous" The announcement
came in the form of a Telegram
stating the valley had won first
prize on apples in competition with
exhibits from every section of the
United States at the National Hor-
ticulural congress, which met in
Council Bluffs, Iaa., in 1908. Up
to that time the fame of the Pay
etc apple ard prune had been To-
cal; since that time it has been
national. This valley has carried
away fine trophies wherever its
fruit has been exhibited, among
which was the Senator Clark $500
loving cup at the recent Salt Lake
exposition.
Last year more than 1000 cars
loaded with Payette valley apples
and prunes carried these products |
to 124 different markets of the
world, among them were the coun-
tries of Great Britain, France and |
China. The method of packing |
and shipping the fruit is unique.
For apples, box containing slight
ly more cubic inches that standard
oushel is used. These apples are
packed in tiers and the exact num-
Der in each box is stamped on the
outside. The number varies accord
ing to size and variety, from As
to 225 being the width of range.
These boxes are loaded into yenti-
lated refrigerator cars, $50 boxes
being the minimum capacity Prices
vary according to variety and grade
averaging $1.S5 per box, f. o. b.
point 1t costs rs cents
o pick, pack and load box, thus
netting the grower about 81 for
lis fruit, and ordinarily a 10-year-
I'D tree will produce 10 boxes of
ruit Fifty trees are set to the
lcre, bringing the owner the hand
.ome sum of $500 per acre per {
ear. Deduct $50 per acre for taxes, l
pray material and labor, and the
grower still has $3.50 per acre to |
i'd to his bank account each year !
Three grades are packed-eX- I
ra fancy, standard and choice q
he extra fancy must be perfect in S
orm, size and color. The standard t
.rade must be perfect in size, but 1
IF in color. The choice grade con- ?
lists o the cheapest pack put L
p. but every apple must be sound, L
rec from worms and worm stings, c
o scale, water-core or scab. I
The state imposes a heavy fine t
n any grower or shipper who pack c
r ships an apple infested with "
ny worm or worm sting, or a scale p
lark as large as the head of a pin. IL
hus perfect fruit is the only fruit Z
nat can be shipped, and it is no p
nusual thing TO pick from 10 to e
0 boxes of apples from a tree, not v
ne of which shows any sign that Il
lie Goblin moth or worm ever exist
1. This condition is only made
ossible by the dry climate of the
est. Frequently trees that were il
prayed for the month in May Il
low the spray material on thu &C
ayes in Oetober-not enough 81
lin having fallen during that time at
wash it from the trees. H
Prunes-the Italian variety-are ia
lcked in four-quart baskets and al
ur baskets packed in a crate. One tn
ousand crates fill car and net al
e grower approximately so cents "
II crate. Trees begin bearing the
ird year, and this is the easies4 ur
lit crop grown requiring no OF
uning, or spraying for worms pa
'ees do not bring the big money to
pies do, but on account of the gu
co with u-bi -.