The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1912-01-24

How to Make q Profit on Low Grade
Shown nv Prof, Lewis


CORVALLIS, Ore, Jan. 12.-How
to handle the Gull fruits of the orch
ard in such a way as to bring in a
neat profit to the grower was the
problem with which Prof. c. 1. Lewis
of the division of horticulture at the
Oregon Agricultural college dealt in
a recent address before a gathering of
fruit growers.
To put the fruit on the market at
price high enough to insure a profit,
and still low enough to insure it's con-
sumption, is one of the grave prob
lens which the fruit grower must
meet. There is so much more COM
petition in the low grade fruits than
in the fancy fruits that it sometimes
seems doubtful whether it is wise to
spend much capital putting the culls
and low grade fruits on the market
in boxes and packages. 1t costs just
as much to ship them as the finer
quality fruits, and frequently costs as
much to handle them in the orch
ards and packing houses.
If lower freight rate for low
grade fruits is one suggestion, but the
railroads would not be likely to well
come such a suggestion, and it might
be necessary to raise the price on the
better grades in order that the rail-
roads might handle the other at a
profit. Immediate question would
arise as to the limitations of grades
to which the different rates were to
be applied.
cteiI tA1, ts, I1
lieves to be a preferable solution of
the trouble. Cooperation among the
fruit growing districts and a friendly
copartnership between the fruit pro-
ducing districts of the United States
would accomplish a better dstribu-
ton. The opening of the Panama
canal will undoubtedly be another
great factor in better distribution, es-
pecially for the European markets,
but too much dependence should not
be placed upon it for the American
apple trade, since many of the grow
ers will have local freight rates, not
only at the point of production, but
on the railroads at the final point of
distribution. Rates the steamships
can offer. and the possibility of secur-
ing steamers equipped for handling
the fruit trade in tropical waters will
also have much bearing on the
amount of assistance the fruit grow
ers will receive from the canal.
The eradication of some of the low
er grades, especially of the Gull, can
be accomplished in some orchards,
but in many scarcity of help, the
size and management of the orchard,
and climatic conditions may make
this impossible. 1t is probable that
the percentage of culls will increase,
rather than diminish as the crop in
creases in bulk.
The establishment of bi-product
plants is also suggested, with the pro-
vision that they should be built by
fruit growers associations rather than
by single individuals, since too ex-
pensive plants with elaborate machin-
cry in which capital would be tied up
would prevent growers from making
the profit they expected, and thus
prove the plants a failure. In some
sections the prune driers and hop
changing the drier and the addition
driers can be made to handle the
dried fruit easily the expense of
of certain implements being very
small. Proper precaution in the es-
tablishment of these bi-product fac
tories and the hiring of men convers-
ant with the business will allow the
manufacture of culis into ms teriaI
which may be disposed of at a hand
some profit.
A reduction of the cost of produc.
ton can be accomplished by the