The daily sentinel., 1913-01-27

Editor sentinel:
Now comes man fgm the east
I who says that he has cen wOrmy
! apples displayed for sale in grocery
stores. taking the place of good ap-
/ Piles, and wants to educate the people
/ to eat more and better apples. Who
| are those people who are taking
/ such lively interest In the welfare
I of the fruit grower2 Once bought,
/ will the land produce any more when
\ valued at 5000 per acre han when
4 valued at $ 200 per acre? How
many acres has the editor. that he
has taken many valuable crops off
from in the last twelve or fifteen
years. that he wishes to sell as low
as 81 600 per acre? After paving
$3.50 to $3.50 per acre for raw land
and planting trees and caring for
them during eight years. or until
they are in early bearing. and hay
ing run all the risks OF blight and
freezing, and hundred and one things
that may befall. how much less than
81 900 per acre can one afford to
take? Especially as the orchard is
now ready to produce from $500 to
SlOO per acre per year. That is, if
properly set to apples of the right
kind and in good location. or to
peaches in the Palisade district. |
can not see why the fruit grower
should receive so much attention
! from all sources. He is evidently
doing as well as the rest. Ii is de-
plorable thai families came here and
/ put all they had, and little more.
into fruit farms. just at a time when
fruit was cheap in all the markets.
And, perhaps, they did not use the
best judgment at all times. For some
reason, some people coming here
from the east, where they have been
| living and conducting their business
in the most economical manner.
change, and are extrayagant in every
thing. These low prices, spoken Of
are not constantly occurring. be-
lieve the season just passed is the
first that the returns from the Grand
Junction Fruit Growers association
did not show a good fair price for
both peaches and apples.
Now, this same man from the east
who saw a boy eating a wormy ap-
pie. says that the 1912 apple crop
was not large-below normal, etc.
After the heads of all the fruit con-
Germs and associations. in all the
great fruit growing districts, in these
United States, had reported a tre-
mendous. Unprecedented fruit crop.
'Nuf said. Now, | will admit that
the fruit grower has hard row to
hoe, in fighting insect pests, rate
pests, icing pests, etc. But he is
not alone. will ventnre to say. af-
ter being acquainted with this valley
and its people for upwards of 20
years, that as large a proportion of
fruit growers have made good as of
lawyers, doctors or business men.
Now, Mr.. Editor, ! do not wish to
be personal or cast any slurs or
give anyone the impression that my
teeth are on edge. but | would like to
call your attention to one line of bus
mess; for instance, the grocery man.
Who have worked harder for less
money than they? And ] believe
can count on the fingers of one
hand all the firms that have really
made money. over and above a living.
in the grocery business in the last
! IA years in Grand Junction. How
about the lawyers? Have they made
so much money that they can leave
the law for time and direct the af-
fairs of the associations?
AS for selling apples, | think the
managers of the associations can beat
the lawyers all hollow Very few of
them are millionaire anyhow. Why
not coach them a little? And the
bankers: They are bound to make
money so long as the growers pay
them 0 per cent in advance for mon
ey to run the ranches with.
| think there will be no great
change in the method of selling fruit.
The Grand junction Fruit Growers
association has handled the last crop
very nicely. in spite of an overwhelm-
ing yield throughout the country.
| Our apples have brought a very
/ fair price. OF course, the peaches
We're loss. At our place we tried to
pack our apples according to direc-
tions, and, were complimented by the
inspectors for a good clean, we'll
graded pack, and a well bulged box.
And ! will say that SO far as heard
from, on all varieties. except Ben
Davis, the prices have compared very
favorably with prices received for
same varieties prior 10 1907.
/ There is no use of talking about
combining the associations of this
| valley. except as they can get to-
| gether and make some shipping ar
rangements whereby they will not
/ ship in competition with each other.
At all events there should be no
| fighting.
Some years ago when the Grand
Junction Fruit Growers association
commenced to inspect fruit and de-
manded that a box should contain
the quality and kind stamped on the
end, there was great howl went
up in certain quarters for a new as
sociation that would sell the fruit
that they raised, good or bad They
also said that the old association paid
! too large a dividend on stock Now,
could name a score of these men,
some of them quite prominent, who
| with others finally started new as
sociation, because they could not get
past the inspectors of the old asso-
citation with their low grade fruit
Now, how are we going to combine
with an association composed of such
growers? Some of us who sold
fruits before the old association was
started and know what it is to hear
fruit reported in bad order after hav-
ing gone no farther than Leadville,
can appreciate q good safe accom-