Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1915-11-05
URGES FARMERS TO
GROW CAUL|FLOWER
SAYS HALF A TON WILL YIELD
SAME PROFIT AS TON OF
CABBAGE.

half ton of cauliflower as a ton of
cabbage, according to President Paul
hamus of the Puyallup & Sumner
Fruit Growers association, who re-
Gently Issued statement to the farm
ers OF the Puyallup valley, urging
them to grow cauliHower. The state
ment, which will be of interest to
Thurston county farmers. says
"a very large percentage of the
farmers do not study marketing con-
ditions. If they did they would first
ascertain something about their abil-
ity to market product after it has
been produced. Eight dollars per
ton is the present market value of
the best field cabbage-if it can be
marketed at all, and for kraut max
ing the farmer is able to get but S.
per ton today. To any person ia
miliar with the growing of cabbage
it is not necessary to advise that
there is no profit in cabbage at this
price.
Brings Good Price.
ut Is a we'll known fact that no
part of the United States can produce
better cauliflower than certain parts
of Western Washington, and particu-
larry those sections in which the soil
is clay or peat, for on soil of this class
cauliflower grows to perfection. In
fact many years ago one of the very
largest packers of fruits and vegeta-
bles in one of the Eastern states Sc
riously considered the establishing of
branch plant in the Puyallup valley
for the purpose Of getting cauliflower.
''The Puyallup & Sumner Fruit
Growers association has been endeav-
oring to get the farmers to furnish
cauliflower in suitable quantities and
Of the right varieties for canning pur-
poses, but up to the present time with
very limited success. Cauli1ower can
be produced successfully, provided a
crop of SO per cent of the quantity
of cabbage is raised. II cabbage is
worth SO per ton, cauliflower will
produce the same profit at SIG per
ton. The Puyallup & Sumner Fruit
Growers association will be very glad
to make contract for the right kind
of caulihower and pay $50 per ton
for the best heads. With any reason
able care and intelligence Is per cent
of the crop should be of the best
quality, and the other Is per cent
would be worth at least SIS per ton.
1.-THE best variety of cauliflower to
be grown in the Puget Sound coun-
try, according to County Commission
er Henry HUFF, who for many years
was known as the "Cauliflower King"
is vetches Autumn Giant. which is
large in size. compact in texture and
extremely white.
How to Grow It.
"In growing cauliflower the first
thing to do is to get the very best
quality of seed, which can only be OBJ
tanned from the most reliable seed
men,, The seed should be planted
between the first and twentieth of
April, and the plants transplanted
between the first and fifteenth OF
June, but before the transplanting is
done the field should be put in the
best possible filth. and have its bed
good and rich. The plants should be
placed in rows SO inches apart both
ways so that cultivation can very
largely take the place of hoeing. 1t
is necessary to watch carefully the
growth of the caulifower, as the
leaves of the plant have tendency to
snuggle up close to and protect the
head of the plant from weather con-
ditions, but occasionally plant Will
chow a disposition to not do this nee
essary work, an in such cases 1t Is
advisable to take a string and tie the
tops of the leaves over the plant,
which will help retain the color ana
the compactness of the caulifower,
rather than permit discoloration and
a struggling appearance.
What am trying to get at Is this
grow so much cabbage, which
is very difficult to market, when II
only 25 per cent Of the cabbage acre
age was in caulifiower we could es-
tablish a new and successful indus
try for the Puyallup and Sumner can
neries."
During the first eight months or
1915 the United States exported meat
products of value of $172,l5s'oZo'
;.b con o22 900 durin z