Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-03-31

If his acreage is smaller, one of the
above could be cut out, but to prevent
against danger of oversupply, failure
of crops due to frosts or other weather
conditions, the greater the diversified
tion the more safe the investment. The
frost which might get one of the above
crops would not likely affect the others
ON account OF the difference in their
blooming time, and date of maturity.
All of the above fruits, with the excep-
tion of prunes can at the present be
contracted for a long term of years
with local manufacturers of fruit pro-
ducts.
The Prlne Outlook
The prune industry at the present
time seems to be a =eaple one, and in
case of a coming overproduction the
market could, by judicious advertising,
be extended to care for added produc
ton. Some may be surprised at my
including petite prunes in this assort-
ment, but to those connected with the
marketing of evaporated prunes this
will occasion no surprise. The fact is
that there has been unusually heavy
demand for petite prunes FOR the past
five or six years, and petites have COM
manded higher bulk basis price than
Italian prunes during these years.
There has been in the past some objec
ton on the part of the growers on ac
count of the tendency of this prune to
bear extremely heavy crops of small
size prunes, which are not as profitable
as a smaller crop of large size prunes,
ON account of the premium paid for
larger sized prunes. 1t has been dem
onstrated, however, that the size of the
petite prune can be increased by heavy
pruning. Growers in planting petite
prunes should be careful in buying
their stock on account of the fact that
there seem to be two different types
of petites, one growing much larger
size prune than the other. If later on
the Bartlett pear supply should become
sufficient for the available market the
assortment could be changed, and if
walnuts prove as profitable as pros
poets indicate walnuts might be sub
stituted.
About Cherries
Some may wonder at the fact that /
have not included cherries in the as
sortment. / have omitted them in this
schedule on account of the heavy ac
reage now coming into bearing in this
section, feeling it would be advisable
to wait until we see how the market
ing of the product from this additional
acreage will work out,
Probably one Of the greatest results
Of diversification would appear in the
labor question. A diversification Of
the berry business would in great
measure help solve the question of
picker trouble No family wants to
come out from the city to secure berry
picking which would last only long
enough to hardly give them more than
enough to pay their railroad fare here
and return, and very nttle more than
enough to pay living expenses while
here. These people expect to work
themselves and their children during the
vacation to lay away nest egg to care
for themselves during the long winter
to come when work for the head Of the
family is often hard to get. With thii
| kind Of diversfication they could b'
promised steady work during -four
months, June. July, August and Sep
tember, with just enough Of lull be.
tween each fruit to prevent the work
/ becoming monotonous, and at the end