Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-01-30
Mass Meeting Called for Next Saturday
Afternoon at 1870 Sharp in the
K. P. Hall
TO DISCUSS PLANS AND METHODS


AT a meeting of the directors of
the local branch Of the Spokane
Fruit Growers association held last
Sunday plans were definitely laid
for organizing the strawberry grow
ers of this section and obtaining
a larger acreage if possible. The
entire matter will be laid before
the people of the community at a
public meeting which has been called
for next Saturday afternoon at 1870
o'clock sharp in the X. of P. hall
in Boomers Ferry.
1t has been learned that it will
be impossible to secure enough
plants to start $50 acres this year,
so it has been decided that the as
ISOLATION will attempt to secure the
planting of only 80 additional acres
this season. Plants for this acre
age can be secured, which will re-
quire about 100000 However, in
addition to getting growers to plant
the 80 acres this year, a vigorous
attempt will be made at the Satur-
day meeting to secure contracts
among the farmers for the planting
next season of an acreage large
enough to bring the total up to not
less than 200 acres. The blank con-
tracts will be ready Saturday and
the farmers will be urged to embark
in this business, either on large
or small scale. The men who are
pushing this movement consider it
very important one for the COM
munity and are very anxious that
every business man and farmer in
the community be at this meeting.
Matters Of much Importance will be
discussed. w. C. Webb, assistant
general manager of the Fruit Grow
ers' association of Spokane, will be
present to assist in the work.
On account of not being able to
secure sufficient plants to start the
larger acreage this season, it will
not be possible to have the local
crop handled by the Spokane associa-
ton for two years. Therefore the
crop will have to be sold by the
Bonners Ferry association. To do
this successfully and bring the larg-
est returns possible, the plan as
now outlined is as follows. The local
association will attempt to get all
Boomers Ferry merchants to agree
to purchase no local Strawberries
-Icept those furnished by the associ-
aticts and likewise the association
will e. aeavor to have every grower
bring Ills berries to the association
even though his patch consists of
only a small garden tract. The
local manager will then supply the
merchants and the surplus will be
sold in the territory east and north
of us, cleaning up everything each
day if possible If considered best
a man will be sent into this terri
tory to secure contracts with the
retail merchants to supply them with
berries. In this manner it is prac-
tically certain that the local crop
can be disposed of without Cutting
the market. Last season some of
the individual growers attempted
personally to dispose of their crop
with rather unfavorable results, the
trouble being caused by factors
that would have been entirely elm
mated had the selling plan here out
lined been in effect.
AS an indication of what this in
dustry may be made to mean to the
community, G. w. Spoerry, local
manager of the association, states
that with 200 acres producing berries
the returns should average $1,000 a
day through a season of about 20
days. If this acreage is secured
and the selling end thereby taken
care of, there is no reason why a
larger acreage should not be cropped
and even greater returns turned into
the community.
Keep in mind the meeting next
Saturday afternoon and let every one
interested be there, whether you
have only a garden patch or a large
acreage of berries, and be there il
you have no plants now but are in.
terested. And let all business mer
be there to help push this under.
taking to a successful end.
A committee from the commercial
club, consisting of w. M. Miller
r. F. Payne and Henry Driscoll
met with the board Of directors