Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-01-16
FRUIT GROWERS
WANT ACREAGE
Strawberry Men Meet Saturday and
Elect Officers for Branch of Spo-
kane Fruit Growers Assn.
zoo ACRES OF BERRIES DESIRED
Profitable Business if Handled Properly
Says Spokane Representative

of the local branch of the Spokane
Fruit Growers held Saturday the
following stockholders were elected
directors: G. w. Spoerry, A. E.
Aldridge, E. L. Little, j. R. Wiley
and e. l.. Keith.
w. c. Webb, assistant general
manager of the Fruit Growers of
Spokane, was present and spoke at
some length relative TO the grow
ing of berries, the substance of his
remarks being that as Bonners Fer
ny is a day earlier in shipping to
eastern markets, Spokane Green
Bluffs and Opportunity cannot load
cars so as to get them out on train
Al as we can, their berries must
wait for No. 4, several hours later;
and as practically all berries go to
eastern Montana, ours would arrive
there the following afternoon after
shipping in time to be distributed by
wholesalers that same day while
Spokane berries would have to wait
until the next day. This difference
in time spells the difference many
times between profit and loss as ber-
ries often begin to mould during this
next day above mentioned.
From this we gain this point-a
certainty that our berries will arrive
in fine condition and command the
highest price. We can also, by using
the extra time, reach a market be-
yond that reached by our western
cities.
The Kennewick andN Hood River
season closes just as the Spokane
season opens. 1t closes about June
10 and ours, by a natural coinci-
dence, opens (and has for the past
ten years. within three days of
this time so that we can take the
entire buying market that has been
prepared by Kennewick, Hood River
and Spokane and continue to supply
the demand without competition,
thereby prolonging the season and
selling the fruit of three great dis
tricts without congestion and COM
petition.
The Hood River and Kennewick
sections are growing the "CIark' S
Seeding" a berry that only pro-
duces around 80 crates an acre but
one that keeps eight or nine days
thus positively insuring delivery and
good sales with no refusals. Green
Bluffs, near Spokane has the "Glen
Mary" berry and during the season
of 1915 with a climate just right
brought them mint of money but
because of the rains in June (three
weeks steady it failed to be hard
enough to ship except to very near
points (berries became mouldy inside
of "a hours after leaving Spokane)
and the result was almost a total
loss.
All present conceded that we
could raise Strawberries and make
handsome profits here but to Sc
cure the right variety on the start
was the essential point. Mr.. Webb
explained that a box of Clark's
Seedlings could be shipped and sold
anywhere west of Chicago but that
if you mentioned Glen Mary to a
grocer he would be sure to hit you,
The poor point, however, about
Clark's Seeding was the lesser yield
but all thought it better to raise
a berry that one could ship and sell
even though it yielded less than a
berry that was not salable outside
your own town even though it yielded
more.
He doubted the advisability of
planting more of the Parsons Beauty
than we now have here because
a general comment on it. was that
it was a poor shipper. 1t is likely
that the board will recommend for
all new planting the Seeding but
this will be definitely determined al
the board meeting two weeks hence
Growers as a rule net from S1.25
to $3.50 a crate for the entire crop
In order to have the Spokane of
flee assume direct charge and re-
sponsibility for the selling of them
it will be necessary for local grow
ers to have at least a car every day
and this will take around 200 acres
This acreage will produce a car every
day with two cars in the height OF
the season. A car means about
$500 net so that 200 acres of Der