The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1918-05-23
BERRY CROP ...
Is NOT UP TO
EXPECTATIONS
Cold Weather and Slow Growing
Brings Disappointment
Grower and Shipper
THE PEAK WILL COME SOON
Yesterdays Sunshine Brought Some
Relief Both in Patches and in
the Market Cities

The peak Of the Kennewick straw
berry season will probably be reached
early next week and that the years
crop will be several thousand cartes
short Of the earlier estimates is feared.
The quality Of the berries, it is claim
ed, is not up to the extra fancy stand
arm Of the Kennewick berries and the
shippers report many complaints from
the buyers.
Growers have been striving hard
to bring their packs up TO specifica-
tions, but the berries are running
small and many of them are expert
encing considerable difficulty in meet
ing the requirements of the Market
ing Unions inspectors, who in turn
are kept on the jump to keep peace
with the men at the buying end.
Yesterday was the biggest day of
the season; in the neighborhood of
1000 crates being shipped out. The
quality Of the berries and the uni
formity Of the pack was also much
improved and the market was begin
ming to show more favorable symp-
toms because Of little sunshine in
the market cities and a slight easing
up Of the California berries.
: OF the Seattle market yesterdays
Produce News says:
A bright stream of sunshine poured
into Western avenue this morning
which had the immediate effect of
thawing out the strawberry market.
Buyers felt the unusual heat on their
backs and transmitted a glow Of
warmth to the berry market which has
been locked up in cold storage since
almost the beginning of the season.
With the prospect of the housewives
venturing out on such an ideal spring
day the buyers bought freely of the
Florin berries and kept the statesmen
on the jump making up round lots with
a sweeping stroke Of their blue pen
ellis.
AS the berries now arriving repre-
sert the cream of the southern berry
season, the dealers are anxiously
awaiting the announcement that the
peak has been passed. Some figure
that this week will see the last of
heavy receipts and that by next week
the berry shipments will taper off and
soon bccome undesirable.
If these predictions prove true il
will L. good news to the growers Of
the KenDewick, Richland, White Sal
mon and Hood River districts, as their
peaks viii arrive in time TO take adj
vantage of reasonable prizes on the
Coast Markets.
While the berry growers rave been
having their troubles the asparagus
growers have but one tro ib:e in the
world-thst is to get enough grass to
supply the demand. The cold weather
has been taking money OF ~ the ber-
ry growers' pockets and has been put
ting it into the grass pocketbook. All
the markets are clamoring Cor Kenne-
wick grass and all markets are under
fed. AS result the price has jumped
hack to where it was at the beginning
of the season.
OF the grass situation he Produce
News says:
Continuous cold weathee, beth local.
iy and east of the mountains, has
stopped the daily flow of grass into
the market like water from the old
pump on frosty morning.
Prices Rave advanced to such high
plane that the market men have ceas-
ed to handle it except in a limited way.
Average grass, packed in flats and
pyramided, is selling up 20 -71k cents
per pound, net weight, and fancy bunch
grass, tied up in pound packages, is
quoted at 20 cents per pond.