The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1919-07-31
BERRIES AND
SPUJDS BRING
Big RETURNS
Geo. Anderson and w. r. Boyd
Hold High Places on Unions
Marketing Records
OTHERS DO NEARLY AS WELL
Pear Harvest Starts with Six Packing
Plants Operating in this
City

One thousand, one hundred and one
dollars from one and one-haf acres
of early potatoes, or 1874 an acre,
and four thousand and nineteen dol
lars from five acres of Strawberries,
or s8O3 an acre. These are some of
the high spots which show up on the
marketing ledger of the Kennewick-
Richland Marketing Union.
The figures quoted above are the
gross returns from George Anderson's s
potato patch down the valley and w.
R. Boyd's strawberry patch on the
Highlands. Mr.. Anderson marketed
S5,95S pounds of early potatoes from
his acre and half and received after
the Unions deductions were made,
ssOs21. Mr. Boyd received for his
berry crop, after deductions for the
handling charges were made, $3,-
664.09.
While these are the best crop re-
cords reported by the Union, there are
several other growers who are close
seconds. Cambelic Brothers, who
are farming the Ole Brue place, Sell
lick & Sons and Harley Peter have
potato yields close to eight tons per
acre. while c. Hoadley and several
Richland growers are close contenders
for first honors among the strawber-
ry growers.
"The crops of Mr.. Anderson and
Mr. Boyd are only examples of what
can be accomplished by careful farm
ing Methods" said Manager F. H.
Krug of the Marketing Union. "Mr.
Anderson's potato patch has been
highly fertilized and well farmed. The
same thing is true of Mr.. Boyd.s ber-
ry patch. Mr.. Boyd fertilized with
nitrates which cost him less than $3.50.
He estimates that thru this expen-
diture he increased his seasons crop
by at least 500 crates, which added
more than $1,000 to his gross re-
turns"
The Union has closel up its straw
berry accounts. Owing to the small
tonnage handled this year the mar
keting costs were more than had been
expected. The average per crate
selling price for the season was $3.50
while the net return to the grower is
about $3.55 crate.
By the end of the week the Union
will have shipped out % car loads of
potatoes and there are between IL and
10 carloads to be marketed before the
summer potato crop, has been har-
vested. The first full carload went
out at $65 ton and the market is
holding firm now at $45 ton and Mr..
Krug hopes to be able to finish the
season at this quotation.
While the Marketing Union is clos
ing up its operations for the year the
frult houses are just pulling their
coats and getting down to real busi-
ness. The machinery in the packing
plants of the Fruitgrowers Associa-
uon, the Kennewick- -Richland Fruit
GroWers Company, the Davis Fruit
company, the Wenatchee Valley Fruit
exchange, the Pacific Fruit & Pro-
uuce company and the Pennington
company was started this week and
oy the end of the week several car
iOads OF pears will be rolling to east
TN and Canadian markets. Buyers
are predicting that the total local
Pear crop will be considerably in ex-
sess OF the preseason estimates. The
ss plckings indicate that as a
snoie the pears will run to smaller
aes TINS year than last, but the crop
'ni De more uniform, both as to size
u Tune of ripening. Buyers say
e oulk Of the so-called Independent
Op mas been contracted at prices
.ansing from $50 to $65 a ton. The
sre enng price last year was around
~ ton with a sudden drop to $40.
q LAY buyers have been active during
,ss week and the sale of several thous-
=. - IONS is reported. Several grow
:. are said to have sold their crops
: s;.l prices from $22 to $2s.5O ton
- some lots selling as high as $25.