The Oroville weekly gazette. [volume] (Oroville, Wash.) 1905-19??, 1920-03-26
THE SHEPARD FRUIT PRODUCT.


to the Orovlle country that rather full
description of the Shepard products, pro-
cesses and prospects may be of interest
to the Gazette readers.
Some years ago Mrs. II. A Shepard OF
Wenatchee began experimenting on
methods of preserving and utilizing waste
fruits With the help of her sons, she con-
tinued these experiments until She was
able to interest others with capital to
build a plant in Wenatchee and put the
prodl/ts on the market After the pro-
ducts were on the market little while,
some changes were made and the present
form of apple product was sent OUT with
the remarkable success to be described
later.
To state the process briefly. it is to
take the fruit, inspect 1t carefully, re-
move all rotten spots wash 1T, cook it
thoroughly. pass it through a separator
that separates the pulp from the seed,
peels, and cores, at the same time pass
ing 1t through fine coander. Pulp and
Juice are then drawn off into a vacuum
cocker where 1t Is boiled while the free
moisture is removed by evaporation and
Suction. From here it is removed to an
other vacuum cooker where 1t is stirred
while the evaporation and suction pro-
cesses continue. When it has reached the
right consistency. 1t is removed and al
owed to cool. When cool 1t Is cut into
Strips and ground From the grinder it
passes from one drying surface to an
pther under heat. From here 1t is carried
10 another grinder which flakes It, 1t is
lgain subjected to drying heat. then
delivered to the packers
The products Is now in flakes with the
Moisture reduced to point where fer
nentatlon cannot take place. still. 1t is
lot hard. In fact. ii Is quite palatable.
Eood to eat Just as 1t comes from the
vax-paper lined package. If you wish a
ish of fruit butter, you simply STIR some
ruit flakes into boiling water, add sugar
you like, and in five minutes. you have
he smoothest fruit butter you ever ate
Is all fruit. too, except what you add
Ourself. If it is sauce that you wish, you
id more water. The product mixes
nickly and thoroughly with other In
fedients to make pudding. pies, cake
c 1t is less trouble to open a package
BID prepare this product than to open Il
In. empty it Immediately, dispose of the
In. etc. When it becomes we'll known
is is certain to become very popular
eticle of food.
say "when it becomes we'll known"
br it is now being we'll advertised in
hicago. st. Louis and other cities, and
soon sufficient of the product can be
Rnufactured to supply a large demand
wide and thorough educational cam
ign will be begun through the best
ediums in the country. The story of
wv the product has reached it's present
uation on the market is itself matter
interest 1t seems that a salesman of
gers. Brown & Co.. jobbers in gro
ries, of New York. Chicago. Seattle,
Francisco and Los Angeles. very
ge concern found the products offered
sale in one of the prairie states. He
FRIED it in, and it, was Investigated.
ter, a representative of K b. & Co..
led at their Wenatchee plant. went
Rough it, then announced his connection
purpose. to get control of the sale of
product This led to a meeting with
Brown who offered to buy all the
pduct that could be manufactured in
the plants that could be built for the
1t ten years The offer was accepted,
d Rogers, Brown & Co., are now the
neral distributors, and crying night and
for more of It.
n response to this demand, the We
tchee plant has been running night and
for months trying to turn out enough
pie flakes to keep few small sections
the country supplied. They are now
ming out carload a week, which looks
E good deal when You remember that
& eight ounce package equals four
ands of fresh apples; but it is but
lie taste for the fruit hungry millions
e Wenatchee plant cost over 100000,
bluding the building with considerable
rage and the special machinery that
b to be designed and built to order 1t
but of debt and making money In spite
the fact that it is paying the highest
in price for Gull apples. employing
bd class of help and pays well. But 1t
les money to build additional plants
this must he found through Mr.
pwn's connections There are millions
ck of that concern and the only ques-
h now is as to where the plants are
be located.
Ne have but little to offer in the way
Gull apples, as we have but few ORCH
I, 10 I,,aA ,,,1lc r1,.,rn
but two lines that they can handle
1t we can produce in the quantity d.
ed: soft fruits and pumpkins. Tney
T. We an unlimited demand for peach
ticot, prune. and pumpkin flakes and
4 " are bound to build where they can
these. This is our chance. Every one
this valley should know that in the
bduction of these crops. this valley is
Burpassed. If we will get together on a
LIT for a contract with the Shepard
bple, submit to them. compare j. with
|ir proposition, and finally come 10 an
reement on what should be in 7he con-
ct Mr. Case and the board Of direct
will come up here at a set time and
h contracts with any rancher willing
contract with them.
rhe last statement that Mr. Chase made
outline of his purpose, he said that
BY would contract with any grower to
he all the soft fruits he would raise for
period of seven years after the orchard
puld come into bearing pay the niar-
price for. the same, day by day. as
market rose or fell (deducting the
ira expense required for preparing for
Iular marketing) and guaranteeing a
: lsonable minimum price. They will
rec to build plant when sufficient
ut can be secured to supply it. Until
at time comes, of course, tn" fruit
lst be shipped to the Wenatchee plant.
"A There is money in soft fruits when you
ea1J ,ts i1n, fn~ fI,n 10
them Every peach, every apricot ev-
prune at the prevailing market price.
e might think that that was no ad-
ntage. but it is. 1t oftens happens that
W price remains high even though there
a glut on the market. 1t may maintain
high level until sudden break demor-
yes it completely Here is the advant-
of the minimum price No matter
lat may happen to the market the min
um price protects us. That minimum
Z ast cover cost of production and hand
g. Give us the high prices when the
lrket is good and our cost when 1t is
n, and We are sure of a profit whenever
raise the stuff. One could not ask any
Ing better in a country that .-"duces
It fruits as this section does.
The Shepards want pumpkins and
nashes by the thousands of tons. They
E not ready for them this year, but they
ould be next year. think they ought
contract to take all of those vegetables
ranchers can produce between the
ees he sets out on contract for them
on other ground of equal area They
b n pay as much for them as arv of the
nneries and probably more, for this
king process, for both fruits and veg
ables is a cheap process, due to tht
tie hand labor required. 1t is also cheaI
put en- the market, as it requires ne
pensive package. and there is no freigh
pay on the large amount of water al
lys present In canned goods. They