The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-05-27
BERRIES ARE
SELLING FOR
SIX DOLLARS
Marketing Union is Swamped
with Orders that They are
Unable to Fill
MARKET is HUNGRY FOR 'EM
Prediction that High Priced Sugar
Would Shoot Market to Pieces
H.. Does Not Come True -.

Manager Fred Krug, Of the Kenne-
wick-Richland Marketing Union is not
only willing, but mighty glad to admit
that he had the wrong dope when he
predicted the berry market would be
shot to pieces because of the lateness
of the local season and the high price
of sugar. In fact there is no alterna-
tive. He has to admit it. Today the
Kennewick- -Richland berries have the
market all to themselves and the price
has climbed from $3.50 to $500 crate
and the trade both east and west is
clamoring for more berries at that
price. The Union is swamped. Not
with berries, but with orders they can
not fill.
Reports show that California berries
have stopped rolling, and with the ex-
ception of a few crates from excep-
tionally early patches neither White
Salmon nor Hood River have started
to ship. As a result the Kennewick-
Richland berries are being snatched up
by hungry market with price as
secondary consideration.
1t is estimated that the peak Of the
local crop has been reached. Mondays
shipments totaled nearly 1000 crates
and Mr.. Krug predicts that that total
will not be reached again this year.
Total shipments to date are about 5000
crates and the entire crop will run to
about $4,000 crates, or about 5000
crates in excess of the preseason es-
innate. The quality is excellent, the
growers are exercising care in grad
ing and packing and as yet the Union
has had absolutely no complaints on
quality. The Unions new cold stor-
age plant is playing an important part
in getting the berries to market in
good condition. Every crate is pre-
cooled before it is shipped. On the
whole the season promises to be one
of the most successful one the local
growers have ever experienced, altho
the total acreage of the valley is not
more than one-fourth of what it was
five or six years ago.
According to Mr.. Krug the growers
are rapidly being taught that it pays
to fertilize and the use Of fertilizers
is demonstrating that berry patches
need not be plowed up every three or
four years. As an instance he cites
the berry patch of C. A. Mitchell, on
the Highlands. He has one Of the
finest patches in the entire district
and it is an old one. Last year it pro-
duced only a small crop Of inferior
berries and was pronounced worn out.
After last years crop was taken off
Mr.. Mitchell fertilized heavily and
this spring gave it a generous appli-
cation of nitrates. As a result the
patch came back and will yield this
year $50 crates Of finest quality ber-
ries per acre.
Berries are not alone in the price
climb as the season advances. Aspar-
agus, which for time dropped to $1.10
a crate, has been steadily climbing un-
til now the Union is shipping at $500
a crate, fob. Kennewick. This will
bring the seasons average up to
about SLIGO a crate.
The Union is rapidly perfecting
plans for handling hay this year. To
date they have signed up the crops
of number of growers and expect TO
ship out the first car of this years
crop within the next few days.