The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-04-08
HIRE EXPERT
FOR ORCHARD
Is THE PLAN
Marketing Men Say Right Man
Can Save Growers Thous-
ands of Dollars.
ON THE JOB ENTIRE YEAR
Raising 10 Per Cent of Culls to C
Grade Will More Than Pay
All Expenses.

Grade Will More IMAM ray
All Expenses.
As the outcome of series of con-
ferences of the managers of local
marketing agencies, cash fruit buyers
County Agent Lampson, move
ment has been started to engage a
horticultural expert. to devote all of
his time the year around to the orch
ards Of the Kennewick- Richland dis
trict.
Such plan was originally propos-
ed by VIM. S. Green, local manager of
the Wenatchee Valley Fruit Exchange
and has the unanimous endorsement
Of all local fruit managers and buy
ers as well as County Agent Lamp
son and District Horticulturalist, F..
E. Bailey.
The plan was outlined by Mr.. Lamp
son and H. w. Desgranges, of the
Yakima Valley Association, at We'd
nesday's Commercial club luncreon
and received the unanimous endorse
ment of that organization and COM
mittee was named to assist in present
ing the proposition to the fruitgrowers
Of the district.
Briefly the proposition is to engage
. thoroughly high class man to do in a
general way what Prof. w. s. Thorn
ber has done in the Lewiston district
and other men Of his type has done in
other orcharding districts. It would
be his business to work out problems
Of Cultivation, fertilization, pruning,
spraying, ETC., and to advise the fruit
growers. The idea came to Mr.. Green
last summer when he saw tons and
tons Of apples going into the Gull bins,
apples which might have been raised
to marketable grade had more care
ful methods of spraying been employ
ed.
It is suggested that the plan be fin
anced by means Of small per box
charge upon fruit. In presenting the
proposition to the club Mr.. Desgrang-
q explained that charge of 1-2 cent
box on apples would raise fund
Of between $4,000 and $4,000 which
would be adequate to finance the un-
dertaking. "In proposing this we
wish to make it plain to the growers
that it is not an attempt on the part
Of anybody to assist them but merely
q suggested plan whereby they can
increase their annual crop returns" !"
said Mr.. Desgranges. "For instance
last year there passed thru the pack
ing houses of this city 1855, 1896
pounds of Gull apples. This is equiv
alent to 3S,424 boxes or 81 carloads.
If only ten per cent Of these culls had
been raised to a C-grade it would
have meant an additional revenue OF
$5763 to the grower. This one item
alone would more than finance the
program we propose. Again, it cost
the growers $5571 to pick, sort and
haul these culls, another item which
will more than pay for the cost Of an
expert. 1t should be remembered too,
that this is by no means the, total
Gull tonnage of the district. 1t is
only the tonnage which went thru the
packing houses and does not include
cuils from the growers own packing
houses. Not only is it possible to
bring a percentage of the culls up
TO packing grade but it is likewise
possible to raisethe lower grade stuff
10 higher grade, and thereby great
~ increasing the growers receipts.
"All of this, of course, has to do
with the spraying and care of the
Iruit after it has set on the trees.
undoubtedly the right kind of man
would be able through the introduc-
aon Of better methods, to increase
ankle the quantity and quality of fruit
grown. The more one studies this
proposition, the more he is impress
90 with the possibilities. ~ I
AT first it was thought it would be
possible to combine the work of advls-
u and Inspector but after fuller con-
aaeration the impossibilities of such
combination became apparent. To
accomplish results it would be .neces-
sary for an expert horticulturalist to
nave the good will and cooperation OF
'ne growers and the man who does
p0hee duty over the growers fruit