The Meridian times. (Meridian, Idaho) 1909-1938, 1921-08-12
sREAT PRUNE CROP
HARVEST BEGINS AUG. "a

10 a.
I'm is probable that packing Of prunes
III the big Meridian driers will begin
8nring the Last week of August
about Wednesday, August Gath.
Il Not less than 200 car loads win be
hacked and shipped from the Merid-
an warehouses this fall and winter
lie proportion OF packed. and dried
Xruit to be determined by the market
ma other conditions during the next
&ew months.
Thirty five car loads Will be packed
III suit cases by the Southern Idaho
arfed Fruit company the Earl in
Aerests) at their mammoth building
I'm the state highway in Meridian and
Il similar amount Will be packed by
Xhe popular crate method by the
fhe McBirney Fruit Company at the
backing house, near the O.S.L depot
1t is expected that a good portion
iii the prunes for the Earl Fruit COM
Dany's green prune shipments will
home from the Brandt orchard at
Dnwiler, which is owned by the Earl
rompany. This orchard consists of
S3 acres and it Is estimated by Care
Maker Jakomit that the orchard will
have 400 tons of prunes this year, or
about 40 car loads The prunes are
nf excellent quality and will be in
better shape than usual to ship as
|green prunes Tor as plums as they
|are sometimes called on the eastern
fruit stands.
G. II. McDonough will have charge
BDf the Southern Idaho Fruit company
a,lant which will handle the Earl
Business, and when the 35 car loads
Are shipped out it is probable thai
Sthe drying will commence, when con-
Siderable fruit not available for green
Bhipment will be handled. 1t depends
III great deal on the weather and mar
8ket as to the extent of the green ship
sments, and while the prospect is good
the inability of the buying public in
Athe east to indulge in the luxury Of
idaho plums may have bearing on
the matter
Most of the prunes have been con-
#fraeted for from the small growers
Nat s35 a ton, which gives the grower
Ha good return.
At the McBirney Plant
The McBirney packing will be by
#the crate method and about so
Ewomen will be employed for several
#weeks to pack the thirty carloads OF
2gIeen prunes. These prunes mostly
Hcome from the big McBirney or
Hchards, east OF Meridian, and are OF
Sfine quality this year. Will Mckinney
Ethe manager, is the pioneer in the
Hprune packing business in the Merid-
/ Jan community, and this year will
] give employment to large number
/ of people by preparing a greater por-
tion of the crop by the crate method,
land the value of this is realized when
Fit is figured that eight or ten men
can pack and load 80 cars by the suit
case method when five times this
humber of women and girls are need
ed when the crate method is used
Mr.. McBirney considers that the crop
is SO excellent this year that the
fruit, when put UP in attractive
crates by hand instead of being rolled
in at one end of asuit case will
more than pay for the extra expense
when the returns are in.
In addition to the shipments men,
toned, Denney & Co. have bought
up many of the crop of the small or
chards in this vicinity and will pack
lat different places. 1t is understood
that this company will use the suit
case pack. They have one packing
house in Meridian.
The one thing that concerns those
who will put up the dried product is
the market. Some of the evaporated
prunes put up last year by the Coop,
erative company for instance are still
unsold. The company are making
plans, however, to dry an equa
amount this year. and it is under
stood that a market has been fount
for last years and also the new pack