The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1923-05-31


slack while other communities must
await the coming of fall harvests.
Kennewick is beginning to revive un-
der the influences of new wealth
while other communities are still liv-
ing off their reserves.
It is doubtful if there ever was
time. when the real value Of Kenne-
wick's early and long growing season
was more strikingly demonstrated.
Since the first shipments of asparagus
were made sixty days ago, new money
has been coming into the community
in steadily increasing volume. Aspar-
agus returns to date approximate
$4,000 and asparagus only heads
the procession of crops which will con-
tinue without interruption until late
fall.
Asparagus harvest has stretched
over into the strawberry season which
will bring into the district around
$4,000. In another week the berry
harvest will be over and wonderful
cherry crop will be moving out to
market. By the time all the cherries
have been picked, apricots and early
peaches will be ripe. Then will come
hundreds of acres of early potatoes to
be followed by the later peaches,
pears, late potatoes and finally the
winter apple crop.
In the fields as well as in orchards
there is hardly cessation of harvest
Moving machines have been busy for
several days up and down the valley
and within a week thousands of tons
Of alfalfa hay will be in the stack or
the bale, to be followed by two or
three other cuttings before the har-
vest days are over. In trifle more
than month the headers and the
combines will be operating on the
wheat crop of the Horse Heaven.
And during this time the hens don't
stop laying nor the cows stop giving
milk. The community every day in
the year is cashing substantial pay
checks from these two sources and
the number and the size Of the checks
! are increasing. The creamery alone
is distributing among the dairymen an
average of $4,000 q month and the
community's egg harvest amounts to
three thousand dozens day.
What does all this signify? II
signifies first Of all, diversity of en-
deavor, which in turn means the Wild
est possible distribution of the COM
munity's wealth. It means growth, de-
velopment, progress, BODYBUILDING
and purchasing power and in time
must mean general success and pros
perity.
This does not mean, however, that
LIE IN this community is just one glad
sweet song. It isn't. There are hard
ships, there are disappointments, there
are losses and failures. Dollars. ready
minted, don't just grow on berry vines
nor fruit trees. Often, far too often,
the toll of the producer is scantily re-
warded. Too often the wealth that
flows back thru the channels where
the crops go out is insufficient to
properly sustain the individual or the
community. The fault, however. is
not Kennewick's.
Yes, Kennewick may be down. The
year 1922 proved it just as surely
as the the year 1923 is proving that
1T was far from being out. If Ken
newick fails the nation fails. That
sounds like sweeping statement. 1t
is fact nevertheless. A community
that can bring to perfect maturity
an unbroken succession of farm crops
from early April until late November
can't fail unless agriculture as an in
dustry fails. If agriculture fails, the
nation tumbles. From the standpoint
OF material well-being what then. can
be the matter with Kennewick