The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1924-04-24
Loss of Many Thousands of
Dollars Sustained by
OrchardistS
REPORTS OF INJURY
X" ARE CONFLICTING
Some Growers Report DAM
age Greater Than in the
Spring of 1922

While it is yet too early to deter
mine the full extent of the damage,
enough is known to justify the state
ment that frost, early this morning
dealt the orchardists of this district
one Of the hardest blows they have
ever received.
As is always the case after kill
ing frost, estimates Of the damage
vary widely and as usual the tenn
perature was not uniform through
out the district. Throughout the day
comparisons have been general with
the hard frost of May 8, 1922. Some
growers regard this mornings freeze
more severe than that of two years
ago while others are Of the opinion
that less damage was done.
II. w. Desgranges, manager Of
the Big Y made cursory run thru
the orchard sections this forenoon
but until he makes more detailed
investigation of the orchards he will
not attempt to estimate the extent
Of the damage. "It is certain that
mighty heavy loss has been sustained
but as to what percentage Of the crop
has been killed / am not prepared to
say" said Mr.. Desgranges.
81 am of the opinion that the fruit
crop of this district has been practi-
cally wiped out" declared w. l..
Craver, manager Of the Kennewick-
Richland Fruit Growers company.
j. w. Vickers, manager Of the
Highlands Fruit company, reports
that the Winesap crop on the COM
pany's forty on the West Highlands
has suffered severely and will pro-
duce very small percentage of a
crop. The company's orchards near
Vista were not so hard hit and will
yield fairly good crop, Mr.. Vickers
predicts.
Reports from growers who smudg-
ed cherry, peach and other soft fruit
orchards are also conflicting. In
some instances growers believe they
have saved their cherries and peaches
while others are Of the opinion that
the damage has been practically 100
per cent.
Strawberry beds were in full bloom
and it is doubtful if many of the
blossoms escaped. Later bloom will
produce berries but the crop will be
extremely light.
The frost has slowed up the aspar-
agus harvest and cuttings will be
light for several days, perhaps a
week. Early potatoes which were just
coming up We're frozen to the ground
but the crop has not been materially
damaged.
Records at the government weather
station show that the freeze was not
as severe as that of two years ago.
The temperature dropped to 26 for
less than half an hour but remained
at 28 for about four hours. Two years
ago the minimum was % and the
mercury remained approximately
this low for several hours.
The frost was pretty general thru
out the orchard sections Of the Yak
ina, Columbia and Walla Walla dis
tricts and a comparison of minimum
temperatures indicates that the frost
was less severe in the Kennewick
district than elsewhere.
Yakima reports temperatures rang
ing from 18 in the Wide Hollow and
Mob Hill districts to 26 at the govern
ment station in the city. A minimum
of 25 is reported from Sawyer this
side of the gap. Yakima inspectors
and growers do not estimate that the
damage has been so very great. L.
o. Cockerill, of the Big Y, on the
basis of comparative temperatures
estimates that the Kennewick or
chards will produce from go to 20 per
cent Of an apple crop.
In the Milton-Freewater district
the mercury dropped to % and in
spectors estimate that rs per cent
of the prune and cherry crops has