The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-05-28
EARLY GUESSES
is POOR POLICY
Former Kennewick Man
Writes About Over Esti-
mating Apple Yield

William Meikle, former county
agent for Benton County, now en-
gagged in horticultural work in the
Wenatchee country has written the
following story about the foolish pol
icy of publishing big preseason crop
estimates. His story is in line with
later developments which indicate
that the actual crop will be consid-
erably lighter than was indicated
month ago. His story follows:
The guessing season has apparent
ly been opened regarding the size
of our 1925 apple crop. However, be-
fore too many people who have no
real financial interest at stake in our
crop start making public guesses it
might be well to give a few facts and
figures regarding our present pro-
duction possibilities.
With our present bearing acreage,
the number of trees now in full bear
ing, the financial investment in our
orchards, and the annual overhead
expense that we must bear whether
we produce crop or not the time
has come when we will fail if our
production does not make an annual
average of some eighteen or twenty
thousand cars.
After the development of our great
marketing systems which now reach
every nook and corner in the United
States, also with our well established
export trade both in Europe and from
our Pacific ports to Oriental and
South American markets, we can fig
ure that eighteen or twenty thousand
cars of really good apples is not ov-
reproduction. This together with the
fact that the use of oiled wraps in
the past two years has heightened
the marketing season for our apples
at least two months should make us
feel that it is now necessary for us
to have about double the production
we had five years ago in order to
adequately supply the markets we
have developed.
Some of these facts have been care
fully considered by our orchardists
and at the first meeting Of the Che
Ian County Farm Council it was the
very firm belief of the council men,
bers who were representing the en-
tire county that early estimates of
big crops did no good and were in
fact very detrimental. AS pointed
out by the orchardists at this meet
ing it was shown that boomerang es-
Inmates of big crops might sound ra-
{Io.. lor ,x.I that fx.oAn
would constantly get wrong impress
sions of the actual supply of good
apples if facts were not given that
would show that our present markets
now can use and will demand all the
good apples we can produce. The
farm council has already requested
the District Horticulturist to with
hold any preliminary guesses or es-
Inmates until we can tell about what
we are going to actually produce.
Our trees show at the present time
that those who have been indulging
in guesses are guessing too high and
many growers have been heard to
complain that it will be more diff
cult to sell their reduced crop at a
fair figure if we give out impressions
that we are likely to overproduce. A
big crop means big price for boxes,
big price for paper, high priced
labor and possibly low prices for ap-
pies. If it is generally understood
that we have markets ready to take
our present crop which likely will
not be large but of good quality we
will not suffer from high costs Of
production and low market prices.
If we fall short of sixteen thousand
cars we will lose money by not hav
ing enough apples to supply the
trade. We can only expect fair crop
this year and if we get fair prices
it will be better than anything SEN
sational. Ii we must publish to the
world what we expect in this years
crop why not leave it Il, a committee
of growers whose business it is to
grow and market the apples.