White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1925-03-20
LAMPSON'S REPORT OF
EASTERN MARKETS

T. ASS AAs kuiAiPSon VI ACIluSWlCh
. manager for the Three Rivers Grow
: ers returned recently from a si,
weeks trip through the markets O
: the middle West, Southern Canada
along the Eastern Coast and as fai
south as New Orleans. The purpos,
. ct the trip was to study the market.
and was in the interests Of the Thrc.
Rivers Growers, the Hay Growers anc
the Central Washington Cantaloup,
association, who shared equally in tine
expense. Roy c. Robinson secretary
of the Priest Rapids Valley Growers
Association, affiliated with the Three
Rivers, has received from Mr.. Lamp.
son the following report of the trir
which covers only the strawberry and
/, asparagus crops:
i This is a summary of the informa-
ton which I gathered on my trip made
at the request of the Board of Direct
tors of the 3-Rivers.. Growers Assoc
iation The purpose of the trip was to
ind oft if we were operating through
the best marketing connections in the
markets where we have been selling
and to develop new markets in other
4 places, particularly for asparagus.
After pretty thorough study of the
strawberry markets in Montana, the
Dakotas and CanaIa I feel certain that
we could market two or three times as
many strawberries as we have without
aEy material effect on the price. Our
experience. in taking care Of the big
production in 1923 also indicated that
there were quite. a, number of good
markets for our strawberries which we
/ ordinarily are unable to supply In the
territories mentioned above our straw
/ berries are already well and favorably
known.
in Montana we are gradually being
crowded out of the markets by aspar-
agus nsisne1 directly or indirectly
bv the independent seller, and in
Canada the markets are supplied bv
4 Walla Walla grass which is shiprtd
in mixed cars with other vegetables.
+ While our asparagus is little earlier,
! and we think it is little better quality
Ike Canadian buyers ard not convinces,
after handling both that there i5
enough difference to interest them
except on few small shipments prior
10 the time the Walla Walla grass is
1 ready.
In the central west and eastern mlr-
kets where we have been selling car
lots and have got otir asparagus estab
lished find a much more encouraging
situation. While most Of the buyers
who hanT.e our grass readily agree
| that it is first class quality and arc
/, willing to handle more If we will put
]. UP IN the way that they want it,
they are not as has been stated,
"c]amoring" for our produce. In fact,
rncst of tham are crowded with green
furm pro1-cc in increasing quantities
every year from the south and south
western states particularly. Some Of
! the large houses con1plimented our
| asparagus by saying that it was about
as good as Texas and Nevada were
shipping. Most Of them. however, say
they are only Petting shipments from
these other territories in limited guam
titles at the present time ard they can
Use more of the quality of asparagus
that we have if they can depend upon
tine grad. and it is put up in attractive
packages.
In nearly all of the markets which
visited where we had not previously
sold 3-Rivers Growers Association
asparagus I was able to interest buy
e,s in green asparagus shipped in
APRIL, but almost invariably they
rointed out that commencing from the
first to fifteenth Of May, depending
upon weather conditions, their market
was very heavily supplied with csst-
crn asparagus. pointed. out that other
markets where they had been using
orr grass considered it higher quality
than eastern grass Those who handled
both OUR grass and eastern grass
agree readily that our quality is better
but many of them state that there is
not enough difference to warrant
hieh price at shipping point and a
long haul, and in sone cases, they
said pointedly they doubted the poss-
ibility of our getting into those mar
kets after local grass came on. This
ia not altogether discouraging con-
dition even for our late asparagus but
it. rather indicates that as both our
supply and the supply in the east IN
ereascs we may have to shorten our
season and be satisfied with five or
six weeks harvest at good price and
not attempt to harvest much after
eastern grass begins to fill the east
efn markets.
The d.,alcrs point out that the con-
sumption Of asparagus is increasing
nuitc materially but along with it the
Department. of Agriculture RECORDS
show that asparagus acrease is IN
creasing heavily in practically every
state where it is grown