The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1925-01-08
STATE APPLES
BIG SHIPPERS
Leads Production with Half
Crop Exports to Eng
land and Deep Europe

The blue Columbia winding through
deep canyons in the Canadian Rock
les swells and widens as it reaches
the Washington boundary line. Plow-
ing on in its widening, deepening val
ley, it spreads out and is taken up,
nourturing vast reaches of rich land
/ in its arms
Bare, brown hills and grey masses
of cliff break at the rivers edge,
there to soften and merge into fertile
reaches of deep soil.
! Here and there the tillable land fol-
lows up tributary streams and cross
es low spaces. In these valleys, some
few rods across, others many miles,
are flat fields and great blocks Of
blue and grey-green farms and or
chards. Here the traveller is in the
domain of Washington's famous red
apple.
Not the red apple only, but alfal-
ia, potatoes and fruits of many kinds
year after year, by hundreds of car
loads, are shipped from these valleys.
Washington with half crop this
year produced more apples than any
other state in the Union. New York,
however, ranks first among the fruit
and vegetable states. Next comes
Washington with her apples; Cali
fornia with her oranges, Michigan
with small fruits.
| Citrus fruits cannot survive in the
climate of Washington; but warm
days and cool nights in the fruit
valleys of the state give the apples
a "blush" second to none in the world.
Last year two thousand six hundred
tons of commercial apples We're load
ed out of Seattle for Glasgow, Scot
land.
England buys great deal of Wash
ington grown fruits. But in 1923
France bought from Uncle Sam, more
apricots than did any other consumer.
The shipments from the United States
in apricots were more than three
million pounds. France also feels
friendly toward this American fruit
entering French ports in 1923.
British folks are not fond of fruit,
said recent continental tourist. But
in England the consumption of ap-
Piles is increasing, and, every year
more of Uncle Sans red apples are
imported.
Yakima Valley and Wenatchee an
Piles have penetrated far into Eu-
rope. Washington is getting a name
for her fine apples, the same as are
other states known the world over
for oranges, prunes or pineapples
There are eight million apple trees
in Washington. They produced this
year, $500, 900 bushels of apples;
enough boxes if placed end to enc.
to reach from Spokane, Washington,
to London, England, distance of ov-
err six thousand miles. Every man.
woman and child in Washington
could eat sixty bushels of apples
and from the remaining apples,
enough cider could be made to float
a battleship.
Washington is known variously, by
some, as lumber state; by others
as wheat state. The fame of Wash
ington's fruit products has in recent
years spread renown as an apple
state, berry state, a prune state and
a pear state. Its fame in this re-
spect is apt to increase.
| Livestock returned $82,OOO,00O to
Washington farmers this year. In
this total the dairy industry brot
s27, 100000; poultry, $4,000, 900.
Washington grown fruit brot $751;
600, 900. This last item does not in
clude vegetable or greenhouse pro-
duce which sold for s1S,0OO,000 and
81, 100000 respectively.
Obviously the fruit industry is
gaining prominence. Horticulture, in
general is swinging ahead of dairying
and truck farming.
The irrigated apple land produces
about 1000 bushels of fruit to the
acre and around eleven boxes to a
tree. With proper care the irrigated
apple land averages eight boxes to
a tree. These yields vary according
to care and situation. Plums and
prunes strive in Washington but like
peaches, they are confined to the
valley regions.
The 1920 government census gives
Washington some seven million peacE
trees, nine million prune trees an(
around eight thousand acres of small
Ell fruits.
Berries as well as apples, are find-
ing more favor in the Washington up
lands devoted mainly to grain River
bottoms all over the state from Snake