The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1927-01-20


me what I think about planting
cherries and will they be overdone
like apples? J always answer that
believe in cherries for Kenne-
wick more every day and that l
am planting them on my own
place just as fast as can. I have
been watching them for 10 years
and they look better all the time.
We hit gap in the market that
gives Kennewick practically no
competition at all. California is
done and no other Northwest sec
ton has begun. Neither has the
limited sweet cherry section of
the east begun. So why worry
about reproduction. Sometime
Yakima, and Oregon may fight it
out but Kennewick will be all done
and out of the way when these
heavy producers come on.
The only question that has ever
bothered me Is will the east and
Gulf states rush into cherries and
crowd us off of the eastern mar
kets? To answer this question I
have written to the United States
department. of agriculture, Bureau
of Plant industry and Mr.. HI. p.
Gould has generously answered me
with a five page letter. This letter
am sure will interest a great
many people of Kennewick I am
submitting it for publication in
the Courier Reporter.
The apple industry is so ire
mendously large that the planting
of trees by large numbers is not
alarming to Mr.. Gould. but nes-
essary to keep up production.
took up the question of the over
production of apples, or more spe-
cificly the depressed condition of
the business generally here in the
West so far from markets against
so much competition in the east
close to the markets, as an ex-
ample of what farmers like to
keep out of. 1t takes lot of time
and money and hard work to get
an orchard to bearing. If condi-
tions stay put all is well. Mr.
Gould thinks that they will. In
looking over little book sent out
by Stubs Fruit & Storage Co. OF
Yakima, page 20, note that as
long ago as 1891 the production
of apples in the United States
amounted to 199, 100000 bushels OF
20 millions bushels more than ir
1926. In other words the west
butted into the apple growing
business against the east of its
own accord. According to these
figures thirty years ago the east
alone produced more apples thar
everybody together now because
thirty years ago the west was only
a small fish in the apple game. Sc
in my judgment it figures out thai
the west simply bucked the Other
fellows game.
Contrast it with cherries. Mr.
Gould says he doubts if there wa:
ever solid car of sweet cherries
shipped from any eastern section
understand the Pacific coas
ships something like 1000 cars
Referring again to Stuggs the.
list Yakima as having $4,000 non
bearing Bling trees, Benton County
$4,000 presumably bearing AM
non-bearing, and all varieties.
From four trade lists of larg
eastern nurseries / CLEAN the fol
lowing: Total number of apple
listed, 100000, including an aggre
gate of $4,000 Delicious, 5000 Sap
and 11,OO0 Jonathans. Total o
pears, 47,OO0: 21,00 Bartlett, i
thousand Kifer, $500 Anjou. Tota
of cherries, $4,000: 114,000 sou
varieties, 700 Lamberts, ITO Bling
Total peaches, $4,000: $4,000 FL
berta, 440O j. II. Hale. The differ
ence between the total and tn
varieties mentioned is made u
of varieties that the west is nc
interested in. In so far as Kenne
wick is concerned / would poin
out three items, namely Bin
cherries, Anjou pears and j. 1
Hale peaches. The 1000, 900 lot
Of apple trees referred to by MI
Gould I mentioned to him ate
reading the following statement
in Stark Bros. retail catalog:
"Over q million four and a hal
months old; old oak process Ozar
Mountain Stark apple trees;
Millions of old oak process app
trees-roses nearly a mile lon,
not weed" "Here we grow mi
lions," etc.
Yours very truly,
HORACE WRAY.