White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1929-03-22
CROP PROSPECTS AND
MARKETING DISCUSSED

Srop pfoSpeCeS LOT the season OF
strawberries, asparagus, cherries, april
cots, peaches and Transparent apples
in both the MISUNDERSTANDING dis
trict and in this valley as well as the
marketing situation for the year were
covered by Lee M. Lampson OF
Kennewick, manager for the Three
Rivers Growers association in a talk
to fair sized crowd of growers at
Grange hall Monday evening.
No definite estimate can be made
of those crops that might be injured
by late frosts until after the frost
period has passed, Mr., Lampson said,
but fairly accurate guess can now
be made of winter injury to the early
tree fruit. In talking to a number of
growers in the Kennewick- Richland
district, he said that it was his belief
that the soft fruit crop there, partic-
ularly peaches and apricots, would
be extremely light but from all of the
information he could gather, the
prospects here were much better.
The strawberry and asparagus tom
mage will depend a good deal on
weather conditions from now on.
Marketing conditions for the associ-
alton, Mr.. Lampson stated, were
much better this year than they were
last season. Through arrangements
with other shippers, the association
will be able to control approximately
80 per cent of the 1929 strawberry
and asparagus tonnage in the lower
valley. Last year it controlled a much
smaller percentage and the compe-
tition in the markets made it difficult
to maintain prices. The only shipper
with any tonnage of consequence that
has not agreed to work this year
with the Three Rivers, is the Big Y,
and Mr.. Lampson said that it was
still possible an agreement would be
reached with that organization. If
this can be done there will be nearly
a complete control of the tonnage.
This would be very desirable from
the growers standpoint, for it would
not only prevent the Cutting of mar
kets but it would make it possible
to maintain much higher price
level throughout the season.
The same arrangements as have
obtained in the past for trucking
the strawberry and asparagus ship
nents from here to, Kennewiek for
carload shipments, would be in eff
feet again this season, Mr.. Lampson
said. However, when the major part
of carload can be assembled here,
arrangements will be made to truck
from Richland a sufficient amount
to fill out the car. No time should
lost, Mr.. Lamyso advised, in getting
the fruit and asparagus into pre-
cooling plant as soon as possible
after it is harvested This tends to
delay the ripening process and adds
materially to the condition Of the
fruit upon arrival at IT'S destination
in the consuming markets As these
markets are widely scattered over
the country and the cars are often
rolling several days, the condition OF
the fruit at the shipping point is
important.
Box and crate shocks for straw
berries, asparagus, cherries, peaches
and apricots are arriving now at
the associations warehouse in Ken
newick and Mr.. Lampson advised
growers to estimate their needs as
soon as possible and get their orders
at an early date to be assured of
being supplied.
Specializing on the future, Mr..
Lampson gave it as his opinion that
present strawberry and Transparent
apple acreage is near the saturation
point Their rather perishable nature
limits the distance that they can be
shipped. On the contrary, there is
an ever growing demand for Bing
cherries and asparagus, and because
they stand UP well in shipment, they
can be rolled to the far eastern mar
kets and big consuming centers.
Asparagus he classed as the bigger
gamble, for the seasons net returns are
always governed more or less by
weather conditions in certain parts Of
the middle west. With the markets
that have been built up, Columbia
river growers can invariably depend
on good returns for all shipments
made during the month of April, but
during May, when there is still quite
little of the asparagus rolling, there
is always danger of killing competi-
ton from the middlewest. especially
when there is warm growing weather
there at that time.
There were about forty growers
out at the meeting Monday evening,
several being from Hanford.