Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1930-10-09

Reputation For Growing
Delicious Fancy Pears
While there are those that think
vashon Island is best suited to the
growing Of berries, others consider sour
cherries and peaches the safest bet,
Mrs. John Roberts is sure that grow
ing pears, while not always safe and
profitable, is a fascinating pursuit. To
hear her give the history Of the pear
and It's culture is equal to reading the
months best seller. Mrs. Roberts
states that Mother Nature Is q bit too
strenuous in this part Of the world
and that our late springs, possible hail,
and autumn winds do not make for
a climate entirely suited to the growing
Of French pears. Practically all Of
the damage that was done to her
wonderful crop this year was done by
the hail storm in May.
The tract Of ten acres was purchased
by Mrs Roberts Just twenty years ago,
and in 1911 and 1912 the pear orchard
was planted. OF the 400 trees the
greatest number are D'Anjous, but as
she expresses 1t Mrs. Roberts "has a lot
of fun experimenting with other
varieties Of French pears and has also
the Bose, Comice, Buerre Hardy,
Duchess Bordeaux and Winter Nelis.
She admits that growing pears is her
hobby, but is demonstrating that ones
hobby need not be purely ornamental.
The Roberts orchard and packing
house is a busy place with crew Of
five men picking, while three women
do the sorting and packing.
The pears are graded into Extra
Fancy Fancy, Seconds and culls. The
Extra Fancy and Fancy grades are
packed in both half boxes and the
full-size boxes, and as much care is
used as in packing china. The boxes
are padded bottom, top and sides and
each pear well wrapped. The Extra
Fancy run 80. IS, 40 and so to the half
box and each box weighs 81 pounds
net, which gives one some idea Of the
size of the fruit. Practically all
Of this pack will be sent as Christmas
gifts. One customer has ordered IL
boxes to be sent to the officers Of the
Packard Motor Company in Detroit,
another has ordered twenty boxes that
will be sent to various parts Of the
nation.
Those which come under the head
Of Fancy will be practically all ex-
ported. In discussing this Mrs. Roberts
brought out the interesting fact that
in England these pears are popularity
used for dessert, in place of puddings
and pies.
The seconds are not packed but are
sold loose locally, or in Seattle. The
culls are, of course, entirely discarded.
The label used on the pears being
sold by Mrs Roberts is, after all the
big story, from the standpoint of local
value. Not only Is 1t very attractive,
but 1t proclaims to the world that the
pears were grown on Vashon Island.
Realizing that asstrong prejudice ex-
lists in favor of eastern Washington
fruit, yet convinced that 1t Is not i'm
possible to educate the consumer SO
that he Will appreciate the fact of
which we in this part of the state are
aware, Mrs. Roberts stamps on each
box the legend that her pears are
"GROWN WITHOUT IRRIGATION
There is no comparison between the
pear grown with and without irriga
ton. 1t would be hard to find a
finer flavor or quality than in the
pears properly grown here on the Is
land.
Mrs Roberts has found that 1t has
taken much education to convince
even the consumers in Seattle of the
truth of her conviction, but she feels
that this year she has made degree
of headway when she received an order
for pears for Frederick's tea room.
Last year out Of o small order Of
twenty boxes containing approximately
1000 pears there were only two spoiled
ones so the buyer felt that another
order was not great risk Which
bears out the moral that giving the
public quality product will auto
matically create its own demand.
Auxiliary of Burton Church to Serve
Baked Salmon Dinner
At the Auxiliary meeting of the
Burton Community Church at the
home of Mrs. Linbeck 1t was decided
to serve O baked salmon dinner at the