Vashon Island news-record. [volume] (Vashon, Wash.) 1919-1954, 1932-01-28
Receives Letter OF
Much Local Interest

letter. Many of the fruit growers are
asking themselves the same question
that prompted Mr.. Pettelle to make
the inquiry Of Mr.. Hatch that led to
this reply,
We shall be glad to pass on to our
readers any such bits of cheer and
enlightenment that may help to
throw a little ray of hope on what
now seems to be gloomy future for
the Islands leading occupations. The
columns of the News Record are at
all times open to any constructive
suggestions or criticisms that will help
others interested In the agricultural
pursuits that mean success or failure
to the Island farmers.
The letter follows:
January 20, 1882.
Mr.. P. s. Pettelle,
Portage, Washington.
Dear Mr.. Pettellc:
Replying to your inquiry Of the 18th
instant with reference to logan.
berries.
Our records show that you delivered
3e05 pounds Of loganberries during
the 1881 season. You have been adj
vanced upon these loganberries to
date l-2c per pound. Due to the
general demoralized condition of all
markets it is hard to make any re-
liable estimates of what any goods
will bring short of the time you have
the funds from collections actually in
hand. I would estimate that we would
probably pay about 1-2c per pound
on loganberries The actual sum may
be somewhat above or below this
figure. We hope to make further
advance upon this item before so very
long. At the figure of l-2c per
pound loganberries have shrunk less
in value than most other varieties OF
fruit during the past year. In my
judgment loganberries are in better
position than many other kinds of
fruit at this time.
1t looks as though the main logan
berry production will be confined to
the Willamette Valley for long time
to come. All Gamers in the Puget
Sound Basin desire some quantities
of loganberries to complete assert
ments. On this basis there will al
ways be demand for considerable
quantity of berries, profitable crops
only comparatively near tide water.
Hence the territory in which they will
be grown is somewhat limited. 1
would say that whether a person is
justified in the continuing of grow
ing loganberries depends ve-y much
on whether he can produce logan
berries profitably at price that will
range from &c to 1-2c per pound.
These prices are about the range of
loganberry prices over period Of
years. I do not know how much
ground it took to produce your 1905
pounds of berries. 1t has appeared to
me that person must produce at
least 5000 pounds of loganberries per
acre to make the growing of these
berries profitable.
I note you are considering the
planting of sour cherries. I think the
deciding factor in whether or not to
grow sour cherries is persons idea
at what price they must sell these
cherries to make the production
profitable. am very sure that prices
OF Sc per pound and upward for
cherries are gone for very consider
able period of time. think we must
fix our ideas on prices of SC or &c per
pound. Undoubtedly the market for
sour cherries is going to be very much
depressed for the next two or three
years. This state of affairs has been
foreseen for the last four or five
years. Growers have not needed the
advice offered and have continued to
plant. Judging by past experience
the planting Of sour cherries all over
the United States will slow down very
markedly. actually believe that now
is better time to plant than at any
time during the past five years. Based
on past experience cherries planted
now should come into bearing during
" cycle of increasing prices.
2 We are asked every day by growers
what to plant to make profit. am
sorry to say that we have no infallible
method by which we can offer advice
upon this subject, but we do think
that both loganberries and cherries
show more promise than a number of
other items commonly grown in the
Pacific Northwest.
You inquire about our Revolving
Fund Certificates. These certificates
bear 6 per cent interest payable on
the first of March of each year. and
are redeemable by the Association five
years from date of issuance. The GER
tificate that you received on account
Of deductions from your 1880 crop is
dated March /, 1881, and will be re-
deemable March /, 1886. This Revolv-
ing Fund is used in the financing Of