The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1937-11-18
|Walla WalIa Men
Told of Advantages
|Of This District
Chamber Hosts to Men
on Good Will Tour Of
Valley Towns r.

A dozen walla walla businessmen
were guests of the Kennewick cham
Der of commerce this noon. Kenne-
wick being one Of the stops on
good viii tour being made through
the district. This afternoon the
group visited in Richland and to-
night they will be entertained at
Benton City.
The group brought no speakers,
asking instead that local speakers
tell them of the boastful facts OF the
home district. O. II. Tilbury, the
first speaker, told Of the Importance
of connecting industry with agricul-
ture and cited the local grape Juice
factory as an excellent example OF
the point he wished to make.
He also cited the flour mill, thu
creamery, cement factory and called
attention to the big need for cam
ming plant in this section which
could handle the products Of the
district.
Agriculture Stressed
II. w. Desgranges was called upon
to handle the agricultural end OF
the program. He said that Is years
ago the Kennewick district was
noted for its early fruit crops: ap-
piles, pears, peaches, apricots, prines
cherries. strawberries, etc. At the
present time, however, he said that
less than one-tenth Of the early
day shipments Of fruits is being
shipped from this section. Instead,
other crops, more suited to the soil
and climate, give promise Of making
higher returns to the growers.
This section is ideally favored for
the production Of asparagus and
grapes, he pointed out and gave as
his opinion that in the near future
an even larger area would be devot-
ed to these crops. He said the dis
trict now had 1900 acres Of pro-
ducing asparagus, which this year
harvested 1000 tons Of the green
varieties
Asparagus cultivation has been
practiced in the Kennewick district
for about Is years, Mr. Desgrangcs
said, and It was here that the wide
spread use Of the green varieties
really got its start In the early
days, the bulk of the crop went to
the fresh markets When that
slumped often half the crop went
unharvested. Attempts to get the
Gamers to put up the green variety
met with no response until local
grower had ton put in tins at the
Sunnyside cannery.
New Demand is Started
AS result of this experiment TIVE
solid carloads were canned the fol-
lowing year and today more than
60 per cent of the entire production
in the state of California is now the
green kind. a
1 While other fruits have been
greatly reduced in production, the
acreage of cherries has steadily en-
larged, MIR. Desgranges said. This
year some fifteen cars were shipped
from Kennewick but normal pro-
duction from the new acreage COM
ing into bearing next year should
produce no less than 100 cars, he
said.
Spuds Big Crop
Early potatoes have long been
one of the major crops in this dis
trict, Mr.. Desgranges said, this year
some 1900 acres being planted TO
that crop, with an average yield Of
. about five tons to the acre. While
the price for the crop was not
, enough to allow a profit for the
! growers, they received an average
better than SIS per ton, bringing
the community no inconsiderable
, sum Of money.
ii Mr.. Desgranges told the Walla
walla men that more than 100 carz
of head lettuce would be shipped
: from Kennewick this fall unless
some weather disaster overlook the
: growers before the remainder Of the
, crop was harvested.
u He also called attention to tbs
, fact that Kennewick could now
2 boast of the largest individual Con-
! cord grape vineyard in the entire
1 world, and that the acreage was be
4 ing still further increased.