The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1938-03-17
EDITORIAL

pn. ssr Of the washington Early
- in which he takes us to task
wv. ~ advising growers not to plant
.uuds this year.
- the first place, the article was
- advice at all, but merely a COM
~ of information regarding
y. md situation. The information
=. gathered by w. G. Muldrow,
". $3.50 manager Of our local irriga-
In. ~ project and now manager for
-. ~. benton city project. He has
W. made a study OF crops and
..rds in this valley and his infor-
u ss IS as unbiased as 1T could
:. rossible to get. He is interest
= only in seeing that his district
800 the crops that will make the
~ returns to the growers.
~ Muldrow has a project under
- now which seems likely OF sue
~ he has applied to the state
49,, for q similar study each
-, a. all the crops grown In the
v;.r,ma valley. Once the project is
nrdervsy q farmer may scan all the
fsctms pertaining to a given crop
.rd thus lay out his plans with
much more hope for success.
n sp,te Of Mr.. Krack's insinua-
.,or that we-and Mr.. Muldrow-
,,,,at have some Interior motive, We
- 10 assure our readers that such
Is not the case.
n the years this paper has been
under the present management, It
~ continually and consistently
.tood only for those things which
- considered for the best In
Aesests Of the district as q whole,
IN At times, when those interests
m,eht have varied from an immed-
ste personal advantage. II Mr..
Krack had lived in the community
a. I considerable length Of time, it
q likely that he would have been
aware Of this fact, as most Of our
citizens are.
II the article In question was to be
considered as advice to the growers
from the publisher Of q newspa-
per, we agree with Mr.. Krack-it
would be worthless. In the first
Mace, We know practically nothing
about farming. In the second place.
We have long perceived the wisdom
Of the old saying that "Wise men
don't need advice, and fools won't
take It anyway"
And we surely would feel ter
rible, Is he suggests, II in spite Of
adverse circumstances. there was to
Be good money made In early spuds
and Ne were instrumental In pre-
venting the planting Of q large
acreage.
There's another season we should
hesitate to give advice on this
question. There are growers who
almost never fail to show q profit on
early spuds, In spite Of low prices,
over-production, etc. The informa-
ton quoted last week is the sort Of
stuff these lucky" growers want to
know. It's the sort Of stuff every
grower should know concerning
every crop he raises, and sooner or
later that kind Of information will
be available for him.
Now, Is between Mr.. Krack as
manager Of q marketing institu-
hon and the publisher of q newspa-
per, the situation Is quite different.
It's his business to give growers adj
vice-he should have available in
formation on every factor concern
ing the growing and marketing of
every crop his members raise. With
u, when this information Is not
available at this source, we feel it
. duty to give it when We are con-
WINGED Of its authenticity-as we
certainly we're in this case.
For eleven years records have
Been kept on the Benton Project on
every crop produced there. The
record concerning early spuds is an
interesting study. The figures
quoted last week were not those of
tne Benton district alone. but Of
tne whole Yakima valley. However,
tne figures for the past four years
i@ the whole valley, check very
closely with those shown on the
Benton unit alone.
During the l1-year period Mr..
Auldrow's chart shows that, by and
nise, growers made no money
growing early spuds. OF course,
aere are individual exceptions to
tns Acknowledgements who hap
pened to get In with heavy plant
and heavy yields In the years
I crop showed q profit. But by
2 larger number missed those
wa years and planted on the
Poor ones.
tne chart brings to light this
..sc'-something of a variation of
sae successful spud growers gener-
- rue OF planting less as the price
Of seed advances.
mere has been an almost accur-
s uniformity in early spud pro-
Suct'on. A good yield and price has
oeen followed by a wear of loss and