178 Appendix. 



and in the Orient. The rate on cured fruits from the Pacific Coast to Europe via 

 New Yorlc is from $1.10 to $1.35 per liundred pounds. A brisk demand for Pacific 

 Coast Italian prunes is being created in Europe at 15 to 18 cents a pound. One of 

 the chief causes contributing to the dissatisfaction of prun ; growers is the dif- 

 ference between the first and tlie last selling price. Prunes sold in the Northwest 

 for 4 cents a pound retail in eastern cities for 15 cents a pound. Various prune- 

 growers" organizations have attempted to correct this evil, but with Indifferent suc- 

 cess. Prune men have gone at the problem of broadening the market for prunes and 

 securing better prices in a systematic way. One of the large Oregon orchard com- 

 panies has put up its product in dust-proof, air-tight and moisture-proof packages. 

 Their prunes are cured artificially and with cleanliness, which cannot be said of 

 <'allfornia prunes, and these facts are kept constantly before the public. Improved 

 methods of cooking prunes are demonstrated in many large department and 

 grocery stores, and with each package is a little pamphlet, giving the new and 

 right way of cooking, which is given to the purchaser. He finds, on following direc- 

 tions, that he never has known what a prune is ; it is so much superior to the 

 old article that he Is delighted and liuys more. 



2. Cherries. The second striking feature of the Coast Region horticulture is 

 its cherry-growing. Those who have attended any of the great expositions well 

 remember the wonderful sweet cherries exhibited by the Northwestern states. Tile 

 Coast Region excels in the growing of Heart and Bigarreau varieties, but sour 

 cherries do better inland. The Coast Region soil is quite variable, but much of 

 it is a deep, moist loam, very ruch in humus. On these soils sweet cherry trees 

 grow to an immense size, and produce an almost unbelievable quantity of high 

 grade fruit. I have heard of one Napoleon tree, 25 years old, which is 7 feet 

 in circumference, and bears 1,000 pounds of fruit some seasons. These cherry 

 trees are almost always in sod. They grow so vigorously that tillage would often 

 he a disadvantage. Napoleon, Black Tartarian, Black Republican and Bing are 

 the'chief commercial varieties. Gumosis, which is very serious on cherries in this 

 region, has been effectually prevented by some growers by grafting on Mazzard 

 stock, about :'> feet from the ground. Northwestern cherries are now shipped in 

 refrigerator cars as far east as New York City. An increasing per cent of the 

 cherry crop, especially of the light-colored varieties, is being canned and evap- 

 orated. 



?,. SinaV Fruits. The even moist climate and deep, humus-laden soil of the 

 Coast Region is very favorable for small fruit growing. One of the most famous 

 small fruit regions in the country is the Puyallup Valley of Western "Washington. 

 The raspberry and blackberry growers of this valley are organized into an associ- 

 ation for co-operative shipping, which is one of the most successful enterprises of 

 this kind in the West In 1000, 28,000 cases of berries of 24 quarts each were 

 shipped from this point, under the supervision of the organization. A few years 

 ago the limit of profitable shipment without refrigeration was 1,000 miles. Few 

 Puyallup berries then went east of Butte, Montana. In 1897 the Bohn refrigerator 

 oar was introduced, and now I'uyallup Valley berries are shipped to Chicago and 

 to the Atlantic cities. 



Puyallu]) and Sumner are interesting places to visit in the height of the berry 

 season. The long line of spring wagons driving to the shipping point with ber- 

 ries reminds one of a wheat harvesting scene in the Inland Region. The berries 

 are never picked when wet. They are usually picked in the cool of the morning, 

 and delivered at the shipping point by 5 a. m. When they are to be shipped 

 jiuch long sditances, great care in handling is necessary. The association now 

 makes car load shipments of berries to eastern points; $1,127 was received this 

 year for a single car load of berries shipped to Butte, Montana. The growers 

 And that they get better returns through the association than they could get 

 individually, and support the organization loyally. 



The acreage of raspberries and blackberries in the Puyallup Valley is increas- 

 ing yearly. Many hop yards are being replanted to berries. Washington and 

 Oregon are two of the leading hop-growing states in the Union, but the price of 



