116 NEBRASKA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



be secured at this state of the industiT. They find that for the average 

 of the state of Washington they have an overhead charge of 51 cents per 

 box for every apple that grows for the first eight years before they caix 

 bring an apple to market. It takes a pretty good crop to stand a main- 

 tenance charge of that sort. 



On the basis of the present census of trees now growing in the moun- 

 tain states, a minimum production in the irrigated regions will add to 

 the present crop not less than one hundred million boxes of apples an- 

 nually within the next five years; and they are still planting. Moreover, 

 other sections are planting, rejuvenating the old orchards, studying the 

 most scientific methods, and coming into direct and active competition 

 with our western brethren. There will no doubt be something, doing in 

 the apple market presently. About what will be doing presently, it is 

 something like this: 



The only way the western grower can keep alive is to produce strictly 

 fancy fruit and sell it at a strictly fancy price, for he has all the time 

 that 51 cents overhead charge on every box of apples. And you need not 

 imagine that every apple they raise is perfect by any means; of course 

 they, don't put them in the pictures or the liteiiature, but I find neverthe- 

 less they have their cider mills and vinegar factories and canning works 

 with plenty of apples to keep them busy when they have a crop. 

 ' This situation in which the western grower is finding himself will 

 soon force the necessity of one of the greatest advertising propagandas 

 the business world has ever seen — to popularize the use of the apple. 

 It will be in the interest of the western apple and. will be paid for by 

 their money. It ought to do something to boost the market for the grow- 

 ers of the Missouri valley region who have all the advantages of climate, 

 reasonably priced land, nearness to market, and a speaking acquaintance 

 with the good God who makes it rain here, once in a while anyhow. That 

 is what it is worth, and it is worth a whole lot. 



One more incident and this rambling paper will be done: 



I sat at table at the Spokane hotel with a group of gentlemen among 

 whom was one who for seven years was at the head of the Horticultural 

 Department of the Agricultural College of the state of Washington. One 

 of the company asked the professor what proportion of the orchards of 

 the irrigated. section are likely to prove profitable. He replied that, "Not 

 less than 50 per cent of the orchards now planted will be non-producers 

 and fail to be commercially profitable, necessitating their replacement by 

 different or better trees or the conversion of the land they now occupy 

 to other uses." 



I said, "Professor, that is a remarkable statement." "But, sir," he 

 replied, "I have examined almost every orchard of commercial propor- 

 tions in this state, and I believe I am far within the truth in making that 

 statement." 



He may be mistaken. I hope so, for the sake of the innocent people 

 who have spent their millions in outrageously exaggerated land values 



