25 



:an important item in selling fruit, we must concede that the 

 western growers as a class have a distinct advantage there! 



(2) Their trees bear earlier. I should say from 2 to 3 

 .years earlier on the average. This, I think, is principally 

 ^ue to their very long season, which really allows the tree 

 to do the same amount of growing, to reach the same amount 

 of maturity, say in four years, that our eas'.ern trees reach 

 in six. Take the follov\'ing examples : 



'The Olds Company, Burch Flat, AVenatchee, Wash., 

 have fifteen acres of King David trees four years old, which 

 will average one box per tree;" or this, "H. S. Wetherald. 

 Miller street, Wenatchee, has ten acres of six-year trees 

 which will give 3,500 boxes, or between five and six boxes 

 per tree;'"' or this, "N. D. Heath. Wenatchee, has 85 Jona- 

 than trees, seven years old, which will average six boxes, 

 while 85 Black Twigs will go ten boxes." Imagine seven- 

 year Baldwins in JMassachusetts giving over three barrels 

 per tree. 



(3) Their trees bear more heavily and more regularly. 

 I am not quite sure how much of this may be due to their 

 T3etter care, particularly in thinning, but I believe that it is 

 in some part at least due to their long season, as referred 

 to in the last paragraph, which allows the manufacturing 

 plant of the tree to mature a big crop of fruit and still have 

 enough surplus plant food to develop a fine set of fruit buds 

 for the following year. In support of this general contention 

 that their trees bear more, take the following: "Jack Lil- 

 lis picked 2,400 boxes from 143 Rome Beauty trees, besides 

 200 boxes on the ground. These trees occupy one and one- 

 half acres of land, and the fruit will sell for $3,000. Last 

 year this acre and a half produced 1,000 boxes which sold 

 for $1,850," or take this. "Sterling Brolhers, Wenatchee. will 

 pick 3,000 boxes from 604 trees nine years old. Last year 

 the same trees gave 3,000 boxes hnd the year before they 

 •gave a net return of $3,000." 



(4) There is a more general interest in the industry. 

 I have already discussed this under my general impressions, 

 but want to re-state it here, as I believe it is a great factor 

 in their success. I do not know how far it is possible or 

 desirable to bring this about in Massachusetts, but it does 

 seem to me that such very promising sections as Colrain and 

 Ashfield might profitably develop the orchard business till 



