64 The Commercial Apple Industry 



MONTANA' 



The Bitter Root Valley, extending south from Missoula 

 to Hamilton, Montana, at one time had an apple acreage 

 amounting to 23,000 acres. Most of this acreage was 

 represented in large projects which have since gone into 

 the hands of receivers and are being neglected. Probably 

 the greatest loss in. acreage in any of the western districts 

 has occurred in the Bitter Root Valley. The Mcintosh 

 apple is suited to this region but trees do not attain large 

 size nor is growth rapid. Yields are smaller than in 

 many other irrigated sections. The slump in apple pro- 

 motion struck the Bitter Root Valley at an inopportune 

 time, and as a result much of its acreage will be lost or 

 will not reach full commercial bearing. 



WASHINGTON 



Interest in apple production west of the Rockies centers 

 chiefly in the Pacific Northwest and particularly in the 

 state of Washington. In 1917 and 1919 Washington 

 was the heaviest commercial apple-producing state in 

 the Union, taking precedence even over New York which, 

 on account of exceedingly light crops, dropped into second 

 place for those years. Washington must be credited with 

 over one-half of the total boxed apple production and in 

 an average year now ranks first in quantity of commer- 

 cial apples produced. 



It is interesting to note the very rapid growth and 

 development of the apple industry in such regions as the 

 Yakima and Wenatchee valleys, which have recently come 

 into prominence and are largely responsible for Washing- 

 ton's heavy production. Although very similar in many 



