A Bumper Prune Harvest Faces Wet Weather Threat
Heavy rains and mold threaten to compromise Clarke County’s massive prune crop as thousands of workers descend on the orchards.
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The prune crop will be immense this season, and on account of the recent heavy rains, much of the fruit will be damaged. Mold has been noticed in many orchards, and if the rains continue, the loss will be large. The prunes are falling badly, and trees have broken down with the weight of fruit. Most all the fruit men are preparing to commence picking this week. From now until October 1 there will be an army of workers gathering the prunes and drying them for market. About fifty new driers have been built in Clarke County this year, all of larger capacity than those built in the past. The Clarke County prunes are excellent in every particular and command the highest price. This is the natural home of the prune, and eastern people who come here and see the trees with their wealth of beautiful fruit are astonished.
“This is the natural home of the prune, and eastern people who come here and see the trees with their wealth of beautiful fruit are astonished.”
Clarke County—modern-day Clark County—remains a critical agricultural hub in Washington. While the 'prune' economy of 1903 has largely shifted to other crops, the seasonal reliance on migrant labor and the vulnerability of harvests to extreme weather patterns remain constant themes in the region's agricultural history.
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