The $2,000 Apple Lesson: A Walk Down Seattle's Produce Row

Under the above heading we purpose to add a new department to The Ranch. It will not be a market report but there will be something in that line. On Western Avenue in Seattle can be found most of the commission houses that handle fruit, potatoes, butter, eggs and chickens. Many farmers who ship their products to these commission houses have never been in Seattle and would have trouble in finding them if they were here. It is a good thing for the producers to visit such a city as Seattle occasionally and make the acquaintance of those men who handle their products. The commission men often go out among the farmers and solicit their trade. This is all right and we like to have them come. But why not reverse the order and let the producers visit the commission men? This is done to some extent and perhaps will grow in magnitude. I can assure the growers that they will meet a cordial greeting whenever they come among Seattle's commission men. Such men as Biglow, Taylor, Nason, Blowers, Ryan, Newton, Powles, Ferguson, Emerson and many others too numerous to mention will be found to be men who are affable in their natures and will make you feel at home.

If you come in on the train and land at the union depot, you are close to the commission houses on Western Avenue. Go east across a short block and you are on Western Avenue and Columbia Street. Turn to the north on the west side of Western Avenue and here within two blocks you will find most of the men whom you want to see. If you fail to find the men whom I have mentioned you will find their partners or their chief salesmen, among whom I may mention Harry Phinney, Chamberlain, Frank Rhodes, Dan Smith, Klyce, Frank Wheeler and many others who are royal good fellows and can give you pointers that will do you good. Now, I realize that many who read these notes cannot, or think they cannot, take the time and spare the money to make this visit. I will try to make these know something about Western Avenue by these talks.

I have been down on Western Avenue and talked with some of the commission men mentioned, and they gave me some good pointers. Here is one for the fruit grower: A certain man in one of the best fruit-growing sections of Washington had some of the finest apples I ever saw the past season. He knew but little about how to prepare his fruit for market and practically nothing about the Seattle market. He packed his entire crop of apples, consisting of some 300 boxes, loaded them into the cars and sent them to Seattle. He followed the shipment and was there when they arrived. The apples consisted of Spitzenburgs, Newton Pippins and other first-class apples. They reached Seattle when the market was overstocked and in some way they were put into a cellar through which hot pipes passed. They soon began to rot. Some of the Spitzs were sold at a dollar per box. The outcome of the whole transaction will be that the apples will not net the man more than twenty-five cents per box. [S]now apples properly packed, shipped at the right time and handled in the right way ought to have netted the man about one dollar per box. I give this transaction on the authority of one of the leading commission men of the city. If this man had known the Seattle market and the commission men as some of us know them he would have saved on one crop not less than $2,000. That is no small matter. These talks may be the means of preventing such mistakes. We are going to learn all we can from the commission men and tell it to the growers in these columns.

The apple market has been dull but the holiday trade cleaned up the stock of fancy apples, such as are designated "stand apples," and now the trade is good at from $1.00 to $1.50 per box. Cheap stuff in poor condition is selling from 40 cents to 75 cents per box. The commission men, as far as I have interviewed them, say they look for a decided improvement before long. Winter pears are selling at $1.00 to $1.25 per box and are in good demand. Potatoes are strong and sell at $13 to $16 per ton, according to one commission man, and good Yakima spuds bring from $17 to $18 per ton, according to another commission man. I don't know why this difference. Onions are steady and strong at $1.25 per 100 pounds.

One of the things that brings the growers a good deal of clear money is squashes. This market consumes vast quantities of this desirable vegetable. The Hubbard squash is the one most in demand. They range in price from a cent and a half to a cent and three-quarters per pound. The smaller ones bring the higher price. If shipped from a distance they should be crated with the stem ends inside, for if the stem is broken off they soon rot. It will pay the men who have suitable ground for growing the squash to make a note of this matter.

It must be borne in mind that the prices quoted here are wholesale prices. Of course the retailers must make something and sometimes that is a good deal. I see that Spitzenburg apples are quoted right along at 3 pounds for 25 cents. That is 8 1-3 cents per pound or about $3.50 per box retail. Sometimes there is a good deal of leakage between the grower and the man who eats his fruit. The word "profit" may be a better word than leakage.

Fresh ranch eggs are worth about 33 cents per dozen in the Seattle market.

An inquiry comes to the writer with reference to the cost of his spraying outfit recently described in these columns. The entire outfit—engine, pump, tank, agitator, hose, and everything complete, including the wagon, cost about $300.00.

We are indebted to W. T. Ferguson, the commission merchant of this city, for the opportunity to test the quality of the Washington-grown cranberry. We think we never ate any cranberries with quite so fine a flavor.