THE WEST SHORE.
171
THE FRUIT INTERESTS OK THE NORTHWEST.
Ever since the pioneers first took their white topped wagons across the
Rocky mountains and conquered the canyons of Snake and Powder rivers,
to reduce to the plow the wilderness of the Columbia river basin, wheat
has been the one staple agricultural crop. It was, to be sure, early learned
that this was the natural home of all the fruits of the temperati lone, that the
apple, plum, cherry and pear reached here a superior size and flavor and
were produced in a quantity elsewhere unknown, and that the grape, peach,
apricot and other fruits of semi-tropic climes also reached a high state of per
fection, but there was no market for such products, save in a limited way, and
tons of the finest quality of fruit annually rotted on the ground, while orchards
that had been planted, none of them very extensive in size, were neglected
and permitted to go to ruin. All that was left a few years ago of the early
efforts at pomology were a few moss grown and tumble down orchards and
the knowledge that as fine fruit as the world can show could be grown
throughout the entire Columbia region, a term that is here used to include
the lands bordering upon Puget sound and all the valleys west of the great
backbone of the continent.
Less than a decade ago conditions began to change. One great over
land system reached the metropolis of this region and in a short time Portland
had three great transcontinental systems terminating within her limits. By this
time the fruit industry of California had assumed gigantic proportions under
the impulse given it by rapid transit to eastern markets, and if the Columbia
choice shipping varieties of fruit, and of prunes for drying, and bided their
time until the trees should begin to produce. These orchards are now coming
into good bearing condition, and the complete success of fruit culture on a
Urge scale has been demonstrated. , Larger orchards are being planted every
year, and in another decade the income of this region from its fruit trees will
exceed that from any other resource. The experience of California will be
repeated here, though results will be more quickly attained.
While pears, apples, plums and cherries are being raised for shipment in
large quantities, and while the business of supplying these delicious fruits
fresh to the eastern markets in carloads, and even trainloads, at a time will
increase to immense proportions, the one distinguishing feature of the business
in this region has become the supplying of dried prunes to the general market.
Nowhere else in the world does the prune reach such a size, richness of
flavor and solidity of pulp as here, and the ability of this region to command
the markets of the country is undeniable. The number of trees, chiefly of
the Italian, or Fahlenberg, variety, that have been set out the past three years,
or will be the next three, reaches well into the millions. Thousands of acres
of land are being devoted to (he culture of this one fruit, and many orchards
are being set out without a single other fruit. Canneries, too, are springing
up, and thousands of cases of various fruits will be placed on the general
market this season. Great as this business is becoming, it is in its infancy,
and often to intelligent and energetic men an opening no other section of our
common country can give. The young man who has a few dollars and will
invest it in a fruit orchard here, giving the business a careful and intelligent
3 i
STEAMER "CITY OK SEATTLE."
region had then been prepared to supply fruit for shipment in carload lots it
could have at once entered the field, handicapped only by the reputation
California had gained, which would speedily have melted away before the
superior quality of the more northern fruits. But there were no orchards of
any site or in good condition.
The farmers were then urged to plant orchards immediately and be pre
pared to meet the great demand that would inevitably spring up s but this seed
of advice fell upon stony ground. Wheat was all the fanners could see. ' It
filled their whole horizon. To be sure they all claimed, and truly, that there
was but a bare existence in raising wheat, but none the less they turned a
deaf ear to all advice on the subject of fruit. They had tried fruit years ago
and there was no sale for it, they answered doggedly, utterly unmindful of the
revolution in transportation conditions that had taken place, or totally unable
to comprehend its significance. A few started orchards, but small ones and
of too great a variety of fruits. They had not enough confidence in the
business to plant large orchards, nor did they understand it enough to see
that a successful orchardist must be prepared to ship large quantities of the
same kind of fruit, while small lots of varied kinds must be disposed of in
the local mrrket
As in the days of old there arose a Pharaoh " who knew not Joseph, "
to there came to the Columbia basin men who knew not wheat, who were
free from the old prejudices that bound the older settlers hand and foot, and
who saw the possibilities of the fruit business. Despite the ominous predic
tions of those who had "tried it years ago," they planted orchards of a few
personal attention, will never regret the time he followed the westward course
of the star of empire.
STEAMER "CITY OF SEATTLE."
The past few years has seen a wonderful improvement in the character
of the passenger steamers plying on Puget sound. In fact, such a revolu
tion in transportation conditions was never before witnessed. Not more than
half a dozen years ago the traveler on the sound was loaded upon a little
steamer that puffed, and trembled and sputtered, filling his mind with agoniz
ing doubts as to just what particular moment she would decide to go to the
bottom. A steamer (hat started when she was ready, either before or after
(he regular time, and arrived when she could. Hut the wonderful growth of
the Puget sound cities called for belter facilities, and the Olympian, I'rtmitr
and others were added to the fleet, and mure recently the Ciljr Kingitm,
Bailey Cattrrt, Ttltphmt and City of Stattlt. The latter is owned by the
Puget Sound & Alaska Steamship Co., and was built esieciully for the sound
passenger traffic. The acconianying engraving shows her beautiful lines,
She has been run on the Victoria route, but at present makes the round trip
between Tacoma, Seattle, Port Townsend, Anacones, Fairhaven, Sehome
and Whatcom. Other fine passenger steamers are being built, and era long
Puget sound will rival Long Island sound and the St. Lawrence in the num
ber and elegance of her floating palaces.