Abstract:
The Chelan Valley is one of several valleys located on the
eastern slope of the Cascade Mountains contributing to the leadership
of Washington in apple production. Since the nature of the
activity in the Chelan Valley is typical of all these producing areas,
it was selected as a case study of this important segment of the
agricultural economy of Washington. The study presents an analysis
of the principal factors, both environmental and human, basic to the
localization of apple production in this valley. The structure,
organization, and problems are examined and the potential is
analyzed.
The principal findings are as follows: the physical requirements
of apples are nearly ideally met by the combined environmental
conditions of temperature, slope, soils, drainage and
irrigation water supply. Development of the activity, however, has
been the responsibility of dedicated growers who have been quick both to perfect and to accept improved techniques in the interest of
selling a quality product on distant markets. This includes concentration
upon four varieties: Red Delicious, Golden Delicious, Standard
Delicious, and Winesap. The Standard Delicious and Winesap
were the main early commercial varieties, but they are now being
replaced by the Red and Golden Delicious varieties. It is the Red
Delicious that has become famous as the Washington State apple.
The typical orchard, in contrast to other forms of farming in
the nation, is small in acreage. A majority of units contain ten to
twenty acres. Apple orchards in the Chelan Valley, however, rank
among the highest of the forms of agricultural land in value per acre.
Much of the factual material presented in this thesis is applicable
only to the Chelan Valley, but conclusions and inferences are
applicable to the Washington State apple industry as a whole.
