| By the 1920s, Washington had surpassed New York as the leading apple-producing state in the nation. While boosters argued that the state's success was due to favorable natural conditions, the development of the fruit industry was also the result of corporate investment, real estate promotion, science and technology, the construction of large infrastructure systems, and modern marketing methods. In short, the combined efforts of the railroads, real estate boosters, agricultural colleges, growers cooperatives, and individual farmers working toward the common goal of growing high quality apples made the industry successful.;The period from 1890 to 1930 was an era of experimentation as experts studied various aspects of the apple industry from planting trees to consumer purchases. In this respect, the Washington apple industry was part of the national trend toward industrialization and consolidation. Washington was 3,000 miles from eastern markets, so it benefited from the construction of transcontinental rail lines and the increased demand for commercially-grown fruit in urban areas. Irrigation projects turned the sage-covered Yakima and Wenatchee valleys of central Washington into the most profitable apple-growing regions in the state. Scientific and technological advancements allowed farmers to grow high-quality, pest-free fruit.;In response to high shipping costs, growers adopted modern marketing and advertising methods, such as branded labels, print ads, and recipe booklets, to convince consumers to pay more for Washington apples when less expensive, eastern apples were plentiful. Growers set Washington apples apart by emphasizing standardization, and they formed cooperatives that worked closely with the railroads to enforce high quality grading standards, coordinate shipments, and open new markets for their fruit. Initially, dozens of varieties were grown in Washington, by the 1930s, as part of the trend toward standardization, only four key varieties were grown commercially. Despite their reluctance, these orchardists gradually moved toward industrialization, and by the 1920s, Washington growers had become the leading apple-producing state in the nation.;This study uses the corporate records of the Great Northern and Northern Pacific Railways, local newspapers, agricultural bulletins from Washington State College, and Better Fruit, the leading horticultural magazine in the Pacific Northwest. |
