The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1891-05-09
HOOD RIVER.


beyond the boundary of the state, an
enviable notoriety for one class of in
dustry that is capable of immense devel-
opment and profit; we refer to. straw
berry culture. During the season Hood
River strawperries are shipped in all
directions, but the larger towns of Mon
tana Territory afford the largest market
The variety chiefly cultivated is the
Clark's Seeding and there cannot be a
doubt that this strawberry attains great
er perfection there, in everything rela-
ting to quality and flavor, than it does
in its native home in the Willamette
Valley. The Clark's Seeding is an ex-
cellent shipper. This will be readily
believed when we say that Hood River
strawberries have been shipped as far
east as Illinois and then turned out of
the box fresh and nice. The quality
may be judged from the fact that they
have been known to sell at 25 cents a
box in the Portland market when straw
berries raised at Mount Tabor brought
only 10 cents. The fame of Hood River
Strawberries has reached as far as Cali
fornia and an order came some time ago
from New Castle in that state for some
of the plants.
Some idea of the profits of straw berry
raising may be gathered when we inform
the reader that it is estimated that 2000
cases of "a boxes each will be required
to ship this seasons crop while the en-
tire area devoted to strawberry culture,
in the whole valley cannot much exceed
10 acres. The lowest average price re-
ceived last year, by any one person that
we talked with was 13 cents box and
the highest 1424. A two and half
acre patch of land on a steep slope on
the bank of Hood River, admirably adap-
ted to strawberries however, but which,
Il few years ago, before it was improved,
would scarcely have brought the govern
ment price OF a dollar and a quarter an
acre last year produced 1888 crates of
straw berries, which sold at 13 cents a
box, and brought the owner the next
sum of $103S.96 or over $400 an acre.
/ With an irrigating ditch on either side
of the river, which the people will un-
doubtedly have in the near future there
are thousands of acres that are capable
of producing equally with those of Mr..
Coon. Indeed the case of Mr.. Coon is
only that of several others. His neigh
/ Dor Mr.. n. G. Evans is equally success
full with a similar patch which is well
worth going 20 miles to see, and his story
is practically repetition and confirma-
/ tion of the other. Mr.. Locke whose place
is on the Columbia bottom, below what
known as Haynes Spur, either through is
natural modesty or because he was
afraid to tell an old assessor how rich he
was getting, would only say that his
straw berries averaged him last year 1434
cents a box but as Mr.. Loche is one of
the most intelligent farmers in the whole
Hood River Valley we have profound
suspicion that his last years profit were
in no way inferior to the others.
The Hood River strawberries come
early. Last year they beat Southern
| Oregon by days, and this is their COM
mon record.
Replying to question as to the gross
profits per acre to be derived from this
industry Mr.. Evans said: with ordi-
nary field culture $4OO an acre, with high
culture $500 an acre, without water
nothing" Replying to other questions,
he said: without help man can at
tend to three acres, with spending 500
for help, ) acres. The cost of picking
and getting ready for market is about
4 of the gross receipts When we add
that unlike the tenderer fruits straw
berries are a sure crop every year we
shall proved as far as words and facts
can prove the truth of what Mr.. Austen,
Nirginian of years residence in the
valley said to us, GA man can make
living here on smaller piece of land,
and have table luxuries of his own rails
ing all the year round, than in any place
l have ever been.''