The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1901-10-21
FRUIT
GROWERS
UNION

Hood River Glacier: At meeting OF
the strawberry growers and others iu-
terested in the fruit industry was held at
Salem, October 18th. A report of the
meeting SAYS: at was decided that an
effort should be made in the near future
TO organize the strawberry growers OF
this locality into a fruit union, on the
same plan as = union was formed at
Hood River. IL was stated that Hood
River growers RECEIVED an average OF
S2.l3 per crate for their berries while
Salem growers received only from 60 to
60 cents per crate. A large part OF the
difference in the price was attributed to
the fact that Salem growers are not or
ganizsd 80 m TO be able TO ill orders for
carload lots of berries. IL is now pro.
posed to induce growers in this part OF
the valley to produce a particular class
of berry, 80 as TO secure uniformity, and
TO form union through which the fruit
may be sold. An effort will be made to
secure the aid OF Hood River people in
periecting the organization here. A
higher price for berries here would help
the Hood River growers by stilfening the
market for them. The large area Of
good berry land in this county and the
excellent samples Of berries shown to.
day, lead growers TO declare that Salem
can ship as many and as good berries as
are sent out from the famous Hood River
valley. Whether As good berries for
shipment can be grown at Salem as are
grown at Hood River is a question yet 10
be decided. And while higher price for
berries at Salem might help prices at
Hood River in the local markets, ship.
ments in carload lots would not help
Hood River unless shipments from both
places were made under the came man.
agement.
The above raises the points OF interest
to growers at both Hood River and Sa'
lem, A fruit growers, union at Salem is
indispensable to protect the berry trade
at both places. For instance, the Hood
River berry is grown on the sandy bot
tom land about Salem, and is even g
good crop ON the heavier lands of salem
prairie in favorable locations. The 80.
called Hood River berry is Clark's seed
ling, and grows to the greatest perfection
for the home market and cannery at Sa-
lem, and quite a number OF crates were
shipped from here last year. They were
30 large and fine in color and quality
that they brought orders for more. One
small shipment from Salem TO a Cali
fornia town brought an order for a car
load. The Clark's Seeding grown al
Salem is probably not as good a shipping
berry for distant markets as when grown
at Hood River. But both places cal
produce fruit Of such excellence ant
superiority that they have no need tC
fear Of holding markets. The dilierenc,
in price received by growers at the two
places is so great that AS Salem ship
ments increase they are bound to inter
iere with Hood River trade.
A meeting of the fruit growers Of Sa
lem and vicinity 10 to be held at Salem
on saturday, Nov. 23fd for the purpos,
OF hearing a discussion of the merits o
forming an union of interests locally anC
possibly of avoiding friction and compe-
titlon with Hood River Industria
agent Judson of the S. p. Co. expects /,
have some representative men from
Hood River at that meeting TO tell tn,
growers here how il is done. TnR JouR
NAL believes that the Clark's seedlnr
berries grown here can be handled unde
the Hood River brand with better re
suits TO growers of both sections.