The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1901-08-02
Hood River Strawberries.

Hood River Strawberries. d
The following article appeared in the
Practical Fruit Grower, Springfield, No.
and was written by Henry 7. Williams,
Am extensive fruit grower in Arkansas
and Colorado, who has been sojourning
in orr valley for the past three months;
Wherever one goes in the Northwest
at the proper time Of the year, in spring,
he will find in all the stores OF every
neiphborhood one sign: Hood River
Strawberries. Underneath that sign
are gathered in crates some Of the most
tempting sights in beautiful strawberries
that a person ever beholds. In little
square boxes, holding just about pound
each, or little less than quart, are ar
ranged in regular rows, just like apples,
face side up, large, handsome, firm dark
red berries, OF most inviting appearance
All crates are packed alike, all boxes
faced, all berries the same color, one var
iety only-everywhere alike, every day,
all the season. That sign wherever dis
played settles the fate OF every strawber-
rv from every other part of the country.
No other berry can be sold with favor
Int this one variety, and from but one
nlace-the true home OF its adoption
Hood River, Oregon.
There are certain peculiar merits con-
nected with this berry and the LOCALITY
where raised-which makes it unlike
any other variety, so exceedingly dlln-
emit of imitation or of competition that
il constitutes a chapter in horticulture
verv remarkable. This variety is called
the Clark's Seeding. 1t has been tried
in other places, west and east, in other
grown here. The same VARIETY Is not
like itself when removed from here to
any other section.
Here it is large firm berry, solid,
deep red colored, flesh to the centre, SO
firm and its skin so close and tough that
it will carry for days in open crates with.
out any change or variation, and so solid
in its character that when canned it re-
tains its color, form, solidity and flavor
so perfectly that it can be taken from
the cans and placed on the table IN
nearly the same perfect appearance II
has when gathered fresh so it becomes
the ideal favorite of households for can
ming and preserving and home canned
berries can be called upon all the yeal
for either strawberries and cream, short
cake or any other of the uses that straw
berries have. In canning it retains Its
firmness, not breaking the skin, the ber
nv does not dissolve into mush nor tho
iuiee leave the fruit and spread al
through the can. However, the uses
and the demand for it fresh for the table
are such that not enough are raised t
meet the demand, and while it lasts ne
competition is able to displace 1t ant
none fills it place. 1t seems to have
found place of its own and fills 1t tt
perfection.
The profits from its culture are mos
encouraging. have never seen straw
berry fields on the face OF the earth cul
tivated with such care and attention a
the best fields receive here. Straigh
rows are run in one direction and a
straight ones across them in another
and at the intersection a plant is set. A
much care is used in putting them on
as if it was an orchard, and if You stan
in any position you will find the plant
in rows all ways, just like trees ar
placed, in the same beautiful regularity
These rows are kept constantly cultivat
ed-one way by horse cutvators in row
2l5 feet apart, the other way by han
cultivators, rows 10 to Is inches apart
All plants are kept in hills No runner
are allowed to form. While picking tn
pckers are instructed to pinch ever
runner off After the crop is gathere
the grower has a large circular cutie
with sharp edge and long handle, whic
he uses frequently, going up and dow
the rows, which he lifts and sets dow
forcibly over every plant and cuts off a
runners starting around. The hills al
preserved for four, five or even six yea
but usually four years is considered tn
limit of profitable growth. The numb'
of plants or hills per acre is usually 10
600 to 1900
All growers use water for irrigation
Constant cultivation and irrigation
kept up until the time for picking come
but irrigation is not excessive and do
not make the berries soft. When We
cultivated the hills average one box
pound each, which, il that proportiC
we're kept up over a field, would be u
crates OF a boxes each per acre.
practice the best Yields are 800 crates,
trifle over for the best places, and Il
common average is $50 crates per acr
The picking is done by Indians, WI
come here in large numbers from nearl
reservations, and do the picking for
cents per quart Those who face Il
berries receive i cent per quart. III
berries are often very uniform and c.
be packed in rows in the box, similar
apples, and the top layer is always la
in regular rows Picking lasts from fol
to six weeks, owing to difference in el
walton where raised. The country
loud and picturesque in color, Eve
Indian wears multi-colored blank
and every squaw a bright shawl.
Prices are very extraordinary II
honor of having the first berries fire
Hood River is coveted by many place
but usually Seattle gets the first crat
The price sold at there is usually 90 cen
per pound box. The first crate this sc
son brought the grower SIP During t
the first week growers received a n
avaraga urica of $5 per crate. and {