The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-02-28

as possible. Whlle one grower may |
feel Justly proud to know that he has
produced crop Of apples superior TO
that which his neighbor has grown, 1t IS
manifestly to his interest to assist his
neighbor TO do equally as well. AS an
illustration OF this, am pleased to cite
you to the experience of the strawberry
growers. From 1898 to 1897 It was prac-
tically impossible to give Hood River
strawberries value until after they ar
rived in an Eastern city, and then each
crate was examined separately and had
different values placed upon them, while
today we fix the value here, and IT is
the exception to find enough variation
in the packs Of reputable growers to
warrant variation in the selling price
This is the result Of uniformity and con-
centrated effort
Hood River apples are experiencing a
desirable change Of status, so that 1t is
not necessary to consign our high grade
apples, for they have an +. Q. b. value
when under reliable packers brands.
Nevertheless, it is sad but true,
that large quantities of our apples
are for various reasons unable to attain
to this standing. The cause to which |
most earnestly call your attention is the
variety.
Ourold orchards show a woeful lack
of knowledge of the relative value OF va
rieties, and some of the more recent
paintings have the appearance OF being
experimental. II a grower engages In
the business merely for the love of occu-
patton, or to see if he can develop and
introduce new varieties from which fu-
ture generations may reap the reward,
then we'll and good; but if he plants an
orchard intending the investment to
produce profitable income, then why
not produce the varieties that have an
established reputation-varieties which
for long years have held a pre-eminent
position, and for which the consuming
world Is clamoring with money in their
hands.
New kinds can be introduced in a
small way, but when it comes to selling
to the public in large quantities they al
ways buy those with which they are
familiar, and take your others on con-
signment.
When you are told that there is moth
ing in name, you are getting the opin-
| ion OF some one who has never dealt
with named packages or brands. Famil-
lar names sometimes condemn as well
as commend, while unfamiliar names
are meaningless.
In apple growing, then, let us select
varieties that are universally known as
the best, for these can be grown to the
highest possible degree of excellence in
Hood River valley. In the best mar
kets, the Newtown Pippin and Spitzen-
berg stand practically in class by them
selves for their superiority as winter
apples. Next comes Jonathan, Wagon
er, and few others that are deserving
of attention, but the man who will plant
or maintain an orchard of such varieties
as Ben Davis, Russets, Stark, Greetings,
Shackleford, Lawler, Arkansaw Black,
Red Russian, Baldwin, Pearmains, Alex
ander, Gano and various other varieties
known locally a" Rogers pippin" if vel,
low, or Rogers Oregon Beauty" if red,
must class himself with the average
grower Of Missouri or New York, and in
seasons Of normal crops will have to be
contented with prices on basis OF Zoe.
to 81. rs per barrel, as freight rates to
common points these days put produc-
ing sections in all parts of the country
on about the same basis, except the
near local markets, whose consumption
and price is comparatively small.
In early life | learned to enjoy the
Rambo, Tulpehocken, Sheepnose, Bell
flower, ETC., and later have taken a par
ticular fancy to the Seek-no-further,
Swaar, and few others along with the
Gravenstein, Spitzenberg and Newtown
Pippin, but my personal taste or prefer
ence doesn't count, for by extensive
correspondence and personal conversa-
tions with the principal buyers for this
country and the foreign markets, | am
forced to the conclusion that if we are to
make money in the apple business we
J must grow and offer for sale the varie.
ties and quality of apples these buyers
have found that their trade demands.
II we do otherwise we cannot continue
to make sales at prices that will be re-
munerative.
When / make these statements | am
not giving you my private opinion based
upon personal likes or dislikes alone, but
the solid opinion of those to whom we
must sell our products, and it matters
not what we may think and hope and
believe, the large buyers have the opin'
ions which are backed up by the coin ol
the realm, and if we wish to exchange
our crops for their coin, we must respect
} their opinions.
Our section is regarded as the favored
spot Of the United States, where Spitzen
bergs and Newtown Pippins reach theil
highest state of perfection. Many Other
, sections have undertaken to obtain this
J recognition, but now that we have sue
! ceeded, the opportunity is opened fol
those who can grow these varieties sue
cessfully to realize something more than
the apple grower in sections with lesser
J reputation. | mean by this that a rep
utation for good goods with good goods
} to back 1t up is worth money
Our apple crop was short last season
but imagine what the condition woulC
t be even this season if there were Is t
20 cars of Ben Davis TO market. We woulC
; be tumbling over each other striving t
. market them at $l.00 per box, as is be
! ing done in other sections of the North
west, while orders for Newtowns and
! Spitzenbergs cannot be filled at $500
5 Now, think for moment what differ
D ent condition it would be to have rs o.
| so, or 100 cars OF the latter, as agains
D the Bens and other varieties.
q II Gravensteins were grown here il
. sufficient quantities and of such qualit,
[ as we had last year, they could be mad,
. as famous as Hood River strawberries
q for they have the quality.
z In conclusion: If you have not plant
! ed, PLANT RIGHT, according to soil, loca
. ton and elevation. If you have planted
( and your varieties are not right, grub on
! the poor trees and replace with goot
I ones, top grating the others with va
/. rieties that will always sell for bi
! money.
Polonization. - This subject wa
2 brought up at the end of this discussion
5 and II was brought out that the Spitzen
r berg apple needs polonizer, while tn,
/ Yellow Newtown is a complete tiowerinI
9 apple in itself and needs no help. In al
; orchard of 800 Spitzenbergs so Baldwin
T would be enough for proper polonization
g the Baldwin being among those recon
y mended for this use.
I Adaptation of Varieties to Soils, b
!. w. A. Slingerland.- do not feel lik
J, talking on this subject today. Their
I are people here who are better takers
a and | will leave 1t to the others.
1 seems to me that il a person wanted
g lesson on that point and would rid
y out through the valley with his eye
}, open he would get all the informatio
e that he wanted. Experience is a goo
s teacher and observation is good teacl
y er. When. We come to notice the soil
I and the orchards planted thereon ther
e are elegant lessons, think, to be learr
ed from them.