The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-01-17
9{ood River Glacier
FRIDAY, JANUARY II, 1902.
The Oregon Apple.

People in Portland see littleoi the ilne
apples produced in Oregon. The best
fruit has small sale in this city, owing
to the demand for it abroad, the conse-
ouently high price, and the local abund-
ance Of second grade apples. Indeed
the apples for which Oregon is famed
come to Portland onlyin samples. lhe
great producing districts OF the state
are so situated that most OF the iruiteX-
ported does not come through
Portland on its way to the Eastern
states and Europe, and Portland dealers
do only a small part Of the business.
Production of apples on large scale
for consumption abroad has only Just
begun, and there is no definable limit
toit. All that Oregon can produce Will
but whet the appetite Of the world SO
relatively small is the potential output
OF the state compared with the demands
Of consumption. Apples have carried
"Oregon ito the mouths OF the multi
tudinous world, but not all Oregon has
done it. In all the $4,000 square miles
OF this state two comparatively small
producing districts-the one at Hood
River. the other about Medford, Southern
Oregon, and third on lesser scale
Union county, these three have made
the fame of Oregon apples,
Oregon is famed abroad perhaps more
for apples than for anything else. A
native of this state, in an Eastern city,
forgets hislonelinessi in the companion
ship of his red-cheeked cousins, which
show off every fruit stand from atar' 10
boast Of kinship with these superb prod
ucts of modern Eden is one OF the priv
lepes of the native Oregonians abroad,
and the highest tribute to their pedl-
gree.
All the apples exported from Oregon
are labeled "Oregon." 1t is a popular
misconception, say shippers, that Cali
fornia labels are attached to Oregon ap
pies. The reputation made by Oregon
apples abroad would seem to bear ou'
their testimony. The fruit is packed II
the districts where it is produced, by
skilled hands who know how to grade
and arrange it according to the demands
of the trade. From the Medlord dlstrlc
in Southern Oregon apples have Deei
exported for many years. Hood KlVe
has not enjoyed fame so long, but II
many Eastern markets its product
seem to have a small preference. EX
portation of apples is increasing eacl
wear. The outside demand this seasol
is especially strong, owing, perhaps, :
the short crop in the East. Although
the grade OF fancy Oregon stock is aDoy
that OF fruit produced elsewhere, ana
therefore, out of competition with IN
latter, the shortage OF the Eastern Gro
is taken as a stimulant to requlsitlon
upon Oregon. The Orient has consume
sample quantities OF Oregon apples !
the past few years. Several shipment
by Portland merchants have been mad
to Siberia, China and Japan this season
The apples were not OF the best varet
for export, but they found much fave
in the Orient. Freight charges acro'
the Pacific are SO much cheaper than
New York, about three-fiths, that I'll
market in the Orient would be MOI
profitable if it could be enlarged tina
the market in the Eastern states an
England The loss from deterioratio
is greater on shipboard than on car
but it does not correspond to the diffe
ence in freight rates between Oregon an
the Orient and Oregon and the Easter
states.
The three outside markets for Oregc
apples are in the Eastern states, Eurol
and the Orient. Each Of these has |
own ideal OF what an apple ought to b
The Chinese, for example, prize sma
green apples, preferably Virginia Gree
ings, above all else. The English Ill
yellow apples the best, and Yello
Newtowns is cheir choice. In the Eas
ern states the deep red apple, with /
brilliant lustre aud its blending hues,
the favorite. Southern Oregon eXpor
more apples to Europe than any distri
in the state. Hood River devotes itse
more to the red varieties and the Eas
ern market.
Opinion differs as to the reason for Il
higher estimation in the East of Hoo
River fruit than OF Southern Orego
One local dealer says Hood River is
more mountainous district, and mo
subject to climatic changes, such as a
adapted to production of hardy truI
Another says that, although the Hoo
River fruit is better looking than u
other it is not equal in taste. thi
saws it is due to the way Southern Or
gon growers pack the boxes. And
fourth maintains that comparison b
tween the fruit OF the two districts CT
be only tentative, because OF the varie
of elevations which the two sections /
ford, The last merchant says that &
fruit of the two places is equal In qua
ty, but that apples can be chosen fro
either which will suffer or profit by col
parison with the apples OF the other.
The reason why the Willamette vail
is not large producer ofapples for c
port comes down from former geneI
ton. Farmers OF the valley have Il
yet learned, or, perhaps, have not dire
ed their efforts toward growing apples
a large scale. This same disposition
seen in other methods Of husbandry,a "a
will be recognized by any one who ]
fleets on it. 1t pays to pack and sh
apples to an outside market only VIII
they are grown on a large scale. The
are many varieties OF apples in the VI
ley of excellent quality, but the grove
who produce a given kind in lar
O., n
the number OF fingers on one hand.
Wnen the pioneers came to the W
lamette valley they planted Just enou
trees for family needs, or for the ecC
omic conditions of the time. Their so
have inherited this habit, The {
orchards are preserved as heirloOms
if with religious devotion. They ha
become asylums for apple pests, a
all the ills that the fruit Is heir to. VIII
they have been uprooted and renewt
they have been replaced mostly on I
same plan of old Oregon. The tour
sees this even from the car wIndO
eNemplihed in crooked, scraggy, gnarI
trees, bent with the burden of yea
clinging to the remnant of life like
men past their day.
But although little or no valley app
90 to the Eastern states or Europe, II
believed that the quality of the lruit
which this district is capable OF yieldiI
will cope with the fastidiousnesS of
export trade The problem is TO prodJ
the half dozen best varieties in suthcit
Quantity Tor shipment. OF course, G
problem includes preservation of
apples from the pests which aft
it, the destruction Of the orchards VIII