The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1902-07-25

Gulc tODt
There seems To be an increasing de-
mand each year for Hood River ber-
ries. This year the companies could
not fill all their orders even at the ex-
treme high prices paid. One man has
hauled in close to three thousand crates
of Strawberries off of twenty acres, and
will take off quite nice lot of cherries
from the same ground. and by next
year the cherry crop will bring nearly
as much money as the berries, and
after that will be the paying crop. All
the land here is. strawberry land, while
part Of it is good orchard or fruit land.
Strawberry growing Is the sure
thing crop every year. 1t requires
about as much work to cultivate one
acre of Strawberries as it dose TO raise
four acres of corn. The net profits per
acre after paying for cultivation, pick
ing and packing crates etc, will run
from $3.50 to $3.50 per acre this year
When / came here last year land was
selling for from $l25 to $l65 per acre,
now it is selling for $3.50 to $3.50 per
acre, with but little on the market,
There is plenty of improved land on
the market, but the price is also ad-
vancing in ratio of the improved lands.
Unimproved land can be bought for
from $40 30 500 per acre, according to
location. Ten or fifteen miles back it
can be bought for as low as five or ten
dollars per acre, very rich, productive
strawberry and apple land.
People can make no mistake by in
vesting in Hood River valley land at
present prices, either for homes or as a
speculation. Hood River valley straw
berries bring the highest average price
df any berries grown on the continent,
from beginning to end Of the season.
They will bear shipping farther and
keep longer than berries grown else
where. They possess flavor and keep
ing quality peculiar to this locality.
Last year they were carried in good
condition to Hong Kong, China. This
year trial consignment was sent
there but up to the present no reports
have been received.
The apples grown here are also SUI
perior, and bring a higher price than
apples grown elsewhere. Last year
the best apples in the valley were
loaded here for European markets, and
already there have been people here to
buy apples for the Paris market next
winter. Whenever Hood River valley
people go to fairs, fruit shows and ex-
positions they are sure of bringing
home the medals and leave the favor
able mention for the other fellows.
| Oregon now holds the Wilder medal,
which is national trophy, largely
earned by Hood River. In California
where there is much greater uncertain
ty'o of crops, land that will or does not
yield nearly as large net profits per
acre, sells readily for from S40l to $1,000
per acre, with twelve months hot
sunshire aud dust every year. The
Hood River people are very conserva-
tive and avoid every thing that has
the appearance of speculative boom.
Consequently the growth is slow and
permanent, and the old fogies are not
disturbed in their easy, slow methods
Of doing business Which accounts
for the real estate boomers not being
in evidence, like they were in Findlay
during the natural gas boom there ten
or fifteen years ago. This town and
valley is destined to he in the near
future very popular and important
place as a summer resort. 1t is only
thirty miles from Mount Hood, a per-
petual snow covered mountain, with
an easy grade and of comparatively
easy access to the peak after reaching
the snow line. The easiest of access of
any perpetually snow covered noun
tain on the continent, which will nee
cessarily soon have an electric railway
which will place the mountain within
two hours' ride from here and the steam
boat landing; only sixty-five miles by
railroad from Portland, and eight
hours by steam boat on the Columbia
river, through magnificent scenery.
The opportunity and possibility is here
| Whoever gets in on the ground floor
will gather in sono coin. Can't help
IL. Anybody who Is, or may become
Interested In the resources of this wall
ley, can get all the information there
Is to be gotten by writing Messrs.
briggs, Culberton 4 Co the leading
real estate firm in this valley. They
are in every respect trust worthy busi-
ness men, who will take pleasure in
furnishing all the information at their
command. In addition | want to say
to my friends that | like this country
very well. A place where there are no
cold March winds and snow storms,
no days with from five to fifteen
changes and different kinds of
weather all in one day, pleases the
bad Deacon" pretty well, The
people of Oregon have recently made
some progress that pleases the Deacon,
as well as the weather and climatic
conditions, of which l will speak to
Col. Bell in the future, and | know
he will print them. In the cause of
Altruism, CHARLIE DAVIDSON.