The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-10-01
HOOD RIVER APPLES BEST
oregonian of Sunday, Sept. 20.

Hood River, Or, Sept. 10. (To thu
Editor In your issue Of the 18th instan
you publish an interview with John D
Olwell, Of Rogue river valley, in which
he is quoted as saying:
| am informed that Hood River grow.
ers are selling Spitzenburgs for 81 box
and Newtowns for $l.80. The disparity
between Hood River and Rogue river
is only apparent, however. The Hood
River boxes are larger than ours, and
consequently are quoted higher in the
market. But the fact is that prices al
both places are on the same level. Our
boxes are the California size.
In reply to this | want to state that
our entire crop of Spitzenburgs and Yel-
low Newtowns has been sold at the pric-
es he quotes and we have received 81 900
deposit on the sale, the apples to be de-
livered as soon as possible after being
picked.
Mr.. Olwell's statement in regard to
the size OF the boxes, however, is mis-
leading. We use boxes Of the two sizes
that we're adopted at the last convention
of the Northwest Fruit Growers asso-
citation. One box is known as the stan
dard, or Oregon, and the other as the
special, or California. The standard
box is wider, deeper and shorter than
the special, and contains 2619 cubic
inches less space. Instead of saying
that the growers in the Rogue river val
lev were selling apples in smaller box
for less money than in Hood River, Mr..
dwell should have said that they were
selling in larger box for less money.
To be candid and fair with our Rogue
river brothers, we are using both sizes,
and get the same for our apples packed
in either box, as approximately there is
no difference. The California box con-
tains our smaller apples and the few
cubic inches in contents is thrown in to
make up for size. might add for
the information of our Rogue river
brothers that we have just shipped two
carloads of mixed varieties of cheaper
apples at prices as surprisingly high as
those quoted above. Now, | want to
ask Mr.. Olwell to admit that, if his val
lev is only receiving $150 box for the
same apple for which we are receiving
81, we must have either so cents bet
ter apple or an organization that is get
ting us so cents better price. Perhaps
we have little of both.
TO those who are seeking a location for
growing apples and are comparing Hood
River valley with Rogue river valley,
want to extend an invitation to visit us,
and we will endeavor to prove to them
that we are second to none, in natural
location for apple culture. Our
soil, climate and access to markets are
some of our winning points. For five
cents box we can place our apples in
Portland, where we have competition
on freight rates with four transconti-
mental railroads and several ocean
steamship lines.
Mr.. Olwell's common usage of his val
ley's name as prefix to ours causes US
to smile. We have learned to say Hood
River, then Rogue River. However, we
won't quarrel over this, for it is that
spirit in any community that makes
life worth living and places all OF us on
the road to success.
Mr.. Olwell referred to a commission |
in Portland, who said: 1.-THE !
apple industry in Oregon was on the
decline from Goblin moth" To that
/ want to extend an invita-
ton to visit our valley. I'll meet him
at the depot with a two-seated carriage, |
give him free dinner, free ride over
our valley ,and send him home with a
box of our 81 apples, in order that we
might know to whom we could ship our
apples without being misrepresented.
To that merchant let me present. a
thought. The Goblin moth is not bad
enemy to the successful, up-to-date and !
apple grower. 1t removes
the indolent, ,shiftless and slOvenly apple
grower from the field of competition,
and leaves the grower and his fruit the
pride of his community, state and ma
ton.
In Justice to Mr.. dwell l want to
say, he is one of our most progressive
apple growers, and will do justice to the
state in representing her horticultural
interest at the Lewis and Clark fair.
No better man could have been appoint
ed to have charge of our fruit industry.
Yes, Brother Olwell, Hood River will
meet Rogue river both at the st. Louis
and the Portland fairs, and we will en-
deavor to make each a success and bring
back our share of the blue ribbons, and
we will both endeavor to prove to the
world that the state of Oregon is second
to none in the fruit industry, and it
will be our special duty to impress upon
the minds of those seeking a profitable
or investment to come 'Where
rolls the Oregon" A. |. MASON.
President apple growers union.