The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1903-05-21

cents to $3.50 a day. At that rate a
family of five can earn from $3.50 to
$500 during the month. The pickers
are paid by the box at the rate OF 16
cents each. Quite a large number OF
persons are employed as packers, and
are paid y cent per box, or wages by
the hour. 1t is lighter work than pick
ing, and persons who cannot pick profit
ably do well in the packing rooms"
when does the picking season COM
mence?"
"About May 20, and is at its best
about June 10, and ceases about July -
''Do the growers haul the camping
outfits from the station to the farm and
back again?"
"Yes, it is customary do so, by nearly
all the growers, and cooking houses are
also provided in some cases. The grow
ers try to make it as pleasant and profit
able for their pickers as possible. I"
What wages are paid on the farm?'
"Hired men get from 81 to $1.25 day
and board, and girls, to do housework,
can earn from So to $5 week."
lis there much demand for this sort of
work."
eyes, greater than the supply. Farm
ers are looking for men every day, and
the demand for girls as domestics is al
most impossible to supply"
SECURING A HOME.
'If | were to come to Hood River and
want to buy tract of land for growing
Strawberries or apples, where would you
advise me to buy, what would be the
cost, and what would be the probable
profits?"
"Much depends upon the state of your
finances. If you have enough money to
buy what you want and pay cash, and
have some money left over to live on, |
would advise you to buy an improved
piece of land, but if not you can do bet
ter to rent. By industry you can then
make enough money to later buy and
own tract of land without going in
debt. There are hundreds of acres of
strawberry land which the owners will
rent, for from SIS to $40 an acre in ad-
vance, and which will return to the
renter, when set to berries, 500 to $3.50
to the acre. 1t is estimated that a man
and family can take care OF ten acres
and hire no help except during the pick
ing season. Water for irrigation costs
from So to $5 an acre per season. The
cost of picking and Grating two dozen
boxes of berries is Ga cents, and the
average yield through the valley is $50
crates to the acre, which sell at from "a
to $l,50 crate, or an average of about
So a crate, which leaves as profit above
all expenses about $3.50 an acre. Ten
acres in strawberries will bring in $500
or more a year. There is no place where
man with an industrious wife and
children can succeed so well as at Hood
River on a small farm A woman, as
an example, can tend to the irrigating
bitches, trim the vines and do other
things and earn mans wages.
"The season for attending strawberry
farm is about six months, from April to
October, which leaves six months which
can be utilized in some other way. Most
of the uncleared lands in Hood River
valley are covered witha growth of pine,
fir, oak or brush timber and this can be
cut down, grubbed and burned during
the idle season. These uncleared lands
can be bought at prices ranging from $40
to $50 an acre, depending upon loca-
tion. When the same land is cleared
and set out in Strawberries or bearing
fruit, it is worth from $3.50 to $500 an
acre, the difference in the price between
wild and cultivated land being repre-
rented principally by the labor put on it,
Thus man clearing ten acre tract
could put in from $500 to 5000 work dur
ing each winter, the weather being but
little interruption to his work"
"Are not the prices at which land is
being sold rather high?"
"No, | think not. Our own people here
are buying these lands at the prices and
consider it good investment, and when
a tract of land is once cleared and nicely
improved there is a good demand for it
by persons who do not want to work and
wait for the same condition"
"What do you consider is the future
of the fruit industry at Hood River?"
81 look for the apple belt to be on the
foothills on the east side of Hood river,
and the strawberry belt on the west side,
where the soil is better adapted to
Strawberries and not so good for apples.
The contemplated new water ditch on
the east side will be great advantage
to that section as the present ditch has
been to this side of the valley"
'How are the settlers in the upper end
of Hood River valley going to get their
products to market cheaplyP"
"At present they bring them Is miles
by team, but it will not be many years
until the products there and settlement
will warrant the construction of rail
road along the banks OF Hood river, and
it could easily be electrified, as there is
available in Hood river over 100000
horsepower.
AN IRRIGATGNG DITCH.
"An Idaho syndicate is now obtaining
a right of way for an irrigating ditch
which will carry 10000 inches of water
and cover about 1900 acres OF fruit
and farm land. This ditch will have
about 200 feet elevation above the bed OF
the river, and will be capable of develop.
ing an immense power. 1t will cost
something like 100000, and is to be
rushed through to completion.
"The upper end of Hood River valley is
now in part a virgin forest Of fine tim
ber, but as soon as those trees are cut
out the farmer will follow with AK and
grubbing hoe, and orchards and straw
berries will be planted there. We have
the soil and the climate for strawberries
and apples, and it only needs capital
and energy to develop the country, and
the people are coming in rapidly and
making themselves homes. The future
Of Hood River looks good to me"
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
Rapid and reliable transportation IA
cilities are of great importance to fruit
growing district, and in this respect
Hood River is admirably situated The
products can he readily shipped over
four transcontinental rallroads-the Ua-
ion Pacific, Southern Pacific, Great
Northern and Canadian Pacific, besides
being in easy reach of water transporta-
ton north and south along the coast.
VALUE OF COOPERATION.
The fruit growers here have learned
from past experience that success is
largely dependent upon cooperative or
ganization in the distribution of their
products, and hence the Fruitgrowers
Association here has been prominent
factor in the fruit industry of the valley.
LARGE NUMBER OF TELEPHONES.