The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-06-30
Plant Raspberries, Says Mr.. Davidson.


"The strawberry season just closing
suggests lesson or two that the farm
ers Of Hood River valley would do well
to learn" says II. f. Davidson Of the
Davidson Fruit Co. SIT demonstrates
that rotation OF crops is best for straw
berries; it further teaches that the farm
ers should raise few raspberries and
cherries.
"Land that has produced strawber-
ries year after year showed the need of
a change of crop this year. The fruit
was not Of the quality that grew on
land that had been used for rotation of
crops, as clover or potatoes. A man
who puts but l2 Of his 20 acres into
strawberries will reap more profits than
the farmer who places all of his 20-acre
ranch into berries. He can give the II
acres bester attention for the same cost
and by change Of plants onto new soil
every three or four years the quality of
the fruit will more than make up the
difference in the size OF the patch.
"ilood River must produce berry of
fine quality to compete with the East
ern berry. This year carload of ber-
ries went all the way to Cleveland, Ohio,
where the fruit was distributed into the
cities OF western New York and Penn
sylvania. The fruit is said to have
arrived in very fine shape, But the
dealers there say they cannot handle
anything less than four tier berry,
There are plenty Of home grown five
tier berries, and to get fancy price for
the Oregon berries the fruit must be ,
fancy article. In Chicago the Hood
River berries sold for just twice what
the Michigan berries brought, But the
berries must be extra fancy or the 81 a
crate freight bills will eat away all the
profit.
"Raspberriea are now going at $2
crate, and there is not enough of the
fruit to fill the orders we receive. Every
farmer should plant few, a half acre
or so. They are of little trouble and
can be planted along the fence next to
the irrigating ditches Ii the valley
had the berries, the cannery could afford
to pay 4 cents pound for raspberries
and possibly 5 cents. / wouldn't advise
the farmers to plant extensively to
raspberries, possibly a half acre or 80,
just what farmer and his family can
take care OF without additional expense.
The four or five crates a day he could
bring to town would go a long way
toward paying his grocery bill. The
Outhbert raspberry does we'll in Hood
River.
"If there were enough Of a variety of
fruit grown here the cannery could use
more of it. As it is now, strawberries
are the only fruit for canning extensive
ly. Few dealers care to handle ear
load OF canned strawberries, but if we
could put upa mixed car of strawberries,
raspberries, cherries, tomatoes, etc., we
could find easier markets for the cam
merry products, and we could in this
manner dispose of more canned straw
berries,
"EIood River can grow the best straw
berries in the world, that's fact. But
the farmers must expect to do business
at smaller profit per crate. Unless
they see a dollar profit per crate too
many Of the growers will let the fruit
rot on the vines, This is poor business.
The merchant figures on marginal prof
its and the shrewd farmer must do
likewise il he looks for success in his
undertaking.