The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-09-22
OREGON FRUIT
WORLD.FAMED

lowing splendid article descriptive o
Hood River and the Oregon apple t.
the Evening Pajaronia of Watsonville
Hood River valley, Oregon, is Justly
famed for its high grade Spitzenburs
and Yellow Newtown apples and iti
wonderful strawberry-the Clark Seed
ling, which stands shipment from 7 tC
10 days across the continent and arrive.
in Eastern markets in excellent condi
ton. The Hood River valley is one o
the most prosperous districts of the
Webfoot state, and its orchardlsts and
berry growers are building along safe
and permanent lines. Quality of theil
product is first consideration with them.
The markets they are gaining for their
apples and berries they are making easy
to retain, as they have set their grading
of quality at high notch and they are
maintaining it.
The Hood River valley is about &C
miles east of Portland and runs south
from the Columbia river to the lower
range of Mount Hood, one of the highest
of the many snow-capped peaks of the
Northwest The valley is 20 miles long
and miles wide. Its area is double the
area OF Pajaro valley, but its form is not
similar. 1t is called valley, but the
proportion of what is called "valley
land" in California is small. Much OF
it is rolling ground, and the valley is
broken by a range of hills into upper
and lower valleys. The lower hills are
being given over to orchards, and the
pine and fir trees which cover the slopes
in their native state are being cut down
and removed to make way for apple
trees. Much of the apple orchard sec
ton is as rolling as the foothills country
bordering our Green valley. The bench
or upland is preferred for apples. 1t
costs about S75 per acre to clear the pine
and fir covered land, and cleared land,
suitable for tree planting, sells from $3.50
per acre upward. Sales of bearing Or
chards have been made up to $500 per
acre and while orchardists look upon
high grade bearing orchards as being
worth that figure, sales are infrequent-
the owners of good bearing orchards do
not want to dispose of them. They say
they can find no other investment which
will bring in such high and safe returns.
The Hood river flows northward
through the valley and empties into the
Columbia river east of the town of Hood
River. Most of the apple orchards are
on the east side OF the river, while on
the west side the strawberry is king.
The town of Hood River is one of the
most prosperous of the small towns of
Oregon. Several brick blocks were be-
ing constructed while we were there,
and several blocks were planned for
early building. There is business ac-
tiyity in the river town, and evidences
are plentiful that it is one of the best
trading points in the WebfOot state. In
fact, Oregon's apple towns-Medford
leading apple center, Yakima, exhibit a
marked building and business growth
far beyond the showing of their neigh
bors. The numbering interests of the
valley are valuable adjunct to the
trade of Hood River. One of Oregon s
largest saw mills is on the Columbia
river at the eastern edge of the town
Hood River has a population Of over
1900 and trading population of at least
5000. Across the Columbia in Wash
ingtun is the White Salmon numbering
and orchard district, the trade of which
comes to Hood River. The town is on a
bluff or cross range Of hills fronting the
Columbia, and between it and the river
is the through line of the o. r. q N. Co.,
a part of the Hartman railway system
In any article on the fruits of the
Hood River valley the strawberry will
have prominent place. In acreage the
Hood River valley has the largest straw
berry district on the Pacific coast, and
its 1900 acres CT strawberries are con-
fined to one variety-the Clark Seed
ling-the most famous of the many
famed Strawberries of the United States.
Other varieties may produce more per
acre, but no other has yet reached the
high price average of the Clark or equal.
ed it in shipping qualities. 1t has been
sent across the Pacific ocean to Japan
in small lots, it has been shipped into
Dawson, it is sold every season in st.
Paul, Minneapolis, Chicago, Omaha,
Denver and Kansas City, and this sum-
mer a carload, IA days on the road, was
marketed in Massachusetts. The hold.
IllS up Vi lIlC Wal DIl dN JULY 10 llluI-
velous. 1t seems to be alone among
strawberries in that quality. Hood
River valley is the natural home of this
variety Of strawberry. 1t has been
planted in all the large strawberry dist
rict, but has been cast aside because it
does not bear nor mature as in Hood
River valley. Some years ago James
Waters of this valley planted tract in
Lindley district to Clark Seeding. The
fruit was perfect in form and flavor, and
did not rot in keeping-it dried up; but
though it sold easily at fancy prices, the
pickers would not handle it because
they could make more money in picking
the heavy crops Of the larger varieties.
Its shy bearing cut it out out in this
district.
About 1900 acres of Hood River valley
were in Strawberries this year. 1t is es-
timated that the acreage will be much
less next year as some of the patches are
over their prime, and the sharp compe.
tition of Missouri and Arkansas straw
berries the past season has caused many
growers to conclude that the risk is too
great in growing strawberries for mar
kets 1900 or more miles distant. They
are turning to apples as a safer and
probably more profitable crop. The
Hood River strawberry has to seek a
distant market. The cheaper berries Of
points nearer the large cities supply the
trade of Portland, Seattle and Tacoma.
The cost of transportation is big item,
and hence they have to sell above a
dollar crate of "a quarts,-say IS per
chest, Pajaro valley style of packing
at Missouri river points to give grower
a chance to see the beginning of any
profit. The sales this year because Of
Missouri and Arkansas competition late
in the season, fell dangerously near
wipe-out of profits to the grower. The
Hood River berry usually reaches the
mid-continent markets when the berry
fields of the Western states have ceased
production. This year the Western
states had long season of production,
and the Hood River berries were mar
keted at Missouri river points when
home berries at low prices had the
market call.
The strawberry season lasts about five
weeks, and the yield is usually heavy.
The fields are irrigated, the water being
brought down the west side of the val
lo,r ~ On aIava tion which gives annie