The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-05-26

habitants as ii spreads over the valley.
While this is not damp climate, the
precipitation is sufficient for most pur-
poses. The weather bureau report for
last year-1903-wa II inches.
Fine fir timber abounds in the upper
valley, sufficient to supply the inhabi-
tants for many years to come. Gushing
springs come from the foothills supply
ing the deliciously clear cool water; this
is especially true of the upper valley
Here too, the soil is OF the very best, and
some Of the best apples come from
around the base Of Mount Hood. Unim-
proved lands in the upper valley sell to-
day at prices ranging from $l2to $25 per
acre, while improved ranches in the
lower valley, that are planted to fruit and
partially or wholly in bearing, command
good prices, ranging up to 500 per acre.
Hood River will ship this season 240
car loads OF strawberries that averages
to the grower $l.75 per crate. An acre
will yield, when properly cultivated, as
much as 200 crates of berries. The cost
per crate for cultivation is reckoned at so
cents.
Apples do much better. A seven-year-
old tree will yield from three to five
boxes of merchantable fruit, and at nine
years as much as 20 boxes. There are
orchards in the valley that will yield 25
boxes per tree this season. Eighty trees
are generally planted to the acre. A 10
acre tract, therefore, will have 800 trees,
and at seven years old will yield three
boxes to the tree or 2400 boxes, and at
eight years five boxes to the tree or 1000
boxes. At nine years old these same
trees, if they have been well taken care
of, can reasonably be expected to give to
the fortunate owner from S000to 10000
boxes OF apples If they are of the leading
varieties, they will sell for 81 80 per box,
The entire crop Of Newtowns and Spitz-
enbergs of this seasons crop sold at
$3.50 to 81 25, while the growers got
85 cents for their Ben Davises.
The City OF Hood River is picturesque
little town of 400 inhabitants. 1t lies
nestled along the south bank of the match
less Columbia River, on the line of the
Oregon Railroad & Navigation Company,
66 miles east of Portland, at a point on
the west bank of Hood River, where
that turbulent stream empties its waters
into the Columbia.
The river itself is marvel of wonder
and beauty from its source to where it
mingle its crystal waters with those of
the Columbia, and together they flow
peacefully on to the sea.
The city is regularly laid out has wide
streets that are lined with oak trees--a
species of that tree peculiar to the Pacific
Coast = with their wide spreading
branches under whose ample and invit-
ing foliage restful moments may be en-
joyed ona summer day. On the south
is a rise of 200 feet. Fringed along the
gently sloping sides of this hill and facing
the city and the Columbia, are groves Of
small oaks and pines, and hidden away
among these are some of Hood Rivers
beautiful homes.
To the north, across the Columbia
River, in the State of Washington, stands
Mount Adams. resplendent in its beauty
of perpetual snow, its hoary head pierre
ing the sky at an elevation Of 1920 feet
above sea level. Just at the foot of the
city, its waters flowing westerly is the
broad expanse of the Columbia, its busy
mart of steam and sail passing in pano-
ramic view before the beholder.