The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-09-22

| Spitzenburgs ia this orchard 23I acres
100 trees seven years old and 1870 trees
eight years old, and Mr.. Sears estimated
the crop at 5000 boxes, an average of lC
boxes to the. tree and no tree over eight
years old. The crop looked as large
as estimated The apples were
large, five weeks ago. no small ones
showing. The absence of small fruit is
one of the notable features of this or.
chard. The five-tier has no place there
Three years ago this block of 290 Spitz-
enburgs averaged five boxes per tree,
and part of the trees were only four
years old. The succeeding year an i'm
provement was shown, and last year
they averaged eight boxes per tree. And
it is this stock that sells at 81 25per box
Last year from block of 81 Newtowns
-three-fourths of an acre-they had 5S5
boxes of choice apples, and the crop is
la ger this year. This is very close to a
car Of Newtowns from less than an acr e.
Sears x Porter spray six times each
season for Goblin moth. They use the
white arsenic spray. Before the petals
fall they use Bordeaux and soon after
give the first application of white arse,
mic spray. They also use bands and GO
over them often and carefully. The
Goblin moth does not get many of Sears
4 Porter's apples. The campaign is toe
strenuous for him. Sears & Porter
have crop OF at least 0,000 boxes. III
addition to their home orchard they
have bearing orchard OF 80 acres un
der lease, and have young orchard o
80 acres not yet in bearing. They dc
not commence picking Newtowns and
Spitzenburgs until October TO- They
were first attracted to the valley by a
purchase of apples at The Dalles, while
on their way to Oregon to settle about
II years ago. A boy was selling apples
at the station, they bought some, they
were so good they asked where they were
grown. The boy said, "Hood River" and
when they found where it was they decid-
ed that the place which could produce
such apples was the place for their loca-
ton, and to Hood River they went and
there they remained. Their orchard, the
showing of their industrious and intel
ligent labors, is an object lesson for all
fruit growers and is worth the trip from
the Pajaro vallew to view. Mr.. Sears
very kindly took us over the orchard and
very fully answered all our inquiries.
The work Of himself and partneris doing
much for Hood River valley.
1t is estimated at least 10000 acres of
Hood River district can be profitably
planted to apples. Most of it will have
to be cleared of pine or fir trees.
Tbono n uo . Dnn ,,.o. 4 l..
and the annual increase is expected to
average close to 1000 acres for some
time, But small portion of the acre
age is in full bearing. The new plant
ing is largely by German farmers on
the East Side, and they know how to
care for them. Their young orchards
make handsome showing.
The crop this year is estimated at
10000 boxes. Last year prices lex.
cept for Sears & Porter stOck) were
from $1.80 for Newtowns to $500 for
Spitzenburgs. No prices for this year
had been quoted when we were there,
but Spitzenburg prices were expected
to be as high. The fruit is handled by
the farmers direct or through the ex-
change. The middleman does not get
much of "Iook in" in Hood River val
ley.
There is quite an investment in
Hood River valley lands by Eastern
people. Mr.. Van Horn, Rochester,
N. Y, millionaire, has invested $4,000
in orchard lands and is to invest more.
He bought one tract go acres bearing
and 20 acres to be cleared and plant
ed) for $4,000 Henry T. Williams,
leading peach grower of Ozark, Ark,
is also a heavy investor in apple lands.
The cherry does well, but growers
say it is not as profitable as apples.
On October l3, IA and 10 the apple
growers of Hood River valley will hold
their biennial fair, They are going to
show their best fruit, and then send it
to the st. Louis exposition. 1t will be
an exhibit worth seeing, one which
could be visited with profit by Pajaro
valley apple growers. 1t would be
good thing for the growers of the two
to exchange ideas.