The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1904-02-04
Fruit GrOwing in Hood River.

Hood River, it is fair to say, is bet
ter known for its fruit than any other
section of Oregon. Retailers ON Broad
way display Hood River apples with
placards reading, ''Choice Hood River
Spitzenburgs' and "0regon Pippins."
At the Waldorf Astoria and aboard the
great transatlantic liners, "Hood River
apples" may be found listed with the
other fruits on the menu cards, and dn-
ring May and June, "Hood River straw
berries" are sold at leading groceries
and fruit stands in all the principal cit
les OF the Rocky mountain and Missouri
valley states. Fruit dealers in all parts
OF the United States, who might have
difficulty in pointing to Oregon on the
map, know Hood River to be a great
fruit country somewhere in the far West
With Hood River farmers fruit grow
ing is made a business to be scientifical-
ly studied and mastered in all its de-
tails. Varieties are selected for thrift
ness and commercial value. In the or
chard the trees are planted 28 or 80 feet
apart, carefully pruned each spring, and
the ground thoroughly cultivated and
kept free from weeds. Insect pests and
fungus growths are, kept In subjection
by the use OF winter and simmer
sprays
The soil OF the valley seems peculiarly
adapted TO the production OF large, sound,
welfcolored apples of fine flavor and
keeping qualities, but.were it not that
the orchardists take every possible care
of their trees and fruit, apple culture
would be complete failure. Hood River
apple growersstrive to produce nothing
but frst-class fruit ,and succeeding in this
they receive higher prices than any
other section of the Pacific coast. This
fall the whole crop of Spitzenburgs was
sold under contract at 81 and Yellow
Newtowns at 81 so a box on board the
cars at picking time.
The Hood River apple, crop for 1908
amounted to $4,000 boxes, which was
worth to the growers $4,000. 1t is esti-
mated that hardly one-tenth of the acre,
age planted to orchards is in bearing
while not one-tenth nor even one-twen-
tieth of the available ground is planted.
In the next five years the increase in
production will be very rapid. The or
chards are not large, 25 and 80 acres be-
ing the average orchard for an individ-
ual grower. Incomes of 81 900 and over
for single acre are not uncommon, while
the Davidson Fruit company, which
bought the larger part OF this years crop,
is authority for the statement that
bearing orchard this fall was worth TO
the grower fully $500 an acre.
The principal varieties sought for
planting are the Spitzenburg, Yellow
Newtown, Jonathan and Baldwin. Other
varieties are grown, but not extensively,
and the first two named are considered
the most profitable commercially.
In September of this year the Hood
River Apple Growers union was organ
lied with a membership Of so per cent of
the growers. The organization was very
successful in marketing the crop at
good price. A. l. Mason, for nine years
Portland letter carriers, is president
OF the board of directors, and Joseph A.
Wilson, manager. Some OF the largest
growers are not members OF the union,
to market their apples inde-
pendently.
All apples sold by the union are
packed under the supervision OF expert |
packers. The frnit is Carefully sorted
and graded, each apple is carefully |
wrapped IN paper, the boxes lined, and |
paper is placed between the LAYERS of
apples. In this shape the buyers place
the fruit in the New York markets,
whence some of it finds its way to Eng
and Germany, while some OF the apples
even cross the Pacific to the ports of
China and Japan.
The Hood River strawberry yield for
1903 was nearly 10000 "a pound crates,
which brought into the valley over $3.50
OO0 The yield will be considerably in
creased next year, there being at least
| 900 acres IN bearing plants. A conser-
vative estimate places the average straw
berry yield at from l25 to l50 crates per
acre, while every year some growers
market 800 or more crates from a single
acre. The secret of the great success
Hood River has made in the strawberry
business lies in the firm, large berries
produced and the painstaking care in
grading and packing.
Strawberries are shipped in refrigera-
tor cars, ,and in the height OF the season
a dozen cars day leave for points in the
Rocky mountain states, Kansas, Nebras-
ka, Iowa, the Dakotas, Minnesota and
Cherries are a coming crop for Hood
River. This year extensive shipments
were made for the first time, and the
experiment was very encouraging. The
fruit does we'll, is easily marketed and
has proven very profitable.