The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-12-28
OVERPRODUCTION
ONLY A BUGABOO
HOOD RIVER NEED HAVE NO FEAR
Apple Business Here on a Firm Basis
Figures That Prove Statement
and Facts That Convince

One OF the questions which the
many persons who are attracted to the
Hood River valley to engage in the
raising of apples are always sure to ask
is "How about overproduction?"
After being fully convinced on every
other point as to the protfiableness of
apple growing in the valley, this is
the only doubt that remains.
1t is not only the subject of much
discussion by strangers, but of those
already engaged in the business. To
those who have made study of the
conditions which prevail now and
which cannot help but prevail in the
future provided the present methods
of marketing and growing fruit are
employed, there is no doubt. They
are unanimous in their opinion of
the stability of the prices for Hood
River aples.
We have frequently endeavored to
secura some statistics on this matter
for the information of prospective
buyers, but every one connected with
tn apple business has Eeen so busy
until recently that we have not been
able to do so.
Through the courtesy OF Manager
Shepard we are enabled to print be-
low his opinion in regard to this mat
te", and to also give statistics in sup
port of his statement. The article,
which is entitled "Hood River Does
Not Fear Overproduction, " is as fol
lows:
Hood River Does Not Fear OyerprO.
ductiOn.
The subject of overproduction is SO
discussed and sometimes
feared that it occurs to me advisable
to present few statistics and also my
own impressions deduced by having
given considerable time to investigat-
ing the subject. In the first place let
us examine the following statistics:
The apple crop in
1896 was 76,000,00 barrels
1902 was 1925, 600 barrels
1908 was II. 626, 600 larIels
1904 was 40, 800, 600 barrels
1905 was %, i95, 600 barrels
Observe that the crop in 1896 nine
years ago-was nearly three times
this years crop, and nearly twice the
crop in 1902, 1903 or 1904, or about
twice the average crop for the past
four years; consequently this being
the fact, should we fear overproduc-
tion of apples? say No, and will
proceed to endeavor to show why with
continued increased selling during
the last 20 years or more to acrap now
is less than it was nine ye,tfs ago.
Throughout the apple states as fol-
lows, New York, Vermont, New
Hampshire, Michigan, Iowa, Illinois,
Arkansas and Missouri, the apple
grower is seldom specialist, and US
ually a doubtful farmer This il
the keynote, and will relate the CON
ditions and the results as | have had
them explained to me, and as they ap-
pear to be from the many articles that
| have read. In today's paper is an
article published in the Apple Spe-
cialist, which in addition is further
evidence of the following:
A farmer sets out an orchard and
takes good care of it Until it comes to
full bearing age and he gets bumper
crop, but he does not thin. AS you
know, he can expect light crop the
next year, which he gets. Now being
a diversified farmer, and not depend
ent on his apples alone, he neglects
his orchard, forgets cultivation and
spraying and devotes bis time to the
ether crops, such as grain, corn, etc,
or his stock. The IysuIt is that loss
of care during the off year following
a big crop prevents the forming
and development of the fruit spurs
which should be growing for the next
year. Furtl ermore, he probably does
not prune, aud it is almost a certainty
he does not soray, ii he has hut little
fruit. The orchard as result lacks
health, vigor and growth; the trees
become diseased scale or some other
disease gets its foothold and codling
moth are permitted to multiply in
millions. Inc orchard is doomed and
Ceases to be a producing factor,
| have heard of one orchard pro-
dueing a s25, 900 crop several years
ago that has never paid since. This
condition of affairs is so common that
it seems to have been more than
sufficient TO Offset the increased acre.
age coming into bearing. This GER
tainly seems to be the explanation,
for the fact that after 20 years or more
of phenomenally large selling we find
the apple crop much less during the
past four years than it was nine years
ago.
Let me give you the top notch
pi ices for fancy barrel stock on Octo-
10. OE Of aaab staor oiuaa 1901 In Tho