The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-09-28
THERE IS PROFIT
IN FANCY FRUIT

The following article ON successful
appears in the September number of
the Northwest Hortioulturist, prepar-
ed by E. H. Shepard, secretary and
manager of the local fruit unions:
In the first place, a section must
grow good fruit. In the second place,
It is absolutely essential to pack the
same properly, which requires great
care and additionally,a a very thorough
and rigid inspection by the associa-
tion or union. Our people raise good
fruit and put up high grade pack.
Strawberries, we are compelled to
market the pack of each grower, it not
being practicable to handle the crop
in any other way. However, these are
all inspected and graded at the union
office when received, and the grower
is paid in accordance with his grade
and the returns.
Apples, we find it more satisfactory
to have packed by the association, and
no grower is permitted to pack his
own apples. They are all packed by
a force Of packers employed by the
union and acting under instructions
of the management. In the fruit bus
mess we are coming to the speciality
stage, the same as all other lines Of
business are doing. A locality to
achieve great success and large profits
must find out what fruit or variety is
best adapted to its soil and climate,
and then grow that fruit and put it
up in the best manner possible. To
achieve success in the fruit business
a district must either grow something
better, earlier or later than all other
districts.
In apples our growers give very
thorough cultivation, and when it
comes to thinning, we thin so that no
two apples hang from the same fruit
stem and so as to have them six
inches apart. Growers thin from one
TO three times, each time picking off
along with the regular thinning cry
apple that is imperfect in any way.
We grow fancy fruit, and in fancy
fruit there is profit. | almost believe
that am justified in making the state
ment that if grower had 100 boxes of
apples that we're good and packed out
80 boxes that were fine, throwing out
the other 10, he would realize more
money than if he packed the whole
100. Our facilities are good. We
have two unions, the Hood River
Fruit Growers union, handling straw
berries, black berries, raspberries,
cherries and other ca ly fruits, and
the Hood River Apple Growers un-
ion, handling pears and apples. The
two unions, although handling differ
en5 classes of fruit, are In perfect har
mony and both are growing stronger.
Our Apple Growers union the first
year had AZ names and the second
year l increased it to ITO, aud it now
represents over 80 per cent of the
growers in the valley.
Our growers, apparently, believe in
securing man who has tie cOnfi-
dence of the growers, and l am glad
to say they believe in retaining him,
realing that the more experieL ced 4
man is in the business the better le
suits he can secure for them. | was
elected mar ager of both associations
last year and again reelected this
year, making two years in each union.
1t is not an easy position to fill, hut,
so far, am pleased to say that har-
mony has revailed between the buyer
and the management and between the
managenei and the grower.
Each union has warehouse and a
sidetrack. The apple growers are just
building their new warehouse, which
is 100 feet lCug 40 feet wide and two
stories high. We ship over the O. r.
& N, the N. P. Ry., using both the
Armour and the Bohn cars. Both
roads and both companies have given
us excellent service,
Our berry crop this year was over
100000 crates. There was $50, 900
mpie net profit this year, for the
growers than last year. Our apple
crop this year is comparatively light
and will probably be between $4,000
and 60, 600 boxes; but with the present
acreage set it will gradually increase
and In five years our estimated crop
of apples will be 800, 900 boxes.
Our Gnthe crop of Newtowns and
Spitzenberg was sold on August 10th
on contract with deposit. We do
not believe in consignment business
and do as little as possible. A straight
sale ut a reasonable figure is better
than the hope of big price with low
returns. Last year our Spitzenbergs
and Newtowns sold at 81. 10 and 81. IS
respectively; the price this year am
lot at the present time at liberty to
state.
Interesting Railroad Statistics.