The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-05-04
NO FRUIT LIKE
HOOD RIVERS

+. II. Shepard, manager of the Hood
River fruit unions, returned Saturday
morning IRON Il trip to California and
the cities OF the Mississippi valley states,
A Glacier reporter sought ont Mr.. Shep.
ard and asked him for something about
his trip. This is what he said:
After last years experience in hand.
ling the strawberry crop, felt as if a
thorough understanding of the markets,
their conditions, their source of supply
and an cquantanccship with the differ
ent people who had handled Hood River
Strawberries WAS absolutely necessary in
order to secure better results for us the
coming season So after having a visit
with my father in California and
making arrangements for my family to
visit my father until my return, i decided
to go east, and have travelled about
1000 miles, whiting every city of 10000
people and up III the territory where
there is demand for our berries, and
have travelled about thirty days visiting
thirty towns in that time working all
day and availing myself of night trains
to get to the next town.
Among the principal cities that
have been in with the view of doing
business, listed Cheyenne, Denver,
Omaha, Lincoln, Council Bluffs, Sioux
City, Des Moinrs, Davenport, Grand
Island, Moline, Chicago, Minneapolis,
st, Paul. Fargo, Grand Forks, Moore
'head, Butte, Helena, Missoula, Spokane,
Seattle and Tacoma.
81 desired to find out as accurately as
possible what prices our berries were
sold for by our representatives to the
different commission houses; what their
profit was and what Profit the retailer
made and the price at which our berries
were retailed ut by the hallock to the
consumer. Also | end, avored to find
out what other terrlIurles supplied these
various markets and the time at which
these berry pre- dnclng localities would
come in competition with us in order
that we might the more intellgently
distribute our crop where it would bring
the best figures.
The greatest berry district is the
Missouri and Arkansas berry fields
which raise out 5000 cars per year
About half of our crop was marketed in
the vicinity of Omaha adjacent to the
Missouri district and met such an inn
mense supply of berries that | actually
found berries were so low that retailer
without knowing who | was informed
me that he had retailed Hood River
berries as low as 50 cents per crate, and
it cost US 60 cents crate freight to lay
them down in his city.
"Thi was enough to convince me that
we must endeavor to avoid such mar
ket at time when certain conditions
existed. There may be period when
berries could be marketed to an advan-
tage in our southern states, but am con-
vinced our best results will be from the
northern states and cities fer three rea-
tons:
'tThe further we get away from the
Missouri district the less plentiful the
supply would be. TO sell berries close
to the Missouri field when they can
bring them inTrrsa the same dav they
are picked, would be like a man bring
ing apples to Hood River to sell. The
further away We can stay from such a
market. the poorer condition their ber-
ries will be. consequently the easier COM
netition. and lhe further awav we get
the better price we can get for the rea-
SON that there will then be added freight
chnryps which will raise the price at
which they can do business, conse-
ON nIly the better price we can get.
"Our acreage will have to be in ac-
cordance with this territory and | be-
lieye the time will come as the more
northern states increase in population
and ronsnmntion vhrn our present
ACREAGE ran he increased and the berries
sold Of nroft I've eaten berries from
TeTas Mis,issinpi. Louisiana and Cali.
fornia Int ST. far have not had decent
whrr,v tn eat this year, and don't
exnoct 10 until the luscious and famous
Hdod Piyer h,r,v is ripe,
HEvarvwhn,r rerrle all sneak highly
ofunod Itiro, hlrrs At ihr present
" ,inia iaI %n1ifnr,,;,s .ira vary inferior and
,hn ,i'nI ornn ~"'i wili "u ha larap California
,',e Ga"p oro m'" .aIl;', in Sn9ttle today at
sI eet,iee OK s." "'T G * ,,,r, case which would
20 i ,oI Wv Wv =" ~ 20 Gnr 2l.onart case
o9 eYu"i ~ r",,.'.n raj ,nrnnirort their
a, mno'0H &C., a.. yIrrn wnnld br eouaI 10
c,oP ioi ooe' "''''''
IL IbF our NTdl'