The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1905-07-20
SbouId Plant Pears.

IL would be wise for Hood River
fruit growers to turn their attention
to the possibilities Of pear growing In
this valley; wise for the reason that 1t
IL not we'll for fruit grower to place
all his eggs In one basket, and second
ly because market fluctuations have a
tendency to make single variety OF
fruit high at one period and low at
another This occurred with Hood
River strawberries, and may some day
occur with our apples, for an increased
acreage will naturally have tendency
to lower the price.
The destruction of the California
pear orchards by blight Is causing
perceptible shortage In the pear mar
kets and Is opening a field Of industry
for the Northwest. Notwithstanding
the possibility of this blight spread
ing to the North, much money could
be earned In pears here before the
blight reached this section, II 1t ever
should, which Is by no means GER
tain thing. Furthermore, 1t Is we'll
known that pears viii grow on soil
ON which apples do not thrive, but,in
saying this 1t must be understood that
poor soil cannot produce as well as
good one, still the poor soil can be
made available.
There are several varieties Of pears
available to plant, chief among which
is the Beurre d'Aniou, Doyenne du
Comice, Bartlett, all of which sell well
In any OF the markets. The Bartlett
offers several pickings, the fruit re.
mining after the first picking, increas-
Ing In size until the second and third
win be almost as large as the first. In
many respects the Bartlett Is a profit
able pear, though more perishable
than the d'Anjou or the Comice.
Owing to improved transportation
conditions, pears may be placed In
New York to excellent advantage. BY
exercising judgment the risk In such
long-distance shipment Is reduced
to minimum. Owing to the fact
that pears mature here later than far
ther south, they would come in the
markets at time when thoy would
have the same all to themselves, and
when prices would be particularly In
their favor.
The Comice is shy bearer, and for
which reason many growers are timid
about planting 1t. Yet this insures
limited supply, for which reason the
market is not 80 likely to be over
stocked. In fact, owing to the limit
cd supply Of the Comice and d'Anjou,
prices for these varieties have ruled
unusually high. Their production can
be increased considerably before the
markets will decline materially, II 1t
ever does.
The Bose and the Winter Nelis are
varieties popular In the markets of
the Middle West, such as Chicago and
other neighoring cities, They have
usually brought good prices, and have
served to make the pear profitable
industry in this state. Our climate
Is suitable for best results and Hood
River valley should awake to its possi
bilities.
In setting pear orchard, 1t would
be wise, we believe, to have sufficient
trees of one variety to make carload
shipments an object. -Four or five
arces of one variety would enable a
grower to ship by the carload after
the trees came into bearing. The
order In which the various varieties
ripen, the Bartletts first; then the
Beuerre d'Anjou, and third the Com
ice, make it an advantage in placing
the fruit on the market.
We believe it will be profitable fol-
the Hood River farmers to study this
proposition of planting pears. The
Glacier will offer what aid and sugges-
tions it may secure from time to time.
1t stands to reason that diversified
crops will make the fruit business a
safer and surer success. Think 1t