The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-04-19
MANAGER SHEPARD'S
ANNUAL REPORT
Continued from last week }

The more and better members we
have, che stronger we are. The strong
or and bigger we are the better ouI
position 10 control the situation and
secure the fancy prices oLr fancy ap-
pies should bring.
And again, the Union idea is not
only right but it is approved by reli-
able firm, and by the way that is the
only kind we wat to do business
with, realize that they can get value
received better through the associa
tion than through the indiy yiduals or a
number of privats concerns for the
reason that the UniCn not along " works
to get good prices but TO put up q
good reliable pack, as go ON the
bottom and middle as it is GA the TOP,
to build up reputation and maintain
that reputation. Pride and reputa-
tion as we'll as price is the motto OF
every good association.
Again, time means money to big
men. A buyer can come in and con
tract with our Union for any number
Of cars in a half day, 60 away feeling
confdentawe will deliver as agreed.
Naturally he prefers this agreement to
q lOU VI bllIo lu COhbl dSllbE
not Of individuals or number of pri-
vate concerns, which would necessar-
lily be lacking in uniformity. In fact
he realizes that not he but the Lord
only would know what he would get.
But this rs a progressing age. We
are certainly top notchers but we can
not stand still because to cease to i'm
prove means to go back. Therefore,
each year we must strive to grow more
perfect fruit, better fruit and to put
up a better pack, fancier package.
l want to call your attention to few
suggestions for improi Gment. Devote
little time to the discussion Of thin
ming with your neighboIs and do your
work more thoroughly, more perfect
ly. In this way you can grow bigger
Newtowns and Spitzenbergs, and it is
the. big ones that bring the fancy
prices. Any fellow can grow the little
ones. Be more careful in handling
and packing and avoid bruising. Moth
ing mars the appearance of box more
than bruised apples, and nothing
effects the price any more. 10 the
packers | say, cut the words box
bruises out of your vocabulary, wipe
the words of box bruises off the 2map
in Hood River. Every grower should
have mailing machine, packing
tables, springs for his wagon, wagon
covers and | would like to see every
grover use field boxes, so that every
box of apples that goes from the Hood
River Apple Growers Union will be
absolutely spotless. Rich people who
pay fancy prices do not want dirty
boxes. II you buy white shit for
Sunday and pay the price, l believe
you would be justified in kicking If 1t
was soiled enough to send to laun-
dry before wearing.
| should elso very much like to see
q neat label of some kind, for it Ger.
tainly will add very much to the at
tractiveness of the package as well as
60 serve in keeping the name OF the
Hood River Apple Growers Union as
a household word, before every aristo
crat who buys box of fancy Hood
River apples.
am satisfied that using printed
wrapper also adds very much to the
appearance of box of apples and 1t
is also of advantage as prevents the
buyer from oblitefating our good
name. However, / would suggest, as
this aper is an extra expense, that
we can accomplish both objects, the at
tractiveness and the preventing OF OBJ
liberation by usi printed wrappers
on the top layer only, thus saving one
Gauarter of the expense.
g am glad to say that believe our
growers, now thoroughly understand
grading and sorting and also apprecl-
ate the fact that only fancy apples
bring fancy prices. The inspectors
have had hard job so far and are en-
titled to an easy time, therefore, ask
in their behalf as well as for your own
good, that you grade your apples so
perfectly that the inspectors will have
nothing to do but stand around with
their hands in their pockets. When
we arrive at this state of perfection
two horse back inspectors will super.
'ntend the job instead of one to every
gang.
| also would suggest that whenever a
growers circumstances will permit, he
construct suitable packing house
This is a very important suggestion
for the reason that if cold spell comes
early, some of us would suffer badly
with our apples in open sheds. You
know we cannot pack everybody out
In a minute even now, much less Wben
some of our new acreage begins TO
come in. / want also to call your at
''tention to a new ladder patented In
Colorado, which can be seen at the
office. It is the best fruit ladder l
ever saw. Chris GIissen has the
agency for it and if a sufficient num-
Der of orders can be secured IN ad-
vance, he will have bunch made up
Don't fail to come and see 1T.
Growers are to be commended for
the preventative and eradicative spray
in being done to wipe out the San
Jose scale.
The motion to change the by laws by
increasing the number of directors Il
undoubtedly a good one and let me
say that if every man In this Vailey
could be director for one year. II ne
ever had any doubt about the value OF
) the union, Just one term would settle
1t. Our strongest supporters OF the
...union are those who have been and are
now on the board of directors,
think that by increasing the number
of directors and choosing one in each
locality, the growers will have a better
. opportunity to learn of the great good
the Hood River Apple Growers Union
is doing today.
There are four varieties OF appes
which every year, cause more or less
trouble on account of condition on
arrival, namely Lawyers, Baldwins'
Black Twigs and Starks, and personally
| sincerely hope the quantity Will not
increase. Let their shadows grow less
The union label should never go on
a box of fruit that is not fancy.
am also inclined to believe If Hood
River valley never shipped box OF
culls or box of 5-sier, we would be
better off, in fact there is no necessit.
for il. II you give your orchard
proper care and culture you won I
have them to ship. If you do, feed
them to the hogs or send them to the
evaporator or vinegar factory. 1t is
not fancy fruit that pulls down the
II.