The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-04-26
FRUIT PROSPECTS
VERY BRIGHT
BERRY DEMAND EXCEEDS SUPPLY
Hood River Apple Crop Promises to
be the Largest In the History
Of the Business.

Secretary Shepard, of the Fruit
Growers Union, and II. f, Davidson,
the Davidson Fruit Co, are receiving
double their usual inquiries for straw
berries for this season of the year
The North Dakota agent for Hood
River berries was here few days ago,
and said that he could handle an in,
creased amount, and inquiries are
coming in all along the line for Hood
River berries.
The Hood River crop for this year
Is estimated at not over so, 600 crates,
aud may not run over 10000. There
we're shipped out last year l08, COO
crates, so that the shortage will be 25
to 35 per cent. This is due to several
causes. The season of 1904 was unsat
isfactory, as by a combination of cir
cumstances, our berries we're late and
arrived ON the eastern markets in
competition with the berries from
nearly all the heavy berry districts of
the Mississippi and Missouri river
points, aud while the fruit of those
sections are much inferior, yet they
served to lower the markets at all
points. This served to discourage
many of the Hood River growers, and
they reduced their acreage, by plow-
ing up the old patches and not setting
out new ones to take their place. This
year finds the acreage at least AGO
acres less than in 1904.
In the upper valley, both in the Mt
Hood and Crapper sections there has
been some increase in the acreage, but
it has been more than offset by re-
ductions in the valley. There will be
more late berries, about the same
amount Of early berries, but far less
quantity to ripen in middle of the
berry section. This fact, however,
will no dot BIT be of peCuniary advan-
tage to the strawberry growers of the
entire valley, as it will serve to dis
tribute the crop over longer period,
make it easier to obtain pickers dur
ing the height of the season, make it
easier for the shippers to handle the
crop, and less apt to cause glut Of
the different markets at any time.
Reports Of the crop in Missouri and
Colorado are somewhat conflicting,
but from the most reliable sources it
is reported that the crops in those dis
tricts will not be heavy. The Califor-
MIA crop will be short. Tho strawber-
ries in the latter state are largely in
control of the Japs, and they are dis
placing Strawberries with grapes to a
large extent. These three points come
most largely in competition with Hood
River berries, and these favorable CON
ditions still further strengthen the
market.
If the conditions noted at the pre-
sent time are maintained throughout
the season, prospects ara for very
prosperous seas,n this year for Hood
River strawberry growers.
The apples are beginning to bloom,
and almost without exception, the
bloom Is very heavy all over the val
ley. The orchards are now very
pretty sight. The orchards are be
coming a mass of bloom, and the trees
have the appearance of being covered
with snow, so thick are the blossoms
while their fragrance makes drive
over the valley at the present time
a pleasant one indeed.
Many of the orchards are beginning
to bear this year, and as they are
mostly of the SpitZenbergs and New,
tow ls, there we'll be four or five times
as many of these varieties this year as
last, while it is estimated that the
entire crop OF commercial apples will
be fully l75, 600 boxes, against 60, OOC
last wear.