Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1906-08-31

are still trying to purchase from in.
dependent growers 1t can be stated
however. on the authority of one Of
Hood Rivers most astute apple men
that when the price is known it will
be the most conclusive evidence OF
the superiority Of Hood River apples
that has ever been given and settles.
he says. for all time the question as
to the future of Hood River apples. F"
Predictions by applebuyers and
growers that the price of Hood River &
fancy fruit would be lowered this
year on account of the bumper apple
crop, both in the East and the West
were rudely upset when it became
known that the highest Price ever
paid for the fruit was obtained here
Monday.
Just what the price is cannot be
known as the directors of the Apple
Growers Union are not prepared at
present to give it out. 1t is stated.
however, that it is probably over $S
a box. The meeting of the directors
Of the union to receive bids was not
concluded until a very late hour
Monday night aud while nothing
could be learned from them except
that the apples were sold. events that
transpired during the day indicate
that they brought the record price.
EARLY Monday, CONSERVATION was
thrown into the ranks of the apple
bidders by the announcement that the
Davidson Fruit Company had bought
several crops of applss for which they
had paid as high as 90 q box. This
caused other buyers to readjust their
bids aud is said to have been the di.
rect cause of sending the price of
Hood River apples to a higher price
than they have ever gone before, for
New York buyers realized that unless
they made higher price than the
Davidson Company, the control Of
Hood Rivers fancy fruit might pass
out Of their hands. 1t is therefore
said that the firm of Z. P. Loomis q
Co., who secured the fruit, must
have paid more than the price offered
by the Davidson Company. While
the bidding requires that the bids
must be sealed. bidders are allowed
to make any number of bids. So
that Loomis & Co.. learning of the
much higher price than they had ex-
pected for the apples, boosted it to a
figure high enough to secure them.
The Davidson Fruit Company's pur-
chase was in the neighborhood of
1000 boxes for which they paid 80 per
box for Spitzenbergs and S2.a5 for
Newtowns.
George Rae. of tile firm of Rae g.
Hatfield, who were the next highest
bidders to Loomis 81 Co., and who
handled the product of the Apple
Growers Union last year, said that
while lie regretted very much that
his firm did not get the fruit, their
bid was as high as his firm cared to
go in view OF the enormous apple
crop in sight When asked what
maintained the extraordinarily high
price for apples grown in the Hood
River valley, when it was known that
there was so much fine fruit in other
localities this year. Mr.. Rae said !:
The keeping qualities of the Hood
River apples is what brings their big
price. | have seen other apples in
the West that looked just rs good and
tasted just as good as Hood River
fruit, but they do not, as a rule, stand
the test of time. That is the secret
of their success. When other apples
have been all sold and shipped, the
Hood River article is still in prime
condition. / do not care to make
known what my bid was this year.
1t is matter of confidence and will
remain unknown until announced by
the Apple Growers Union"
K. p. Loomis, who was the success.
full bidder for his firm, while very
much pleased in having secured the
unions apples said he did not care to
announce the price today.