The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-08-23
PREDICTS RECORD
APPLE CROP
HOOD RIVERS BEST IN THE WORLD
This Is the Opinion of George Rae,
the New York Apple
Expert.

George Rae, Of Rae Il Hatfield, til
# New York apple dealers, arrived i
Portland last week, and came up t
hood River Monday to be present a
. the opening of the bids for the l9U
crop of Hood River apples, controlle
by the Hood River Apple Growers
Union. Ia an interview in the Ore
gonian, Mr.. Rae said:
The fruit crop of the United State
of 1906 will probably be the largest i
3 the history Of tie country. But il
spite OF the enormous output, ther
will be market for the products AM
, it is probable that good prices vii
prevail.
This is the opinion of George Rae
of New lOrk, member of the firm o
Rae ~ Hatfield, one of the larges
commission houses in the country
who Is guest at the Hotel Portland
Since February MIR Rae has trav
eled more than $4,000 miles, abroa(
and in this country, especially for thl
purpose OF studying fruit conditions
Not only is the United States par
tiCularly prosperous with its trul
crop, but the whole of North Americi
where fruit is raised is enjoying The
same results. And according to Mr.
Rae, Europe Will have much larger
fIuIt than ordinarily. But le does
not believe this will affect the trui
market OF thi Coun ry III any way
Abroad they have not the cold stor
age facilities which are used here OF
"a scale, and AS "A result the European
fruits will have been harvested aIo
consumed almost at the time ON
crop is at its best.
At the convention of the lnterna.
ti0a AssoCiHtioual of Fruit Shippers,
ned several weeks ago at Niagara,
reports from all over the United
States we're compared and it WAS es-
tmated that there would be 1000,
uU5 balrria Ot applea pUt on the mark.
cts this ldli. During the year 1896,
tho greatest fruit year in the history
| OF the country, the apple olob
announced to 1000 600 barrels.
The rel orts at the Niagara conven-
tiOn are conservative, and it is the
general uIiulun OF the iruitmen OF
this country that more fruit will he
grown, picked, shipped .and put on
| the market ut the world and eaten
than has ever before been known.
With the largo fruit output every
where there has been an increase in
the demand which, it is figured, will
keep up the price to such an extent
that the growers, commission men
and retail dealers will all profit ac-
cordingly. More fruit is being eaten
| in shis country, as we'll as IN the for
eign countries, than ever before
Germany will take much of the fruit
from the Unlted States this
year, notwithstanding that last spring
law was passed putting duty on all
such products from this country.
And the whole OF Europe will import
pro orLlOnately.
This increased demand for Ameri-
ca s fruits abroad il largely due to
the fact that the people, as in this
country, have been tlOGking to the
cities and are leaving the farms ana
the orchards neglected. Consequent
ly, there has been shortage of men
to till the soil and attend the trees in
the different European countries and
falling off OF the fruit yields is the
result.
The enormous fruit crop of the
United States this year can best be es-
timated by taking the apple as an ex,
ample. Last season the orchards oil
this country produced %, 600, 600 bar
Ielg, while this season tie products
will be much more than doubled. All
other fruits will bear proportionately.
last year the average price per barrel
was So 90, while this season her price
will probably be about 81 less.
"truit-eRting is no longer luxury,
as it was considered some years ago.
1t is now a necessity. Mr. Rae said
last evening. "Ihe great development
of the industry, the scientific ways in
which fruit is raised and the ire
mendous crops which are put on the
market have all helped the people to
realize and appreciate the benefits de-
rived from eating fruit. 1t is not on
ly healthful food in every way, but
is reasonable in price, easily obtaine.
bic and to be found on the markets OF
our cities at all seasons of the year.
"Ihe fruit crops of the country this
year are SIMPLY gigantic. ! never
saw anything like it, have Travelled
from one END of the United States to
the other, made two trips to the Pa
cific coast, visited the Hudson river
country this summer, and am utterly
astonished at the great possibilities
of this years harvest And not alone
is the fruit growth to be one of the
I..R - ., Iftt al ~ Ia
er crops are equally large, especially
cereals.
"Nature has been more than kind
to the people this year. But with all
this fruit we expect to find market
for every bit of it. That which will
not be consumed at home will be
shipped abroad. My firm will do one
of the largest exporting businesses
this year in its history. The country
is prosperous in every way and alto
getehr | am sure that this year will be
8ne of the - eat"st in the fruit line
ever experienced.
"Ihe greatest fruit in this country
more especially the apple, is grown
vest of the Mississippi. There is no
question about this ] threw bomb
she'll into tie convention at Niagara,
made up largely of Eastern fruitgrow.
ets, when in an address | told them
that the apples raised east Of the Mis-,
sissinpi valley we're not fit to be put
into boxes" "
Mr.. Rae was questioned as to what
hs thought # the fruit, particularly
the apples, Of this state.
Oregon raises the greatest New.
tons aud Spitzenherg apples in the
world" he said Washington raises
these same products, but on an aver
age they are not as good as those of
Oregon. The Newtowns aud the
Spitzen bergs from Washington are, as
rule, larger than those from here,
and consequently they will not keep
a. well. This is an important item in
the fruit business.
Last season the firm of Ras & Hat