The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-06-21
STRAWBERRY SEASON
Is ABOUT OVER.

This week will see the bulk of the
strawberries marketed from Hood
River. As the season advances the re-
turns continue light, anG the last es-
timatss of $4,000 crates will not lie
realized. 1t is now thought that the
total yield in the valley will not be
much over 40, 600 crates. Up to last
night but % full carload shipments
had been made, compared with lO9 last
year.
While the footbill berries have
shown better yield than the patches
in the lower valley, none of them are
turning out full crop. Early indi-
cations gave promise of full crop,
but will not hold out. While they
we're apparently not damaged by the
March freeze, the cold rainy weather
later prevented a full setting of ber-
ries.
Manager Shepard, of the Fruit
Growers Union, says; while the
yield this year is very small, the re-
turns will be the best per crate that
Hood River has hfd for the past ten
or twelve years. 1t has been pecu-
liar year In all berry districts Near
ly every locality has been short this
year from various causes. While Hood
River was hurt by the March freeze
and the wet cold weather, the east has
suffered from drought and heat. AS
a consequence there has been good
demand at all markets that has been
strong all the time. There we're many
hat hnu in
loads at around S2.75. Prices have
been pr, ctically unchanged for three
weeks. heIo ls still no prospect I q
change. While the supply OF Hood
Rivers Is growing less, yet, we are
now meeting some new competition.
Wenatchee, Bitter Root Valley, Utah,
Idaho and Colorado berries are now
coming In, and are partially or quite
supplying markets In their immediate
neighborhoods. Cherries and raspber-
ries are also taking the place of straw
berries In the markets to some extent.
These conditions will operate against
boom in prices, but the prospect is
for good steady market from now
until the end of the season.
missouri started in this year with
brilliant prospects for big crop
The first shipments we're liberal, and
the quality good. Lack of rain, how
ever, and continued heat, shortened
The crop, and 1t soon was exhausted,
with the end of tie picking of poor
quality.
"We have a normal demand for
about rs, 900 crates at points on the
Northern Pacific and Great Northern,
with some localities on the O. II. x N.
lines. We meet competition from
Missouri and Arkansas at these points,
but we have the advantage Of superior
goods, and can deliver them In better
conditions. Union Pacific points will
take 1000 more. When the crop ex.
ceeds this we have to go into the home
territory of the competition, at Oma-
ha, Chicago, st. Paul and Minneapo-
lis. We then meet the Missouri, Ar
kansas and Wisconsin berries II hours
from the.vines, with 20 light freight
bill, while we are four days on the
road and have heavy freight to pay.
These latter markets are not naturally
profitable for ns. II also cuts down
happened In 1904.
IL have noticed Il at the Hood
River patches having the est yields
this year we're those that we're we'll
taken care of last season flGr picking
was over, while the neglected pc ehes
suffered most Returns almost invar
ably show that it does not pay to ne
glect the berries. 1t pays better to
have smaller acreage than to try to
take care of too much and not give
them proper care. "
II. +. Davidson, of the Davidson
Fruit Go. said: ~ do not anticipate
any particular change In prices from
now on. We have had less complaint
about quality this year than any year
sinco we have been In business. This
attribute to two causes. Tho cool
weather has made the beTrieJ ilrmer,
and while some of the berries picked
In the rain have moulded, yet not
much complaint has come from this
source. Then, on account of the
small crop, many dealers have probab-
ly made less complaint than usual, as
they needed berries, and did not ca o
to ran the chance of being cut off.
Last year we had the most perfect
strawberry weather ever saw, and
this year has been the worst. Yet,
the rains have been the salvation OF
the business this year. The hot dry
weather at the beginning of the season
was making small berries and forcing
them on all at once, while the contin,
ued rains and cool weather have held
them back, increased the size aud
yield and kept the demand far in ex-
cess of the supply.
g In regard to the upper country,
the first estimates of the crop will be
nearly confirmed. There will not be
full crop, but very nearly SO in our
Willow Flat ranch, at least. We ex-
peoted $500 crates, and think we will
get them, and may possibly get more.
| think the entire crop this year will
not be much over 40, ,0C0 crates. "