The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-10-25
The FAIR AS SEEN
FROM GRANTS PASS

spent at Hood River seeing the fruit
fairat that place aud in taking notes
of the methods of growing and mark
citing fruit in that valley that holds
the ho1or of getting the highest pIic-
es paid for apples this year by any
growers in the United States.
Mr.. Meserve reports a most profit
able and enjoyable trip and he ex-
presses appreciation for the many
courtesies extended to him by Presi-
dent f. l.. Smith and Secretary G..
ID. Thompson, of the Hood River
Fruit Fair association, and to Mana
ger Il. II. Shepard and Assistant
Manager Il. A. Franz, Of the Hood
River Apple Growers union and who
are also publishers of BE ter Fruit,
and to A. |. Mason, one of Hood Riv-
er's most successful apple growers
and to all the citizens of Hood River
town and valley, who each was COM
mittee of one and all working togeth-
er TO entertain to the fullest extent
the visitors to their progressive,
handsome valley.
Though the busy season, for apple
| picking was on, the farmers were out
in force at the fair and they and their
we'll dressed families came in buggies
and carriages and not lumberiwagons,
aud Shen they paid bill it was with
cash or check, and not in brass
money or long winded promise.
And what WIS more noticeable there
WAS not a poor skeleton of scrub
horse driven by these farmers such as
can be seen all too frequently on the
streets of Grants Pass for the Hood
River horses look as sleek and well
fed as do their owners. The Hood
River roads are fine turnpikes and
the rural mail and telephone covers
the valley and each farm has these es-
sentials to modern rural life. The
dwellings have the tasty appearance Il
town homes and the barns and apple
houses are well painted. A traveller
will not see COWS in the front yard
and pigs at the back door of Hood
River orchardist's home, nor are gates
to be seen that are off their hinges
and the barn ward Uttered with farm
implements in various stages Of repair
That there is big profit in Hood
River fruit land is proven by the fact
summer for the BeUlah Land orchard
owned by o. l.. Vanderbilt. Sales
though have been made for other or
chards at corresponding prices.
Hood River soil is quite similar to
much of Rogne River valley land, but
only apples and strawberries can be
grown successfully by reason of the
colder climate. The fruit crop is esti-
mated to bring in this year fully
$500, 600 and when the present young
orchards are in full bearing by five
years hence, there will be 81, 600, 600
to pass through the Hood River banks
to the credit of the farmers OF that
little valley that is but nine miles by
90 miles in extent. But by intelli-
gent, intensified methods it is made
to yield q wealth not equsled by any
other equal sized district in Oregon
and its loyal residents expect that the
time is not distant when their fruit
will annually bring them 50, 900, 600.
Hood River town, which has pop
ulation OF about 1000, has prosper
Gus, up to date appearances, quite in
contrast to the average town that is
dependent almost wholly on an agri.
cultural district for its support, show
ing that the fruit industry is solid
basis to towns prosperity. The
stores are large and carry fine stocks
and the residences are as d rule such
as can be found In city. The high
school will compare with the best in
the state and the country districts
have graded schools, there being sew
eral twu and four room buildings in
the valley.
1t was II years ago that the Hood
River fruit raisers held their first
fruit fair and they have made an ex-
hibit every two years since. So sue
cessfui have been these fairs and SO
popular with the general public that
it is proposed to hold fair each fall
hereafter. The busienss men of the
town heartily cooperate with the
farmers in the work of preparing and
carrying on these fairs and put up the
greater part of the guarantee fund
each year to meet the expenses. A
small admission fee is charged that
usually pays all the expenses. The
first fair was held in hall but it out
grew that aud in recent years tent
has been used, owned by the associa-
tion. As the fair grew the tent was
enlarged and this year it was 75x2OC
feet and every foot of space available
was occupied by exhibits that em
braced every kind of fruit, farm and
garden products. There was also a
highly creditable display of fancy
work and hand painted Chinaware
two of the pieces having taken pre- m
iums at the St. Louis Worlds fair
Some fine poultry was on exhibition
and several coops containing different
varieties of pheasants attracted much
attention. Several swarms of bees un-
der glass we're another attraction. The
leading factor in the prosperity of t e
Hood River fruit raisers is the Hood
River Apple Growers union. This
union was organized four years ago
aud the first year the members got SO
cents per box for their apples. The
nnion each year since has secured In
creasing prices until this year when
the entire apple crop was sold to a
New York firm at from 81. % to So. 10
hox (. o. b. Hood River. And this
extraordinary price was secured in
| competition with one of the biggest
apple crops ever known in the United
States. The high quality OF the ap-
pies and the honest, perfect packing
has much to do in getting these rec
ord breaking prices but advertising is
big factor and is liberlly used by
those hustling people. Sample boxes
of apples are sent each year to all the
big buyers of America and Europe
and apples ale given away by the box
and by the carload as was done at the
st. Louis, Portland and other worlds
fairs. Apples we're every where in
evidence at Hood River during their
fair. Store win lows we're full OF them
and offices we're festooned with them
and the visitors we're given all the
apples they could eat. Ine Hood
River badge at the fair was both
unique.and handsome for it represent
ed big rr,i apple The badge was OF
leather and on the center was pasted a
perfect representation of Spitzen-
berg apple while about the border
we're the words: A "Hood River Az
| Dlo 'Vhn Raot l., tho World ~ tha Iaf