The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1906-04-05
CHERRIES TO BE
In Big DEMAND
ONE BUYER WANTS SIXTY TONS
California Trees Dying and Dealers
Are Looking 10 Oregon to
Supply the Trade.

While apples and awberries have
been considered the greatest money
making crops that could be raised In
the fruit line in Oregon there is a
possibility that cherries may In the
very near future be in the front rank
as money getters.
One of the most prolific cherry
growing sections In this country has
been California and fruit of fine quail
ity and plenty of 1t has heretofore
been raised there. In fact 1t has sup
piled the western and some OF the
eastern markets with this fine fruit
for a number Of years and has received
very profitable returns from them.
Reports are now to the effect that
the cherry orchards Of California are
are fast disappearing and that they
will not be able this year to come any
where near supplying the demand.
Buyers have been securing the Ctali-
fornia cherry growing districts and
making contracts for fruit and have
in vaded Portland also with view to
obtaining as large supply as possible
there from the commission men.
This week California parties were
in the above named city trying to
make deal with Davenport Bros,
the we'll known commission men there
for no less than sixty tons Of cherries,
at almost their own price. This firm
could not promise to supply any such
quantity and say that they will be
very fortunate il they are able to sup
ply thirty tons.
The cherry trees in California are
said to have been deteriorating for a
number of years and the climate there
is not, it is stated, conducive to the
long life of these trees. While author
tiles here ON the profits Of growing
cherries differ, 1t Is very evident that
there must be good money in them
when buyers can afford to purchase
them from the commission men in
Portland and reship them to otheI
points. It is possible that frosts IL
the Willamette valley may be having
its effect in creating this sudden de
mand for such large quantities in ad
vance, but 1t does not account for thu
shortage Of the crop In California.
Several growers at Mosier have beer
very successful In raising this frui
and have found 1t very profitable
Strange as 1t may seem, while Th'
Dalles district and southern Oregon
have suffered from the inroads of tn
last cold snap Hood River and tn
Mosier district have escaped and n
damage as far as can he ascertaine'
ha, been done either to peaches O
cherries. A well known grower VIII
has large number of peach trees /
the valley brought several limbs froI
his trees to town few days ago an
had them examined by several experts
The buds we're cut open and out of to-
of them examined only two we're foun
to be injured.
1t is said that over 100 acres @
cherry trees have been set out in Th
; Dalles In the past year or two and tina
growers there expect to make them
very profitable investment. There
{ no question about disposing of th
product of cherries or Of getting goo
prices for them. The main difficult.
expeI ienced:by Hood River growers ha
{ been in keeping the trees from dying
! 1t would seem that there ought to b
some method OF counteracting the OF
/ fects of the diseases that kill thes
trees IL the matter was gone into a
: thoroughly and scientifically as ha
, the growing of apples. There doe
; not seem to be the interest amonl
horticulturists in regard to cherrie
!, that there is in the other small fruit
Z; and yet 1t would seem that indication
? point to the fact that they are liabl
: to become one of the highest price
frnits on the market. They are goo
shippers and keep well as is evidence
by the. fact that they have bee
shipped from here to Mexico and ais
: to England and have arrived in pei
feet condition. 1t would seem the
! there is q good future here for th
!; cherry and that the time is not fa
y distant when more of them will
0 Dlanted.