The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-12-12
MEETING OF
FRUIT GROWERS
DELEGATES RETURN ENTHUSIASTIC
Three Prizes and Four Officers of the
Association Fall 10
Hood River.

hVNN
A fine display OF fruit in oompeti-
tion for valuable pIizes was inc0rpo-
lated with the fifteenth annual con
vention of the Northwest Fruit Grow
ers association held at Vancouver, b.
c., last week. This feature has been
added through the efforts Of Maxwell
Smish, the secretary. goodly at.
tendance wac present 10 the city hall
when the presianut. + l.. Smith, of
Hood River lied ttr convention to
order. The tt.I0ry or the convention
includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho,
Utah and British Columbia.
| However much expert fruit growers
gathered there at the northwest asso
citation may differ as to relative mer-
its of liquid or dry spray Tor Goblin
moth or however earnest they may be
come over the value of home made or
boughten lime sulphur solution, there
is decided unanimity in opinion
that no machine has yet been invent
ed to grind out at short notice sue
cessful fruit grover, says a Vancouver
dispatch.
Correct principles of fruit growing
are becoming more and more estab-
lihsed, but wise application of those
principles to particular con litions of
soil and climRte demands time and
experience. The one who has the
most experience is quite apt to be the
man who hesitates most to tell anoth.
er just how he should proceed. These
fruit growers gatherings are valuable
in that they inoite more and more to
individual thought and individual eX-
pertinent.
Prizes have been awarded as fol
lows: For the best five boxes of ap-
pies, j. g. Monsherger, Grand Forks,
B. G., 500 gold medal; A. |. Mason,
Hood River, Ore, $50 silver medal;
I. q. Earl, Lytton, B. c., bronz med
al. Best general display, Kelowna
Fruit Growers association, 500 gold
medal Mousherger & Roope, Grand
Forks, b. c., second prize; Chelan
County horticultural association, We
natchee, Wash, third prize. Best box
commercial apples, A. l, Mason,
Hood River, Ore. first rri2e; Il. Ii.
Shepard, ,giIood River, second prizo
p. G. Earl, Lytton, b. G., third
prize.
The sessions closed with a banquet
Friday evening. President Smith re
ported an advancement in the grow
ing and marketing OF fruits. lie re-
Gently talked with the largest fruit
dealers in S beriu, who have been to
the coast and bought over G000 boxes
OF apples.
Mr.. Smith said there was great
field for Pacific northwest fruit in ia
pan. China aud Siberia, especially il
the steamship companies viii give
rate of S4 ton the rate now given for
wheat from San Francisco TO the
Orient. This will furnish market
tor interior grades of fruit, that
which alone the bulk of the Orientnls
can afford to buy.
The delegates returned Sunday morn
ing and ale much pl5ased with the re-
suit of the meeting, Hood River had
three entries in the apple competi-
tion, out OF 100 eatries, aud captured
three prizes. -Four Hood River men
were also elected officers of the asso-
citation. M. Shel ard had the follow
ing to say of the meeting:
Probably the most important feat
ure of the meeting was the fact that
| it was the unanimous sentiment of
growers to put up higher grade of
fruit iu many districts that have not
heretofore given this matter the i'm
portance it deserves. When it was
fully explained that every box of Gull
apples that is put on the market de-
tracts from the value of first grade
| lnIn oil
proved the idea to stop putting infer
ior fruit on the market and send 1t to
the cider mill or cannery or utilize it
in some way where it will not reduce
the price for the best and will also re.
suit in placing superior quality of
apples in the hands of the consumer.
"Another matter that received CON
siderable attention at the hands of
the convention was that of the sho age
of cars. While some were in favor of
arbitrary methods in dealing with the
railroads, the majority, viewing the
situation from a more reasonable
standpoint, are in favor of getting in
close touch with the railroad commits
sions and agents for private car lines
in the various states and imprGssing
them with tire necessity for better
shipping facilities for the rapidly in
creasing and great development of the
fiuit industry in the northwest. In
deed this must be done and | think
the transpol tation lines will do it
themselves if they are brought to zeal.
ize what this great fruit industry will
mean to them in the very near future.
"There is scarcely any fruit grow
ing district whose output will not
double in i've years and some of them
in less time This means that where
hundreds OF Gals are now necessary
thousands will have to be provided
and the association and the railroads
must get together and provide trans
portation facilities TO guard against a
great loss, not only to the grower but
to the country at large
With the meeting this year it was
also decided to abolish tie competi-
tive prizes for exhibits Of fruit. 1t
has been found that the awarding of
: nrize5 leaves more or lses bad feeling
and as the association is founded for
educational purposes mud for better
, lug conditions for the fruit grover,
the displays hereafter will be given
cards Of merit according TO th"h eX-
cellence
, Zone Of th. most pleasing events oI
, the meeting to the Oregon delegation
was the ovation received by Il. l..
t Smith when his name was put in
, nomination tor feelec ion "a president
of the association Although he We
hementiy declined to accept the office
2 for anntheF year delegates from Bit
ish Colum bia wuuiu hear of no Other
l man for the position, and he wa
; loudly aud unanimously acclaimed itt
executive again.
G "Ihe entertainment provided fol
: the visitors at Vancouver was the fin
D est ever given members Of the 4ssocia
e tion. The Dominion government con
tributed $500 for this purpose and tn,
! citizens and city council $500 more
kn LaIl EriIa,