Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1907-06-21
STRAWBERRY SEASON
IS NEARLY CLOSED
Josephine Co. Growers Should
Realize Better Prices
Next Season.

The strawberry season for Rogue
River Valley is practically closed for
this year, though that does not mean
no more fresh Strawberries can be had
in the markets of Grants Pass. As a
\ matter of fact there are fresh straw
berries brought insby the farmers and
sold to the local trade every week
from the middle of April until the
first of November. In having straw
berries that are really everbearing
Rogue River Valley leads all other
sections of Oregon. And these berries
that are grown during the Summer
and Fall are fine in size and flavor as
those ripened in the Spring and
bring as high a price.
Last year large quantities of Sacra.
mento Valley and Willamette Valley
Strawberries were sold in Grants Pass
and even Hood River berries were
shipped in. This year the market has
been fully supplied with local grown
berries except very early in the
Spring when California berries
brought in before the Rogue River
berries we're ripe. When the local
growers get onto the method Of grow
ing early berries THEY will be able
to open the season earlier than they
now do. This Spring strawberries
from Umpqua Valley we're being ship
ped to Portland full 10 days before
Rogue River berry was to be seen in
the Grants Pass market. Big prices
are had for the first berries in the
market and that extra 10 days to the
Umpua growers meant double the
price that they got for the next 10
days.
With the large planting Of straw
berries that was made last year and
this Spring in this county there will
be berries enough to swamp the local
market ana prices would drop to
practically nothing and quantities of
strawberries would be left to rot on
the vines as was the case few years
ago after there had been big boom
in planting strawberries, but there is
no possibility Of the price dropping
ruinously low again for the new
cannery will be in operation next
Spring and will take all the surplus
berries at a fair price. AS there will
be strawberries enough next season to
justify shipping the Fruit Growers
Association will handle them as long
as the price will warrant A big
profit to the growers can be made on
early berries shipped to Portland,
Seattle, Victoria and other northern
cities and when shipments can be
made in car lots it will pay well to
send berries 10 the markets of Mon
tans, Dakota, Manitoba and on fur.
ther east Rogue River straw berries
have proven to be as good shippers as
NloSo VI iioON hlNtT huu Wutu lUt
growers here are able to supply them
in car loads and of uniform size and
packed up 10 the Hood River standard
they will be among the most profitable
of the fruits raised in this Valley.
The first sales of Hood River straw
berries this season nettled the growers
50 crate aud their lowest net price
was sl.65. The members OF the Ash
land are reported to have realized an
average Of 81. 10 crate net on their
strawOeIries for this season. The
Grants Pass growers selling in only
the local market got no such profit.
able pri es as did the growers OF
Hood River and Ashland for they
sold Strawberries as low as 81 a crate
and took their pay in trade at the
stores. But hereaft r they will be
able through the Fruit Grow ers As.
sociatioi and tie Grants Pass Can.
merry TO get the cash and profitable
price for their strawberries and al
other fruit