The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-08-06
TELLS OF HOOD RIVER APPLES
Continued from Page 81

Pollination is subject OF great in
terest to Hood River growers. Real
izing the Importance of this subject |
to growers of the state, we have start
ed a series of experiments aud inves- |
phases to investigate and we have so
little to obtain from experiences OF
experiment stations and growers, that
we are not prepared at this time to
say much on this subject. We hope,
however, by another fall to be able to
have some results that we can publish
that will be OF interest. All we care
to say at the present time is that we
consider 1t wise policy to plant sew.
eral varieties In an orchard, giving
preference to commercial varieties
having the same blooming period. 1t
| Ia generally considered at this time In
| Hood River that the Arkansas Black
and the Ortley are good pollenizers for
the Spitzenberg, although 1t Ia DOUBT
full 1t accurate experiments have act
ually demonstrated this as yet. Many
of the theories on this subject have
arisen from general opinion. Only by
careful experiment will we be able to
|
problems of pollination.
Age OF Orchards. OF the apple trees
standing in the Hood River Valley,
81. A per cent of them have been set
out In the past six years; 1877 per
cent In the six years previous to that +;
"A per cent are past twelve years of
age; aud the remainder, or 8 per
cent, consists Of top gratis that have
been put upon old stocks during the
past five years.
The mum Der and size OF the orch
ards set previous to 1895 Is very small,
all having been put out merely for
home use, with little Or no expecta.
tion of their ever coming to be of
commercial Importance. From 1895
until 1901 some paintings of larger
size we're set, but 1t was not until 1902
that the real earnest planting of orch
ards especially for commercial pur.
poses began. From that date many
and extensive orchards have been set,
the humber and acreage increasing
greatly each year. Twenty nine per
cent of these being set in 1907.
The apples comprise 81. . per cent of
the number of trees standing In the
Hood River district the peais com
prise 2. l per cent; the peaches |. Z per
cent; the cherries, IL per cent: and
the nuts per cent. BY studying ia
bles /, 2, 3, and 5 it will be noticed
that the larger paintings of the other
, kinds OF fruit run proportionately
about the same as those OF the apple,
the greater numbers having been set
within the past few years 1t will be
noticed that all of the wslnuts in ap.
preciable numbers have been set with
In the past three years. The greater
number of the peach trees are three
years old; Sc per cent of the pears dc
not exceed three years OF age; and "a
per cent of the cherries are four years
. old and younger.
The strawberry industry of Hood
River is very important one 1t has
, been the pioneer crop, being planted
extensively In the young orchards
where the beds are allowed to lemain
, until the young trees commence bear
ing. Thus good steady income il
realized in these years of great eXpen.
diture and, under ordinary conditions,
light returns Formerly the beds were
all near town, bu' of late paintings
are more extensive farther up the val.
ley and while in these regions the ber,
ries come later, still there is less los'