The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-03-19

fertilization OF several yarietie
strengthened all OF them. Ii WIS ais,
a known fact that some trees fertiliz,
much easier than others aud that tn,
heavy bloomer helped out the so-callee
shy bearers.
Mr. Smith said that the matter O
packing of apples was a problem tha
was confronting the growers. Ther,
should be school Of packing apple.
established by some one, where more
could be taught the business. Pack
ers should also be paid by the day
rather than by the box, as last year,
as 1t would insure a better pack.
Now the packers we're trying to SEE
how many boxes could be packed In q
day aud consequently we're not az
particular as they should be Pack.
ers we're also constantly urged BY
some OF the farmers to put In apples
which are not strictly up to grade.
@. ii. Sproat addressed the conven
tion along the lines of marketing the
fruit, from the standpoint OF the Ap-
pie Growers Union, and made many
very valuable suggestions. Mr..
Sproat said that 1t was generally con-
ceded that the present high prices of
apples would not continue always.
but that apples at dollar a box
would still make Hood River orchards
worth 81 600 an acre. The increased
acreage would affect prices some, al.
though this would be counteracted 10
a large measure by the decreased acre.
age OF the eastern orchards Com
petition could be expected from other
districts on the Pacific coast which
we're initiating Hood River methods,
putting up good packs, etc. He said
the eastern apple buyers had all lost
money this year, except those who
handled the Hood River product, and
be understood the Davidson Fruit
20. came out all right, as there is no
report from anywhere that Hood Riv-
or apples fell down. He read maiket
reports to show that while the apple
market in general was bad on account
OF roor stock, the market on fancy
apples held up. The Union was urged
this year, as In other years, to CON
sign their apples, but they did not
consider 1t good basis to work on,
and sold their crop instead OF con-
signing. He thought II would soon
be necessary to have a representative
In eastern markets to dispose of the
Hood River crop, as buyers would
hardly come out from New York to
lid on 1000 carloads of apples, which
we will have In few years.
Mr. Sproat said that the method of
handling the Spitzen berg crop would
have to be changed and that he
bought it would require cold storage
plants OF a capacity OF from $50, 600 TO
2oo, GOO boxes Of apples. This variety
must be gotten to market In Novem-
ber IL 1t Is to be disposed Of to adyan-
tage without going to pieces, or else
put in cold storage soon after picking
In which case the crop could be NOV
Dd off more slowly. The Newtowns
san be banded without sny trouble In |
The ordinary way.
Mr.. Davidson said that they had
found that the very large Newtowns
were not desirable sizes for the gener-
al trade, but that the four and four
and half sizes we're the best. While
there would always he demand for
> limited quantity Of the large sizes,
The trade preferred the medium. In
,ase OF the Spitzenbergs, which we're
'old In this country, the large apple
would have the preference. The same
lpplied to the Arkansas Black, which
vas showy apple, and bought large
y for show or decorative purposes.
The large Ben Davis was not desir.
tile.
In the matter of thinning, Mr.. CAST
Ter said that apples should be thinned
lown to one on a fruit spur and six
inches apart.
The meeting was adjourned for four
weeks, when other papers will be read
nd final matters to come before the
Meeting disposed of.