The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1908-07-23
GEO RAE TALKS ON
FRUIT CONDITIONS

Geo. Rae, OF Rae 4 Hatfield, the
vel, known New York apple man, who
is making his annual tour ,f the fruit
growing districts to inquire into the
crop conditions, arrived at Hood Riv-
er Monday evening. Mr.. Rae did not
make as long stay here IS usual and
left Tuesday night on his return trip
expecting to stop and Boise and
Grand Junction Oh his way home.
While here he stated tlat in his trip
up the coast from California he found
fine prospects for a goot apple crop at
Medfor,l, but that pears will be al
most a failure there this year. At
Yakima and Wenatchee the apple crop
Is In fine condition with every indica-
tion that .hose places will have a
bumper yield. In bis observations in
Colorado he found that the Grand
junction section was hit hard by frost
and the yield will oe light, but at
Palisades and other fruit growing
points In the state 75 per cent of a
crop ought to be shipped. After
drive ever the valley she veteran New
York fruit man ssid tnat Hood Rivers
prospects for good apple crop were
never brighter and that he expected
to sec big shipment OF fine quality
fruit sent out from here this year.
In regard to prices Mr.. Rae was uu-
communicative, saying it was little
too early In the season to do any
guessing. The Tut market when he
left New York, he said, was somewhat
demoralized owing to the enormous
peach crop with which Georgia was
flooding the city. Georgia this year
had an 5000 car peach crop and
showed them into the market so last
that they had affected the price OF all
other kinds of fruit. Since coming
west, however he had received ad-
vices that the crop was peteriDg out
and that conditions we're improving.
With them out Of the way he expected
that the market would stiffen up and
that conditions Tor fancy western box
apples would be good.
When told about the low prices
cherries we're bringing throughout the
state this year he said that this could
be overcome II Oregon growers would
pack them for long distance shipments
and send them to New York In car
lots, and cited the fact that his firm
sold Car of California cherries this
year tors 3,065 or about 81. 80 per box
for ten pound boxes. Some that we're
shipped to them in pony refrigerators
they had sold tor as high as Sc 80 per
box aud later shipments had readily
brought "a. 80 per box netting growers
SO. SO. He added that he thought the
Oregon cherry was finer product
than that of California and would
bring big prices II they could be put
on the New York market In big quan-
titles.
Referring to the enormous crop OF
canteloupes in the Imperial Valley in
California this year MI. Rae stated
that much of the failure to maket it
successfully was due to tho fact that in
the anxiety to get the first car Of mel
ons ont he New York market this year
they we're shipped too green s,d
caused so much dissatisfaction that
they cnuld not be disposed OF at
profit. EARLY in the season the crop
of melons In the Imperial Valley was
estimated at sl,00U.000. Later,
however. growers there had consider
able difficulty in getting a slight pro
tit over the express charges and the
price of the crate.
Business conditions are recovering
IN the east, according to Mr. Rae, and
he looks for prosperous season. just
now he asys that politics are occupy
ing much of the public's attention
and expects business will be some
what quiet until after the election.