The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-12-01

has never been equalled. We have
been called to judge your exhibit this
year. AS it will be hard to decide be-
tween you, we have determined to eX-
act double penalties if we find the bot
tom OF the box not as good as the top.
1t Is possible we may have to look for
the toenail marks of the MOSQUITOES on
the apples to determine a difference. "
{. II. Sproat told how the car of
winners was got together and gave
all the credit to his wife and family.
He discIaimed any credit himself, and
SAID that all credit and remuneration
would 60 to those who made up the
car. The packers, Robinson, Ordway
and Dabney, would be remembered,
and all those who contributed to the
success OF the exhibit were entitled to
their share of praise. Mr.. Sproat said
that back of all this the reputation of
the valley was at stake. We had ev-
erything to lose and but little to gain.
Back of the individual effort was the
reputation of the valley. Had we lost,
it would have hurt our reputation in
the markets. To win was simply to
maintain the reputation already estab-
lished. Medford gained nothing in
commercial way last year for having
received the prize, because of lack of
organization and business methods. 1t
helped real estate sales to some extent
in the Medford country, but did not
benefit the sale of apples. Southern
Oregon this year did not make a sale of
apples until very late. The reputation
of Hood River enabled us to sell our
apples on an f. 0. b. proposition. We
have this year enlarged our markets.
We sent one car to Boston as a trial
shipment and upon its arrival received
a wire from the buyer asking for
another car. The quality is so high
class that we have now four firms in
Boston handling Hood River apples.
Owing to the large production which
Will he had in a few years from all the
box apple sections of the west, we
must keep to the front from a purely
commercial standpoint. We will have
to depend on quality to win. | wish
also to call your attention to the ware
house and cold storage problem. You
have all noticed the strings of teams
waiting at the warehouse to unload. |
Our storage facilities this year have
been much too small, and we have had |
to crowd apples on the market at times
when the market has been gluttcd, and |
it has hurt the price. In two years
we may reasonably expect a million |
boxes from Hood River orchards. I'm |
less more facilities are provided it will |
mean tremendous loss. We must |
have a capacity of at least $50, 600 |
boxes by that time. The two storage |
here are the only ones of |
any note in the box apple sections. |
The other sections this year have had |
10 force their apples on glutted mar
kets, with more or less disastrous re-
suits. When those conditions occur it |
IS only the high class apples which |
sell. Our prosperity depends upon
how long we can keep Spitzenburg APP
pies. If we can hold them until the |
surplus stock from other sections is
moved off, we can ship at the rig I !
time and get profitable returns. Bus |
mess men, owners of real estate and |
apple growers must provide more
or suffer loss. A stock |
of 500, 600 is needed to solve |!
this problem.
Prof. Lewis, one of the judges of the
Hood River fair, was present and ex-
tended the congratulations of the Ore
gon Agricultural College t. Hood
River on its magnincent exhibit He
said we were specialists in a special
industry, making it deep business
study, and were making it grand
success. He admonished us to keep up
The reputation to high grade.
Henry Avery, of the Eggernont or
hard, which took the Newtown prize
at Spokane, when asked to explain
now his apples took the prize, laid it
was "Hood River apples and Hood
River methods. He would change
The old motto to read, Honesty is the
Best Pack, " and hang it in every ap-
pie house. He said that at Spokane
when the judges got to his car they
.oOk out 700 apples from the boxes and
found them all perfect. He said that
J. r. Castner was the man behind the
NeWtown pack, and it was the packers
who landed the prize
G. h. Castner was then asked to tell
low the car was built up, and he said
hey went over 5000 boxes and select
ed 1857. In packing out the car they
,ook little over SO per cent of the
selection.