The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-04-21
URGES BETTER PACK
PREDICTS Big CROP

Va OIeBOH W DeIIeT IHelF apple pdcl
which showed a slight falling off il
quality last year. Following is tn,
report:
''Once more has the time arrived TO
taking account of fruit crop prospect
and conditions. Judging from thu
looks of the trees in those lparts of tn,
state which have been able to visi
this Spring, if we have favorabl,
weather all through blooming time, W,
will surely have a bountiful crop o.
most all kinds of fruit this year
Whether such hopes are we'll grounded
or not, | believe the impression exists
in most all of the fruit growing sec.
tions of the country that this year il
to be year of big fruit crops.
Each succeeding year in Oregon
shows better general care of the
orchards, and though the past winter
was very difficult one in which tc
accomplish the usual Winter work, il
was compensated for by the beautiful
month of March which allowed the
work to be brought up to date. In
many sections the blooming season il
nearly over for the early fruits, in
others it is just at hand, and with nc
reports of injury or damage of any
kind as yet.
"A noticeable feature of the past
Winter has been the great number of
fruit growers organizations that have
been formed. Almost every community
in which there is any activity of
orchard-planting now has its associa-
tion. Many of them will have but a
small amount of fruit to market for a
year or two, but they will do splendid
work in having uniform methods of
planting adopted, in guiding their
members in the selection of proper
varieties and in the purchase of all
kinds of supplies. And of even more
Importance than any of these, they
will learn the habits of working to-
gether and of subordinating their in
dividual preferences to the will of the
majority.
"The year 1909 marked the begin
ming of what | believe will grow to be
great industry, and that is the pro-
duction of grape juice on a commercial
scale. The Concord grape is superior
to all others for the production of fine
juice and this grape succeeds admirably
on the foothills of Western Oregon.
Five thousand gallons of this juice
that is the equal of anything on the
market is just now being bottled and
distributed to the trade, and is meeting
with ready sale.
"This company paid from $35 to $40
ton last season for the grapes and
they tell me that they can pay $35
the coming season and for the future
If other conditions are not materially
different. The grape industry has been
slow of development because of the
lack of certain market; the local mar
kets were easily overstocked, and other
markets could not be reached, but with
certain market and at an attractive
price, the industry will grow rapidly
and can be increased enormously.
'The matter Of Federal legislation
relating to the apple industry has
attracted our attention during the
past winter, and from present indica-
tions will need further attention before
the case is finally settled. The La
fean bill, which has been before
Congress the present session, seeks
to accomplish two main objects; to
standardize the packages used in inter-
state commerce, and to standardize the
system of grading and marketing the
fruit. The reason for the agitation in
this direction is that there has been
confusion in the markets from the use
of four different styles of barrels in
the Eastern States, and from the use
of one size of box in Colorado and
another from the Pacific Northwest
and Calf Jrnia. Absolute lack of any
rules of grading whatever in the
average Eastern barrel-packed fruit
also caused discussion.
The objects sought to be obtained
by the supporters of the bill, who are
the commission dealers and
retail grocery men of the Eastern
cities, are laudable, but it seems very
improbable that the bill, if passed and
enforced, would accomplish the results
desired. So Objectionable were the
terms of the bill to the growers of the
Northwest, that it was found necessary
to send representatives to Washington
to protest against it. c. E. Whistler,
of Medford; J. A. Wilson, of Hood
River, and myself represented Oregon,
and l.. B. Monroe, of Spokane and j.
A. Tichenal, of Wenatchee, appeared
for Washington.
"The. standard apple box provided
in this bill contains 2342 cubic inches,
which is ITO inches more than our pre-
sent box contains; the contention be-
ing that our box does not contain full
bushel, or, as the retailer puts it, it
will not measure out four heaped
pecks such as he must deliver when
he sells by the peck or half peck.
This is very important point, as we
found on careful investigation of the
of all the cities which we
were able to visit, that our apples were
being Disseminated against to mar
ked degree on this account.
while we were able to demonstrate
to the full satisfaction of the COM
mittee on agriculture, before whom
the hearing was held, that our box when
packed honestly and carefully would
out four heaped pecks, yet we
were unable to find any boxes on the
regular market at Washington that
would measure full quantity. This was
VIC WSdhSSh pOlul III our opposition 10
the bill and it was very mortifying to
have it caused by the carelessness of
our own growers.
There has been very general COM
plant from the dealers and consumers
in the Eastern markets that our fruit
this year was not up to the standard,
either in pack or quality. We set so
high standard in former years and
secured such splendid prices on account
of it that even a slight falling off is
very noticeable and brings strong |
protest. Careful investigation showed |
rs that this complaint was justified to
A large extent. | wish to urge as
strongly as possible upon our growers
that such policy will not do, that it
will be suicidal. Only fruit of high
quality and absolutely honest pack
AN be marketed successfully against
he strong competition to be met in
he Eastern market.
I'VE are much indebted to M. o.
Iownsdale and to the Hood River and
Venatchee fruit unions for the boxes
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