The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1910-08-04
SPECTATOR LOOKS
AT HOOD RIVER

weeks ago ana the NdllSy VI IuS SPitH
and NeWtown came to the attention of
many readers of the magazine which
has been taken under the wing of Col.
The Spectator did not see
everything just exactly right, but
to get about as clear an idea
of the valley and apple industry as is
obtained in a brief visit by
person unfamiliar with fruit growing.
One of the commercial varieties at
Hood River is the Jonathan New
town" according to MIR. Spectator.
However, that is pretty good guess
for novice.
Everything which the Outlook writer
had to say was good for Hood River
until the last paragraph when he said
that Hood River had "off years He
is right. Hood Rivers apple crop
has generally been smaller in alternate
years. Last year was one of the So
called 'off years but no bankruptcies
have resulted. The Spectator should
have explained that an "otP year" I'M
Hood River means merely smaller
profits" instead of greater losses
as is the case in many of the orchards
with which the easterner is familiar.
The Spectator had the following to
say:
"The Spectator has lately been
reversing all his previous conceptions
of apple culture and apple orchards
and learning new lessons from the
growers of fruit in the valley of
Hood River, Oregon. This little
yoIlay r,,ppiprr south from, tho Col
umba River, is only twenty miles
long and FIVE wide; hemmed in at
the east and west by two mountain
ranges, the land gradually rises from
the river toward the southern eX-
tremity, where Mount Hood stands
as snowy sentinel over eleven
thousand feet high, 1t is only a
quarter of a century since this
locality has been given up to the cul-
ture Of fruit, and in that time it has
been proved that the climatic eondi-
tions and soil are best adapted to
the raising of apples, SO to-day the
fame of Hood River apples extends
into all the markets of the East, as
well as into foreign countries, even
as far as China and Japan.
Oregon boasts of having a greater
variety of industries than any other
State in the Union, Along the coast
and on the Columbia River the fisher
men reap their harvest; the vast
forests Of the interior add millions to
the timber wealth of the world the
coast country is unsurpassed fQrsdairy
products, while the hop production is
greater than in any other State; fruit
culture has been carried on success
fully in southern Oregon, while eastern
Oregon has been the domain OF the
bonanza wheat farmer. With all these
numerous and varied resources there
has been almost no Specializing
among the people. Each man has
worked at many trades ana each patch
of LAND has produced grain, fruit and
vegetables, with no system as to the
planting, improving, or marketing of
the products. 1t has been LETT to
Hood River to Specialize e" its fruit
and apples are grown according to
methods gained by study and exper-
ience, and are marketed under a sys-
tenn to perfect as to insure ready
sale to distant dealers,
1t is with reluctance that the Specta-
tor merges his remembrance of the
old-time apple orchards into those of
his present vision, In place of the
wide spreading tree, with its gnarled,
low-lying branches, the Spectator sees
/ an upright, dapper little tree, with
but scanty shade for the lounger
beneath il, we're he inclined to stretch
himself on the ground. The Spectator
looks for the carpet of green grass
which covered the orchard of his child.
hood, and sees only the bare earth,
No quiet restfulness about these
orchards no chance for one to hide
himself in a lofty perch above or lie or
the grass below and dream the time
a way while watching the feeting
shadows from his resting-place. Here
all is Geaseless activity and untirinl
industry; the only dreaming done re
lates to the size of the apple crop OF
the new house or automobile t
which the proceeds may be applied
The Spectator must also renounce hi
vision of the piles of apples on the
ground as well as the classified apple
bins in the cellar, nor can he see tht
well-filled barrels waiting to b.
carried from orchard to store. Com
modious apple-houses ,are a necessar,
adjunct of all farms here, and thert
the fruit is stored, graded, and packed
for transportation. When investigat
ing the apple-house of his host, tn
} Spectator was so unfortunate a
, to ask if that was the place where tn
apples were dumped, Dumped - th
irate host exclaimed; "our apple
: are never dumped they are brough
in boxes from the orchards and If
picker or packer happens to drop on
to the floor or ground, that apple !
cast out as dead fruit, and is unsal
able" He then explained that tn
apples are sorted into kinds and sizes
the Spit8enberg and Jonathan New
town being sthe Commercial apples.
, There are four sizes Of apples, run
/ ming from tifty-four to one hundre
, and twenty eight in a box, the sam
! number of a certain size being in eac
, box, No grower is allowed to pac
I his own fruit; professional packer
! are sent from the Growers! Union,
e that organized body receiving bid
I. from dealers, transporting apples a
z required, and making returns to tn
a growers,
The trees, which are planted twent!
v five feet apart, do not bear for fiv
years. Up to the bearing period tn
Intervening ground space can be give
Il up to the culture of small fruits, bt
- that must be abolished when the tree
commence to bear. The ground is the
constantly worked with plow, harrow
{, and other implements outside tt
's Spectators vocabulary, until not
d weed or a blade of grass can be seen
+ all the vast expanse of orchards. tt
!, process of thinning" the apples WI
e. Of great interest to the Spectator, al
n he questioned if the thrifty Yankc
10 ~ farmer could stand by the law of I'll
d survival of the fittest," and pluck O
le the ''ninety and nine" apples that Il
f. remaining one might come to larg
e. and more perfect fruition. OF cour
al the Spectator takes that per cent as
mere simile, though as an actual ia
2,400 apples were taken from one tr
only 1900 being left to mature. T
snravinp of the trees for pests