The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-10-26
SAM BLYTHE WRITES
OF HOOD RIVER

Samuel G. Blythe, the man who
writes so versatilely aud entertainlngly
on the political features OF the country
and who edits the who's Who and
Why" section of the Saturday Evening
Post, had an excellent article in that
publication last week on Hood River.
Mr.. Blythe tells of a visit to the
famous apple growing region and
gives a history of its development.
The Applegrowers' Union comes in for
a string praise because of cooperative
and scientific methods of marking.
OF especial interest is Mr Blythe's
advice to prospective applegrowers.
Though as interesting as many work
in the world, the industry requires the
undivided attention.. he says. The
following interesting extracts are
taken from the article:
after making an investigation
have no hesitation in saying that any
man of good ability, of capacity for
work, who has. an aptitude Tor the
work and has five thousand dollars H.
cash. and who is prepared to work hard
aud long before he begins 10 get his
profits, can make a success OF apple
growing in Hood River and some other
districts. 1t will not be easy. 1t en-
tails hard work, many discoulagements
and some setbacks. 1t is no Eldorado
where all there is to be done is to set
out the trees and, in the full course OF
time, pick the golden apples
"There is another and the most inn
portant point of all that must be made
that is, the man who invests in an
orchard in Hood River must 90 there
himself. take personal supervision,
live with and in his orchard, attend to
the work himself and keep watch all
the time.
"There are alluring advertisements
of fruit property that can be bought
and planted and tended for you, YOU
remaining a your usual work until the
trees are in bearing and then quitting
and going out to sit under their UNI
brageous shade and catch the dollars
as they drop. That is all bosh If any
man wants to get back to the land and
make success of an apple orchard he
must make a success of 1t himself. He
cannot delegate the work, for if he
does the work will not be done proper
ly. Bringing an orchard into full and
profitable bearing is as eXacting an
enterprise as raising child. 1t must
be done by the praty of the first part.
"The absentee landlord will not get
the worth of his money. He cannot be
in.one part of the country attending 10
his work and have people raise apples
for him in another. They won't raise
them. When you are bringing an
apple orchard or any other kind Of an
orchard into bearing you must be on
the spotlight there. .snurslng 1t.
Mr.. Blythe has succeeded in giving
his readers an accurate idea of the
growth and development of the Valley,
and his story Of the careful system of
packing is correct. However, he has
allowed the Imagination or fancy of
some one to cause him to make an
erroneous statement as to the picking.
1t IS true that the picking of the
extra fancy apples is done in the most
careful manner, but never were they
picked from the trees and placed in a
pail half-full of water. Naturally this
would prevent the fruit from being
bruised, but the apples are not allowed
to be picked even while the dew is on
them. When handled wet the apples
tend to decay more quickly.