The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-07-13
WASTED TIdE AND LACK OF Returns

WASTED TINE AND LACK OF RETURNS.
what success that man could have
made if he were only in some other
business. All of us have heard words
exactly as the-above, or at least iden-
tical 10 import, ever since we have
been able to understand the conversa-
tions of our elders. The sentence al
ways hears a suggestion Of pity.
While the comparison may be an
inapt one it comes to hand and is made
use of-in a decade we may see the
agricultural interests of the Northwest
sorely hampered because of the fact
that too much Of the land, unadapted
to fruit, has been placed in orchard
Twenty years ago the West went prune
crazy. As time and experience have
shown a great per cent Of the land was
never adapted for the industry and
numerous failures have been recorded.
However, those who did put their
orchards in suitable soil and who per-
severed and maintained their enter
prises are reaping financial reward
deserved. But the country as whole
as well as the individuals who chose
localities where other farm products
ard not prunes thrived. have felt the
result of waste of time and the money
spent in fruitless Development and the
sad lack of returns.
Today the apple has become the pre-
dominant product in many sections of
the Northwest as well as other parts
of the country. Indeed, the apple is a
king, where it thrives to best advan-
tage. But it is to be feared that his
tory is repeating itself and that many
regions are being set to apples, from
which the growers will never receive
justifable returns. inexperienced men
and women overwhelmed by the tales
OF profit may be making grave mis-
takes. They may be expending their
money on ventures that will fail to
meet with results. They will lose and
the country as ii whole will lose, for
in addition to their time and money
sunk in a profitless industry the land
lies idle without return of product.
The ordinary agricultural products
of the country are continuing to soar
in price. Until more of them are
grown, until more of the people who
are now attempting to grow crops,
from which they hope ultimately to
receive larger income, turn their
attention to them, they are going to
continue to rise in valuation.
II may be that some of the residents
Of tue more proven orchard districts
are making the mistake OF turning
their attention too exclusively to the
raising of fruit In speaking of the
condition of the Medford community
the Portland Telegram says in an
editorial:
Under the circumstances we know
Of no more inviting field for the truck
farmer than Medford. Its people are
willingly paying high price for the
food products which they import.
These products should be raised at
home, and If anything like the same
price is paid for them, truck farmers
will soon get we'll to do in that valley.
Attention of the Medford people, in
our judgment, has been too completely
absorbed in apple and pear raising.
They are now seeing only part of their
problem. If a good proportion of the
money now being shipped out for
foodstuffs We're only kept at home, as
II should and can be, Medford money
would be more generally scattered
than it is, and we have no doubt the
banks would hail with pleasure the
added tone of health thus developed in
municipal conditions. Hand in hand
with the development of the fruit bus
mess should go the development of the
agricultural and fruit farming inter
ests. In this way some of the big ex-
isting leaks swiIl BE stopped and the
great problem ahead Of Medford will
be found much easier of solution.
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