The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-06-08
BEAUTY OF VALLEY
TOLD In LETTER

IS taken from the Omaha Sunday Bee
Dear jim: Glacier View Orchard,
as our place is called, consists OF
twenty-five acres, eight acres full
bearing, four acres l-year-old trees,
three acres meadow. the balance un-
cleared, and cost, including all equip
ments, $4,000 Ii is located on the
main road leading to and about eight
miles from Cloud Cap Inn, the famous
summer resort on Mt Hood, between
which and Hood River daily auto
series is maintained throuhout the
summer months. The entire valley is
from six to ten miles wide and twenty
five miles long, the eastern and west
ern limits being bounded by rather
high foothills, which gradually draw
together as they near Mt Hood, where
they meet We are in the very shadow
of these eastern hills and separated
from them by the river, which here
rushes madly along on its precipitous
flight to the Columbia river. The
altitude is 1000 feet.
This letter is to be merely a plain
statement of facts and conditions as |
found them in orchard work, otherwise
! would dilate upon the beauties of
nature as seen here. And yet on
words can give you any adequate idea
of the wondrous glory of this mountain
country Not once, nor twice, but
scores of times one of US has called to
the others to see, it might be a sun
rise, or a sunset, or some cloud effect
about Mt. Hood head.
In the cold, gray dawn old Hood
looms up cold, stern and silent.
Presently, from over the EASTERN hills,
a single shaft of light shoots across the
sky and kisses il into pink of delicate
hue. Quickly the colors change and
deepen into rich crimsons and reds, as
crag after crag is lighted up. Lower,
ever lower, down the mountain side
steals the light until with one rush the
sun swings over the eastern hills and
the entire mouniain is bathed in the
full gloiies of another day. TO watch
this awakening into life again, to see
the eelors on the mountain side change,
blending into deeper tints. gives one
an exaltation Of feeling impossible to
describe.
And the clouds How they drift and
eddy about, now hiding the entire
mountain, now settling down until
through them the mountain, with its
everlasting SHOWS, shoves its head
loftily out of the gloom into heaven 5
pure light. And then again, the
clouds form cap or hood of downy
whiteness and lightness, leaving only
the base of the mountain and the foot
hills disclosed to view. Perhaps it is a
sunset, with the western sky all aflame
with fiery cOlOrs, or the mountain
standing silent, like a mighty sentinel
under the cold light of the moon.
Night after night have gone to sleep,
my eyes resting on dear old Hood,
which we have all come to love so
much, my senses luled into forgetfuI-
ness by the neVer-ceasing roar of the
river All, if one could only live on
nature beauties ever changing as they
are ever new, what feast one would
have here. So much for our location.
The climate is moderate-plenty of
sunshine, but no excessive heat such
as you have in the east. The nights
are delightfully."- cool owing to our
close proximity to Mount Hood and no
doubt to the fact that the river carries
the cold waters from the glaciers
through the valley There is plenty
Of rainfall, of course, but not so much
as in Portland or other points nearer
the coast. In fact, phrase often
used in describing this region is:
Where the rain and sunshine meet.
Too much rainfall and too much heat
develop the apple too rapidly. prevent
ing it from taking on those excellent
keeping qualities and the delicious
flavor characteristic Of the Hood River
apple. Another advantage over some
other fruit districts is that we do not
need to use orchard heaters, at least
the necessity aas not been apparent
thus far.
TIE soil is of four or five distinct
kinds, but that best adapted for
apples is known as red shot soil
having a tinge of red to it and COM
posed Of little shot-like particles. This
soil, as we'll as volcanic ash, is rich
in all the elements necessary for the
production Of apples ard has the adj
vantage Of being easily drained and
cultivated. Frequent cultivation
throughout the growing period con
serves the moisture by hermetIeaiIy
sealing the little holes In The ground
through which evaporation takes
place. or COURSE therc Is clay here
and good orchards are growing on such
soil, but it needs more experience in
handling it to keep the Jumps OF earth
we'll pulverized.
There are three forks to the river
and water is drawn from all three
streams for irrigation purposes.
The different bitches are owned and
controlled by the orehardists directly
interested and water is sold at so much
per miner inch for the season, this
price varying somewhat owing to
conditions, cost of maintenance, etc.
Last year it was necessary to buy
fifteen inches at So per inch to irrigate
my orchard. The water was turned on
early in July and allowed to run two
weeks or more during the growing sea-
son. Some orehardists do not irrigate
at all, some only tritle, there being
wide difference of opinion on this
subject. but, in any case, no irrigating
is done after August Is, when the
apples begin TO take on color.
Ii is said that a Hood river orchard
list knows each tree in his orchard and
cares for it more zealously than many
a New York mother does her children.
BE that as it may, he certainly ex-
hiblts the greatest care in pruning,
spraying and cultivating his trees and
in handling his crop.
The fruit magazines are full of
articles on pruning and it shouli not
be neees iary to say anything on this
feature of orchard work. but | am pre-
suming that you want full information
on all points. Pruning is done to give
symmetry of form to the tree, to
take out all interfering branches that
prevent free air circulation and keep
the sunlight from the center of the
tree, TO strengthen the branches that
they may grow in such way as to
properly bear their burden of fruit aud
to enable the fruit to take on size and
color There are two distinct methods
of pruning, and which ever one is
adoptend, it is put into practice the day
the tree is planted. Someone has said