The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-05-18
NORTHWEST'S SUCCESS
DUE TO SPECIALIZING

DUE lU SPEUlALlLllNU
The specializing of the apple in
dustry is strong feature OF success IN
the Northwest, says Roy &. Brock in a
recent article in a Sunday edition OF
the Oregonian which is given below:
Each year the question OF overpro'
duction of apples has to be answered
for the benefit of the many home-seek-
ers and investors coming to the Paclhc
Northwest who consider the possibility
of adopting apple growing as a busi-
ness. Even some of the people already
engaged in the business, after seeing
the large planting Of this kind OF fruit,
questions in his own mind the advlsa-
| bility Of further investments along the
same line. These questlonlngs are the
result of a lack of understanding of the
conditions existing in the apple-groW-
| ing sections which tend to bring about
production Of sufficient quantity of
apples to make an overproduction OF
! them.
'In the year 1895 the estimated crop
of apples in the United States was g.
| OOO, 900 barrels or Ito place in such
manner as to be more fully understood
! by Northwestern people, 2O7, 900, 600
| boxes of apples. In 1888 there were
no famous Hood Rivers, Wenatches,
Yakimas and Rogue Rivers. In fact
| there was practically no production of
: apples west of the Rocky Mountains
aside from California. During the
past five years the average crop of the
/ n Ipr ~ AypnnHaH
900 barrels 40, 900, 600 boxes) and in no
one year during the five has the crop
been more than &c, 600, 600 barrels co.
| 600, 900 bOXes).
1T was during this past five years
time that each of the Northwest apple
sections, before named, became really
recognized in the markets Of the
world Prior to this time the quantity
! grown had been so small comparatively
with Eastern fruit sections that it
could only be considered as a sample of
the pr0duct to be. The success with
which these samples were marketed
caused extensive paintings each year,
until last year the crop Of box apples
from the Northwest fruit section was
fully double that of an previous year:
| The result of this sudden increase of
crop was to find growers without pro-
vision for housing and otherwise
caring for the crop at the proper sea-
son, and as a result large portion OF
the corp had to be rushed to markets
and take the chance of bringing rush
sale prices. Notwithstanding this
large crop of box apples the crop of
| the United States was one of the
smallest in the history of the country.
| 1t was not overproduction of apples
| that caused some unsuccessful sales,
but lack of proper facilities for hand
ling the crop. Considered as whole,
| lack of facilities included, the market
ing was highly successful and should
| only be considered unsatisfactory to
the extent of causing the proper facill-
ties to be quickly provided. The apple
growers of the Northwest are of the
proper material and are rapidly pre-
pairing for this years crop and will
never again be caught mapping.
The real reason for the decrease in
the production of apples in the United
States are the advent Of fruit pests,
the nonspecializing of the business,
and the absence of good hard-headed
business sense in the growing of the
crop and its marketing.
"When the old orchards of the East
were first planted they were very
seldom plnated with a view to com
merciatl purposes, but rather as home
orchards. AS the demand for apples
increased by Increasing of population,
larger home orchards were grown to
keep up to the demand. However, the
orchards were considered as only sec
ondary to the main crops which were
grown. AS result as soon as the
pests become manfst the orchards
bcame more and more neglected and
the pests so thoroughly established
that for the past 10 years thousands of
acres of once fine bearing orchards are
being cut down and burned, or in some
casesIthe woods are used in the manu-
facture of articles of commercial
value.
"Some say that certain Eastern sec
tions such as parts of Virginia and
Michigan are cleaning up their orch.
ards. In a few instances this may be
| true, but these will be found very few
andsfar between. No broken down
disease-infected animal can be brought
back to anything like the degree of
usefulness that a sturdy, always we'll
: kept one may attain. The apple tree
4 or orchard is the same as the anima
II and even more difficult to bring bach
II again. 1t is almost universally true ot
II these Eastern sections that those en-
H gagged in the business (as a side line,
H are, or should be called by the name
H that was given to many of the pas
II generation of Oregonians, moss
II backs" for they have lost the essen
II tial requirement for true orChardist
II ambition.
Il "The ambition to grow the finest
II product only, can keep the grower t
H the highest standard Of efficiency
II The East is infested with men who say
II they used to grow just as fine apple!
II as come from the Northwest, or car
II grow them Just as well as those grown
II in the Northwest. They rest on wha
II was done or their ideal of what was
II done, and lack ambition to prove 1t t
II the buyers of Northwestern apples
II Certain of the Northwestern sections
II are breeding trouble for their future
II as apple producing sections by no
II IHdhllB a oHCCldlby VI VIC dppIC buSl
II ness. While growing of other crops II
II pTaCtiCed in connection with apple
II raising, it becomes the almost invari
II able tendency on the part of the grow
H er to put off, for a few days, worl
II that should be done in the orchard il
II order that no loss may occur in thes'
II other crops, and the result is sure t
III be a much greater loss to the grove,
u in the apple crop than would hav,
occurred IN these other crops. There
are crucial periods in the growing o.
4 apples, which if overlooked always
II result in serious damage either to The
H trees or fruit and in many cases both.
II "Often growers are inclined t
II choose ideas without considering then
II well, and, after the choice has beer
II made, stick with a bull-headed deter
II mination to the idea without regard t.
Ii thn Ennnninl rneLlt ErnNlMn ~