The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-08-24
HOOD RIVER VALLEY AS HOME.

The Hood River Valley has already
won its fame as an apple producing
section. Ii is now winning fame as
a home location. 1t has everything
that goes toward making home life
ideal. The scenery Of its mountains,
the pleasantness Of its climate, the
character of its people are all elements
that please.
All of the old Hood River residents
know that their scenery is just as
beautiful as any in the world. They
never cay much about it but just live
in its environment and enjoy 1t. IL
is when the newcomers are among us
that we hear Il talked of. We agree
with them. We agree with what Tom
Lawson recently said. Tom described
it little more graphically than most
men. Il pleased Tom as it pleases all
the rest. His characteristic vocsb-
ulary was drained to do the country
justice. Men Of quieter temperaments
merely say: '1t's fine. ~"
Hood Rivers climate rarely ever
arouses complaint-even from chronic
grumblers. In the summer months,
when Eastern cousins are sweltering,
when collars melt like snow blown
upon by Chinook winds. when nights
are hot and the humidity is great It is
a rare occasion when people of the
Hood RIVER Valley do not find a blanket
comfortable. In midsummer weeks.
to give variety to life, brief journey,
a few miles ride, and one can enter
virgin forests and enjoy ideal camp
life, where the sportsman never grows
tired of angling. And a little further
back IN tn. foothills and mountain |
ranges big game is plentiful. A win
ter rarely passes without snow enough
for sleighing. The weather, however,
never grows severely cold. These few
months Of winter, besides the sports
they give us. are peculiar asset for
the Valley. A fruit expert from the
United States Department of Agricul-
ture on a recent visit was inquiring
about the weather conditions. When
told of the usual SHOWS andf the mod
crate cold of the winter months, he
remarked: "You should be glad of
that because of the aid to your fruit
trees. Apple districts further south
suffer because of the mildness of the
winters. The tree is never dormant.
Indeed. in places | have seen blooms
in some spots all the year. II has
bad effect upon the quality of the
fruit"
And the character of the people--it
is noted by every one visiting the
Valley. To use the words of H. J.
Ramsey, recent visiting fruit expert:
Your orchardists should consider
themselves particularly fortunate.
One of the things for which you are
to be envied is the class of people of
which your growers is made up. With
the exception of one or two small
orange growing sections in Southern
California il Is alone, ! suppose, in all
the United States." There is in exist
ence here spirit of cooperation.
Lacking it. despite the wonderful soil
and climatic elements, requisite to
first quality fruit production, the
Valley could never have reached the
height of success now prevailing.
From it materialized the Apple
Growers Union. Evidence of it is seen
in the irrigation districts. 1t shows
itself. when the Valley orchardists.
without government aid,' band them
selves together for mutual protection
from disease and for the purpose of
conducting experiments whereby the
orchards may be made more productive
and the community benefit. Note the
purchases for the past several years
Men who have roamed the world buy
Hood River land for homes. Not a
week has passed this summer but that
its appeal has drawn new family to
the community.