The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-11-30
STORAGE PROBLEM
FACES THEVALLEY.
SPROAT GIVES APPLE STATISTICS
Next Years Crop Will Go Beyond a Mill
ion Local Storage Capacity Should
Be Increased 100000 Boxes.

Rcallllng lndL tne storage pfoolem
5 at present one of the greatest con-
fronting the Hood River Valley apple
growers, representative of the
Glacier interviewed c. Ii. Sproat,
of the Apple Growers Union
relative to the need of increased stor-
age facilities. At the request of the
Glacier Mr.. Sproat has submitted the
communication to the Valley
Every indication points to crop of
apples in Hood River Valley of at least
one million boxes for the season of
1912, and it would not surprise us if
the crop should reach a million and
quarter boxes. 1t will be remembered
that in 1910 growers were obliged TO
stop drawing their apples for two
reasons: first that the Union had no
surplus warehouse room, and second,
the shortage of cars prevented the con-
tinual loading out of apples, with the
result that whenever notice was sent
out that we had little warehouse
space vacant and could take in apples,
that Immediately growers would draw
and block the streets of the City and
in many instances they were not able
to have their loads delivered until mid
night. With twice the crop in sight
for the season of 1912 that there was
in 1910, with the present very limited
warehouse capacity, and probable
shortage of cars which will naturally
exit because of the very large crop of
apples which the railroads will be re-
quested to handle in all sections of the
Northwest during next season, the
growers of Hood River Valley will be
face to face with a very grave and
serious problem.
1.-The basis of the prosperity of the
entire Hood River Valley is based on
the money returns of its apple crop.
The scenery and climate are fine ana
unsurpassed, but people cannot live on
scenery and climate alone.
"Presuming that next season there
will be crop of 1900, 200 boxes of
apples; also presuming that there will
be very little shipping done prior to
October LIST, then in order to move the
crop of apples in so days, not counting
Sundays, extending over period from
October lst to December 10th, it will
require the moving of 20, 900 boxes of
apples or 30 cars daily, which is a
physical impossibility with the present
shipping facilities, even presuming
that 80 cars daily would be received
from the Railroad Company for 10 d.
ing purposes, which is a violent pre-
sumption judging from last years ex-
perience.
"It must be remembered there will
possibly be crop in the box apple
sections west of the Rocky Mountains
of 10000 cars of apples or about l2,-
90, 600 boxes, which if moved in 60
days from October lst will mean that
20, 600 boxes or 300 cars of apples must
be loaded out daily from the several
growing sections seeking a market, so
that scarcity of refrigerator cars is
very probable.
aside from the Newtown Pippns,
the bulk of our crop is of such a nature
that it should be moved out of the
Valley into trade channels, or else
placed in cold storage Immediately
after picking to avoid deterioration in
the keeping in quality of the apples.
To force the sale of so large quantity
of apples in so short time means that
the trade must have price low enough
to move quickly. 1t is a self evident
truth that better prices will be OBJ
tanned if the marketing period can be
prolonged throughout the Winter irtC
the Spring morths, rather than tc
force the sale and delivery of the
apples in a short period of 60 days
from October lst. Therefore the only
other thing to be done is to store the
apples and if there is not storage al
home, storage must be had in the East
and the burden of Eastern storage
charges must be borne by the growers
and this is no light burden. 1t vii
average Is cents box. Eastern stor'
age is expensive. The Union paiC
approximately SIS, 600 as storage
charges on apples which were forced
out of Hood River in 1910 because OF
our lack of home storage. the burder
of which was charged back against
the pool prices of the apples. Without
increase of home storage facilities oul
demands for Eastern storage will bt
greatly increased, and with the in
creased demand there will also be 4
proportionate increase of storage
charges. Therefore, the item of East
ern storage bids fair to great burden
upon our growers.
"While Storage in Transit rates are
available for the future; handicap
of five cents per box is taxed against
every box of apples which is billed fol
storage in transit. In other words
for the PRIVILEGE alone Of storing
in transit a charge of five cents pei
box is made before the apples are ever
put into storage and one and one-hall
cents per box added for switching
charges, making total tax on every
box of apples shipped storage II
transit of six and one-half cents pc
box, and the regular rate of five cent?
per month or fraction thereof mus
still be paid to the storage warehouse
companies. In addition to this charg
for ''storage in transit privilege, th'
storage warehouse companies fequir
shippers to specifically engage the re
auired space early in the season, an
i if said space is contracted for by tn
shipper, payment of same is requires
by the warehouse companies for
definite period whether the space
used or not. otherwise the shippe
must take his chances of getting sal
space at time of shipment. Not onl
this, but the freight must be paid b
the shipper, or if arrangements ar
satisfactorily made between the shlF
per and the storage companies for tn
storage companies to advance tn
freight at.the storage points the shiT
per will be required to pay interest o
the money advanced for said freight.
"There are many other serious feS
lures which will confront the grower
of this valley the coming season, PR
suming that our crop is as learg &
we expect. Very few of the grower
have any storage capacity at the
homes. Many of them place the
apples Immediately after shipping
open sheds which are simply built
keep the rain from falling on the
II apples. The warm sunshine of Il
j fall is even permitted in many insta