The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1911-11-30
GROWERS DISCUSS
LOWER GRADES
PROBLEM BEFORE FELLOWSHIP MEN
Prof. Lawrence Tells Fellowship Work
Valley will Have New Weather Sta-
tons and Typographical Survey.

Inc pfoDiem OF prOntaDiN handling
lower grade apples was the important
topic before the members of the Hood
River Fellowship Association, which
was addressed by Prof. G. /. Lewis, of
the Oregon Agricultural College Sat
urday Afternoon at the rooms of the
Commercial Club.
The horticulturist spoke in part as
follows ''As fruit growers. you are
naturally anxious Tor high prices. The
higher the price per box, of course,
the greater your profits, yet If the
fruit industry is to truly prosper, we
must have increased consumption. The
consumption of the fruit is Just as i'm
portant an item as the selling of the
fruit. There is absolutely DO doubt at
the present time that the consumption
of certain fruit, like apples for exam
pie, is entirely too low and probably
the increase in the consumption of
citrus fruit is greater than that of
many of our deciduous fruits.
Zone Of the problems for you to solve
is to be able to sell your fruit at a
sufficient profit to pay you well for
your investment and at the sa time
put that fruit in the market at such a
price that it can be consumed. 1t is
relatively easy to get high prices tor
| high class fruit. Ii is harder to get
satisfactory prices for the lower grades
of fruit. The competition for the
lower grades of fruit is much keener
than that of the fancy grades.
The prices for fancy apples in
boxes is much greater than that ever
received in such packages as barrels.
On the other hand perusal of many
of our market reports shows that the
lower grades when boxed, often do not
average bit higher than the same
grade of fruit in barrels and yet the
cost in putting up in boxes is probably
considerably higher. 1t certainly pays
to spend money on first class fruit.
There is a possibility, however, that
we may be making mistakes when we
expend much capital on the lower
grades. 1t costs Just as much to ship
them and in many cases costs just as
much to handle them in our orchards
and packing houses. Should we sug-
gest lower freight rate for the lower
grade of fruits to our railroads; at
| first thought this would seem to be a
remedy out of our difficulty. The rail-
roads, however, probably would not
gladly welcome the opening of such
a question and perhaps it would be
unwise Oh our part since it might make
it necessary to charge an even higher
rate at present for the better grades
in order that the railroads could handle
the lower grades at a profit. The
question would immediately arise also
/ A. - Qf ka hn
different rates and the determination
of such grades. Undoubtedly better
distribution will 20 long way to help
solve the questions concerning the
profits realized from our lower grades.
To get the best distribution we not
only need good cooperation among the
fruit districts of the Pacific coast, but
a closer and more friendly copartner-
ship between all fruit producing dis
trcts of the United States.
"Are we putting too much depend
ence OH what the Panama Canal can do
for us? 1t undoubtedly will be a great
factor in distribution, especially for
european markets. We may be disap-
pointed, however, in the results of the
opening of this canal on our American
apple trade. Many of the growers
will have local freight rates On the
, Railroad to pay not only at the point
/ of production but at the point of final
distribution. 1t also will depend on
| the rates the steamships can offer and
the possibility of securing steamers
that are equipped for handling the
fruit trade through tropical waters.
We must not sit down and wait for the
Panama Canal to be opened. One
question that confronts US, can we
, eradicate some of lower grades and
especially the Gull. Undoubtedly this
can be done in many occasions but
there is grave doubt as to whether
this can really be done in many OF our
orchards especially with increased pro
duction. AT times a scarcity of help
may play an important part in the per-
, centage of culls. The size and man
agement of the orchard and climatic
conditions must all be considered.
"The chances are that the percentage
, of culls will increase rather than di'
minish as our crop increases in bulk.
, We should establish at an early date
. plants for handling by-products. Prob
, ably If we wait for private capital U
| establish plants il is very doubtful 4
| in most cases we could handle the cull'
at profit. Fruit Growers Associa
tions should Immediately take up th'
matter for the installation Of vinegar
: factories, canning plants and eyaporat
, ing establishments.
I'VE should be shipping out train
} loads and shiploads of high grade vine
gar, jells, jams, canned apples an'
evaporated fruits. Many communities
will make the serious blunder of max
ing these plants too expensive. Elabo
: rate machinery will be installed
i machinery that is not necessary whicl
x ties up capital and the result will %
{ that many of the plants will prov
r failures, In some of our section
d prune dryers and hop dryers can b.
F: easily made to handle the dried fruits
!, One large orchard on the Pacii1c coas
/. made handsomde profit on their cul
/: apples last year by drying them IN
d hop dryer. The expense of changinI
the dryer and the addition OF certai
e implements was very small. By usini
II proper precaution in establishing by
e product factories and by hiring me
l. who understand the business We VII
e be able to manufacture our culls INT
Q products that we can dispose of at
A handsome profit.
N We must strain every nerve TO redrc
.e the cost of production. This near
q better packing houses, more caretoll
,e MANNED orchards, better book keeping
70 which means the careful recording {
le actual costs and closer study of II
proper division Of labor. 1t is fac
in that few of us today know che rel
cost of production, especially when th
refers to single items of cost, such q
~ the cost of pruning, spraying, thil
,s ,S ming, cultivation, packing, etc:
~ possible we must reduce the cost OF Il
: : package and packing Of the lowe
y > grades. This will, perhaps, mean son
n experimenting on our part. One
Continued on Page Two