The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-01-25
UNIT SYSTEM APPLIED
IN CENTRAL VALE

lhe Unit system IN Tue oNHeIship
and operation of commercial orchard
has been inaugurated in the Hood
River Valley by the Central Orchard
Company on a tract of 100 acres IN the
Central Vale section and the plan 10
be followed is substantially the same
as has been used with great success IN
the ownership of large office buildings
in Portland, Spokane ard other cities
of the Northwest.
| The Hood River Unit Orchard is the
first fruit growing enterprise operated
along this line where the promoters
guarantee a stated dividend as well as
a share in the profits for the investor.
| The mode of operation viii be very
similar to shat OF the Trustee Com
pany, of Spokane, and the Realty AS
sociation, Of Portland, H. which the
investors receive a five per cent diyi-
dend with a share of the income above
that which has averaged an additional
two or three per cent. However, IN
the orchard application of the system
| it is estimated that the investor will
realize considerably more as his share
of the profits after the trees have
reached the bearing age. In both the
orchard and business property unit
enterprises the unit owner profits by
the increase in value of the property.
The Unit Orchard is eight miles from
Hood River and two miles southeast of
Odell across the road from the school
house in Central Vale. The tract is
rolIino and the soil is red shot. The
deyelopment has already been going on
for a number of yeals. 30 of the 100
acres already being orchard Half this
acreage is already bearing and has
shown an excellent yield, the five year
old trees running an average OF one
hox to the tree. The trees are New
towns and Spitzenbergs and these
varieties will be used in the coming
paintings. Thirty acres more are now
ready for trees and contracts have
been let for the balance of the clearing
which will put the entire property in
cultivation during the coming season.
Thirty inches of water In the East
Fork ditch belong to the property and
the Central Company is installing a
bvdrant pressure irrigation system in
underground pipes on the entire tract
at cost of several thousand dollars.
A large barn, apple house and other
improvements are already on the place
which has been the headquarters of
the holdings of the Central Orchard
Company which until last year amount
ed to 2S0 acres in that vicinity. Much
of this property has been sold in small
tracts and is being improved by the
new owners. The Unit Orchard prop
erty will be conveyed to the Butler
Banking Company, of this city, as
Trustee for the Unit owners, and 200
Units are being sold. The income
from the trees already bearing and
from other crops will enable the Cen
tral Company to guarantee five per
cent dividend from the beginning. All
expenses in development, taxes and
water charges will be borne by the
Central Company during the first -four
years after which time the expenses of
operation will be charged against the
income of the property. Tie manage
ment of the property will continue in
the Central Company. provision has
2 been made for small part of the Unit
r tract to be devoted to general farming
and other crops than apples.
The personnel of the directorate OF
the Central Orchard Company, who
e will manage the Unit Orchard, assure
? the Unit investor of the benefit of the
practice of experienced orchardists anC
business men. Charles r. Bone, pio
neer and orchard developer, as Presi
dent and Manager of the company vii
have direct supervision over the details
of the business. c. Il. Sproat, man
ager of the Apple Growers Union anC
reigning Apple King of America, i
Vice president of the company and E
! o. Blanchar, cashier of the Firs
| National Bank is its secretary.
The Hood River Unit Orchard viii
offer an opportunity to the small in
| vestoy as well as to the man with con
siderable capital to share in the profits
| of apple growing in this valley. Th
Units will be sold on easy terms St
that they may be acquired as easily a
savings account is built up. AL
though the organization of the Uni
Orchard has just been completed ther,
is already a considerable call for Unit
The sales are under the supervision
| of Mr.. Bone, who is now in Califor
mia, and James f. Montgomery who i
associated with the Central Company.