The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1912-09-19
TSPITZ CROP
NOT LARGE
EASTERN ESTIMATES TOO HIGH
Extra Fancy SpitzenburgS From Hood
River Will Not Exceed 100000 Boxes
Much Storage Contracted For

After careful analysis of the esti-
mates which have been received by the
National Apple Co., the Davidson Fruit
CO., the Apple Growers Union and the
Hood River Apple and Storage Co.
representatives OF these four eompa-
nies have come to the conclusion that
the total crop of Spitzenburgs in Hood
River valley this season will not exceed
l75 900 boxes. OF this total about
10000 will grade extra fancy 4-tier.
the balance being fancy and choice
grades. including the four and half
tier size.
1t is the general belief in the east
that our crop of Spitzenhurgs will be
about quarter of a million boxes. and
this is being used to "bear" the mar
kst and hold back. 1t has been neees-
sary in other years to get the Spitzen-
burgs to market as soon as packed for
shipment, and eastern buyers this year
in the anticipation of big crop com
ing to market early in the season, at
the time the perishable stuff comes in
from ali parts of the country, are hesi-
tating about giving advance orders.
The publication of early estimates Of
million to million and a quarter
boxes of apples in this valley, is
largely responsible for the present sit
uation, and now that the crop is about
matured. correct estimate of the crop
is available, and will have a salutary
effect upon the market.
The largely increased storage facili-
ties this year will be big factor ia
maintaining proper prices for apples.
There will be ample storage room in
the four big warehouses to hold the
crop until there is a market for 1t that
the right price. and this will be done
by the four big companies.
Wilmer Sieg, manager of the Apple
Growers Union, said that the Union
would be able to care for a large part
Of the crop of their patrons who needed
storage, besides contracting for add-
tional storage in the east or middle
west. Arrangements have been made
for storage in transit at the through
rate, and enough apples would be placed
in the east to be available for quick
sales, but 1t will he cheaper for the
grower to hold the storage here as far
as possible;
''Wenatchee has contracted for 1900
cars of storage in Nlw York. " said
Mr.. Sieg. 81 have been informed that
North Yakima has made no arrange
ments thus far for eastern storage, aud
their home storage is very limited.
What they will do with their crop
don't know, unless they dump il on the
market early in the season.
From unquestioned authority | am
informed that 80 per cent of the stor-
age in New York has been contracted
by the growers. Ii means a growers
market. an uncertain problem, and the
enormous amount of apples that will
be on hand waiting for market will be
a menace as long as 1t exists.
1 81 think the Union should charge
the growers for storage here. Ii has
been the policy in former years to give
free storage to members Of the Union,
but it is not business proposition and
unfair to others. II costs money to
build storage warehouses and must
pay its way,
''The market will be late this year
and growers must protect themselves
by holding their apples for better con
ditions. The buyers are all holding
back, afraid to make contracts under
the menace of big wall of stored fruit
ready to be dumped on the market,
perhaps all at once. We have the adj
vantage of STANDARD varieties that have
the least competition in the markets of
the world. but still have too many of
the cheaper varieties that every coun-
try grows. The sooner these trees are
worked over the better it will be for
the growers and the valley"