The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1913-11-20
FRUIT GROWERS
WEAR SMILES
ALL INTERESTS EXPRESS OPTIMISM
Davidson Praises Sieg- Skinner Says
Growers Look on Industry in Differ
ent Attitude and Diyersifying

All apple marketers are optimistic
this season. II. +. Davidson, who left
last Thursday morning for New York,
stopping en- route at Idaho points, Den
yer and Chicago. declared just before
departure that the Hood River growers
ought to wear smiles this year.
At aboard of directors meeting the
Apple Growers Association held last
Thursday it was learned that the prices
to growers are going to exceed expec-
tations.
Just before his departure for the east
Mr.. Davidson said:
Our sales manager, MIR. Sieg, sub
mitted statement showing 1876 cars
shipped prior to November /, which
netted back to growers the sum of
$lS6, 1886, which is an average of
81, so for all cars, which included extra
fancy, fancy, special. choice and cook
ing grades.
''The last big price year was in 1909,
when Hood River sent out less than
$50 cars total, with an average price
for all grades and varieties not exceed.
ing the record this year, and our sales
manager now has untitled orders on his
desk for more cars than he shipped
prior to November / at as good and
even better prices.
Last season was disastrous, and
growers in Hood River, as well as in
the entire northwest. lost confidence
and developed into chronic kickers.
But the same fellows who could not
avert last years disaster are doing a
work this season which far more than
offsets last years deal"
Growers and market men of all ship
ping agencies are one on the point of
expressing that the present apple mar
keting season is one of the best in the
history of the industry. j. G. Skinner,
local representative of the Northwest
ern Fruit Exchange. which has an affil-
lated organization here, expresses this
optimism. Mr.. Skinner says:
81 find. after having been away from
the Hood River valley for period of
eight months that a great change in
attitude among the growers has taken
place. They are looking at their form
of agriculture in a different light all
over the northwest, but find il par
ticularly evident here. They have
come to expect the bad years, and find
that they must figure their returns by
an average over period of five years.
But the figures will show them that
they will have neat compensation for
their labors at the end of that time.
''The lean years that have come upon
them have caused them to turn their
attention more to diversified farming.
have never seen a region change SO
as has the Hood River valley. Three
years ago one saw nothing but orch
4 ards. He now sees potatoes, vegeta-
| bles, chickens in the farmyards and
pigs roofing around the barns. This
means that money will be coming in at
odd times with which the grower can
buy his bread, and he should raise all
of his butter.
"Chere is absolutely no excuse why a
man in valley as fertile as this can
not raise all of his vegetables and pro-
duce his own food stuffs. Some of the
ranchers used to tell ire, when | was
here, that their land was too valuable
to be put to the cultivation of vege-
tables. They seemed to think it eco
nomical SO buy these products from the
stores at all seasons of the year. No
land in the world is too high priced to
prevent the owner who cultivates ii
from raising vegetables for his own
use, and they will taste better to him
than the finest preparations for ban
quet table.
This year apple growers of all dis
tricts have the greatest reasons fol-
smiles. happiness and contentment: for
the selling of apples has caused no very
great effort. The crop conditions are
such that the greatest work of the sell.
ing organizations have been to keeI
from selling too soon. The whole game
has been one of waiting on the part OF
the seller. And this should be another
year when growers will have the money
in their hands shortly after the season
closes, and from all appearances the
selling season is going to close very
early.
AS grower usually has plenty Of
plans for the spending of his money
either for improvements or in making
more conveniences for himself and hi'
family, the fruit returns will soon bt
in circulation.
81 find that Hood River growers are
not worrying over finances at the pres
ent time. They are growing good ap
piles, packing them we'll and are wait
ing their money. They have found tina
by the practice of limited diversified
agriculture. the growing of pigs, COW
and chickens, that their form of agri
cultural industry never looked better.