The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-10-01
APPLE HARVEST
In FULL BLAST
ACTIVITY NOTED IN THE VALLEY
Government Issues AdyiceS TO Growers
as to the Best Means Of Handling
Market Situation


Hood River valley is perhaps even
more interesting than the strawberry
harvest. In every orchardist home
hurry and hustle is noted. There is an
atmosphere of activity in the city.
Wagon loads of boxed fruit move all
day along down the streets and unload
their luscious burdens at the Apple
Growers Association warehouses.
At first glance everything seems in
hubbub at the warehouses. Trucks are
sent hurtling across the floors. Clerks
call out the numbers on the boxes, re-
ceipts are written, and the grower re-
ceives his copy and departs for his
orchard for another load of fruit. But
with all the noise there is system. The
records of the Association show just
where every apple is placed. The in
spector silently works away at the
boxes, and it is known if the fruit is in
proper condition.
This activity of the apple harvest is
now in progress over the entire valley.
Hundreds of pickers have poured into
the community in the past 10 days, and
are now busy taking the well colored
fruit from the trees. There is a scene
of steady work in the packing houses.
Every body is busy.
In sizing up tho apple situation in
the United States this season, the gov
eminent in the Agricultural Outlook,
issued by the department of agriculture
declares that the problem of distribut-
ing the nations apple crop is more
complex than it was two years ago,
owing to the uncertainties of the Euro
pean war situation. although the crop
is not as large as it was then.
The government recommends judi
cious handling of the crop as the solu-
tion. Just what it means by judicious
handling is set forth in several pointed
suggestions. Concerted action through
cooperative associations is strongly ad-
Vocated. Those paragraphs applying
to conditions in the northwest are as
| follows:
Growers who live in communities
where cooperative organizations are
operated should do all possible to
strengthen such exchanges. 1t is as
serted that the disloyalty of members
is the chief element of failure in COOP
eratve enterprises, and growers are
strongly urged to support their associ-
alton as the best way to effect satisfac-
tory distribution.
Inferior grades should be eliminated
from the green fruit market. not only
| for the reason that the demand for
such grades will be very limited, but
also because their presence in the mar
kets will undoubtedly hamper profitable
| - knN
All apple growers, operators, dealers
and associations should early arrive at
an estimate of true values in order to
secure a quick movement. 1t is ex-
| planned that if arbitrarily high prices
rule in the beginning of the season,
the crop will not pass readily into con-
sumption, but that on the other hand,
| abnormal accumulation and congestion
will occur throughout the channels of
trade, with disastrous results to all
concerned.
Growers should pick the fruit in uni
| form condition. cleaning the trees only
for what is ready to come off, repeat
| ing the process until the crop is har-
vested. The advantage is to secure a
| longer time for distribution and to pre-
vent the pack from representing ex-
treme stages Of maturity ranging from
ripe to green.
When picked the fruit should be
| handled from orchard to cars in such a
way as to prevent deterioration, care
being exercised to protect the apples
from the elements. 1t is explained
that under proper conditions fruit
which is picked today should not be
packed until tomorrow and that for
this purpose shelter should be provided.
Only standard varieties well packed
should be placed in cold storage for the
reason that prices likely to rule in the
late fall and early winter as the newt
able result of liberal offerings of COM
mon storage stock, will probably limit
the demand for cold storage apples un-
til midwinter.
The apple export business is not 60
| ing to be as bad as was at first thought
on account of the European war. The
| Packer says that the exports for the
week ending Las Saturday we're a., 223
barrels, compared with 39, 1872 barrels
the same week one year ago. There is
every indication now that the apple ex-
port business will open up in pretty
good shape, although exporters look
for trouble in getting space at different
times during the season. Shipments to
the other side this week will probably
exceed $4,000 barrels. but it may be a
difficult matter to get space after next
week until the heavy cargoes of food
stuffs, coal, etc.. which are being
shipped out of the country to the other
side, are taken care of. At least that
is the opinion of the steamship agents.
Market conditions in Liverpool, Lon
don and Glasgow are good for red ap'
pies, and fancy red fruit this week was
selling at 81 a AIS per barrel. Green
fruit was low priced and slow at $2.5C
a 3.75.
There is also a good demand for
| 60 TX -