The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-05-21
APPLE ESTIMATES
MAY BE REDUCED
STRAWBERRY OUTLOOK EXCELLENT
Seig Will Manage Portland Office of Dis
tributOrs Il Organization Meet
ing Of Association Saturday

The Northwestern apple crop NAV
not be as large as early estimates have
placed It, according to Wilmer Sieg.
The fruit is shedding in all districts
and the early estimates will in almost
all fruit centers be cut. The Hood
River valley according to MIR. Sieg and
Others who have looked over the orch
ARDS will be doing well to pass the
million boxes. However early esti-
mates placed the crop conservatively
at ,250, 900 boxes.
Oscar Vanderbilt, Chas. Castner. W.
b. Dickerson and Mr.. Sieg have Just
returned from Spokane, where they at
tended a conference of the North Pa
cihe Fruit Distributors on grading and
packing rules. THE rules will remain
very similar to those of last year"
says Mr.. Sieg. "But many small de-
tails, on which Misunderstanding could
be based. will be eliminated and the
rules, which will soon be issued, made
plain to everyone"
Hood River strawberries will begin
to roll in carload quantities next week.
The strawberry market is showing
considerable strength proportionateHt
quality" says Nj. Sieg. "The over
tapping of California berries caused
little weakness in'some of the markets,
but the California fruit will be entirely
cleaned up this week. The local berries
should begin to roll next week, and we
expect extremely good values, on ac-
count of the quality of the fruit
The Apple Growers Association has
closed its pools on last years apple
crops and report of final returns will
pc made at a meeting of growers
called for next Saturday. The final
steps in the process Of recognizing the
Association along more closely cooper
ative lines will also be consumated at
this meeting. According to the plans
of the Association, under the reorgan-
ization. growers who are affiliated with
the concern will have direct member
ship representation and in addition a
representation based on tonnage. All
elections OF officers and settlements of
problems confronting the organization
must carry both majority member
ship and tonnage vote.
Directors will be nominated Saturday
and by laws for the reorganized COOP
erative association discussed.
At the annual meeting of the board
of trustees of the Distributors at Spo-
kane the first of the week it was defin-
itely decided to establish an office in
Portland. MIR. Sieg, who will have
charge of the handling of the local
strawberry crop, will take charge of
the Portland office.
The Portland headquarters will be
connected with and receive the benefit
OF the exhaustive selling machinery al
ready established by the Distributors
in 80 states of this country and IL for.
eign lands.
When the shipping season is started
Mr.. Sieg will be in receipt of hourly
information as to where the fruits of
western Oregon are in demand. At
any hour of the day he will know at
what point straight car of any grade
or of mixed fruits may be secured.
The meeting of the trustees conclud-
ed the first year of business of the Or
ganization. Reports submitted show
that it handled during the year 1918
total Of 1868 cars of fruit and that it
paid the growers Of Washington, Idaho
and Oregon So, 069, 1856. 81 for the fruit.
Outside of Hood River the most of
the money has gone to Washington and
Idaho growers. Hood River sold 600
cars of apples through the Distributors
during the last season. The average
price to the grower for apples was
81. .26 per box.
Arrangements were completed also
for financing Oregon growers who wish
to market their fruit crops through
the Distributors. 1t will be possible
for any association member to secure
an advance In cash to cover spraying,
picking and other work. Each individ-
ual case will be handled by MIR. Sieg
upon its merits. The Distributors ad-
vanced $500, 900 to its members for
these purposes last year.
The personnel of the board of trus-
tees of the Distributors remains prac-
tically the same. j. II. Robbins was
reapponted general manager.
The officers are H.F Davidson, Hood
River, Ore, president; w. N. Yost,
Meridian, Idaho, vice president, and
H. G. Sampson, Spokane. secretary.
All members of the board of trustees
whose terms had expired had been re-
elected by the respective district or
subcentral organizations. d. w. Rod
erick, of Wenatchee, was added to the
executive committee.