The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-07-15
CHERRY YIELD
WAS SURPRISE
CROP EXCEEDED LAST YEARS
Record Price Received in Chicago Straw.
berry Market is Practically Closed
Returns Good

The Hood River cherry crop has been
surprise to growers and market men
alike. Although the blossoms we're
never heavier and the early predictions
were for bumper yield, rains during
the period of pollenization caused a
heavy drop, ssand when the Apple Grow
ers Association sent out 400 inquiries
for estimates on the cherry crop, but
seven replies were received. Other
growers, when asked about their crops,
stated that the yield would be neglig-
ible.
As the fruit began to ripen and the
crop to move, all growers found that
the drop had been far less than they
mad thought. and as result the fruit
left on the trees has been of the best
quality in years.
With the shipping season over, the
total yield has been in excess of that
OF last year. Fifty tons of ROYAL
annes have been shipped to The
Dalies, where they were processed for
Maraschinos. Seven straight carloads
OF blngs, Lamberts and Black Republi-
cans were shipped to eastern markets,
record price was set by one of these
carloads consisting of 720 crates of the
three black varieties, mixed, sold ON
the Chicago market. The average price
per crate for the carload was So. 78.
his price has had very beneficial
effect for Hood River cherries In all
other markets." says Wilmer Sieg,
Tor we at once felt the keener de-
mand. Indeed. our cherries have set
a record for us in the east this season.
despite the fact that we were handi-
capped by lack of information as to
our crep. As fruit was received we
mad to load, IL express it, and then sell
1t IN transit. II we had received an
swers to our inquiries or had any
knowledge of crop been obtained, 30
that proper means could have been
taken for marketing, the possibilities
are that prices obtained would have
been materially larger"
The Association reports thatIwhile as
many as 200 crates OF strawberries are
being received daily from the higher
attitudes of the valley, the seasons
market is practically closed. Ship
ments this year have reached l15 car
loads, and the net returns to growers
VIII reach approximately Sl20, 900.
Mr., Sieg says that an erroneous opin-
ION seems to prevail as to the growers
who have late shipments of berries.
The natural season for strawher-
RES, he says, begins with the first
may and continues until about lJune
20, after which date the people begin
to demand raspberries and other such
fruits. While some few of the ship
ments OF late maturing berries as nov
elites bring high prices, the main crop
OF late fruit sells at very low figure.
Inc shipments we are receiving here
now go partly to the cannery and part
~ to nearby express markets. IL tho
acreage OF late production was heavier
and we were able to ship in carload
lots under refrigeration. we could thus
increase the area of distribution and
better the market condition.
Hood River has the longest period
OF production of any district producing
berries In the United States. The first
fruit was shipped this year on May 6
ana we will be receiving until after
the middle of July.
he crop of Hood River Bartlett
pears is going to be fair. The crisp
mountain air here gives the Bartlett
an excellent finish. We are receiving
many inquiries about our 3artetts and
the market looks good. Through activ-
tiles of the Association last spring, the
D D'AnJou pear crop will be disposed of
for the most part in South America.
we are also receiving numerous inquir-
les from South American markets for
our King and Gravenstein apples.
Manager Mckay, of the Fruit Grow
ers Exchange, reports shipments OF
about 10 carloads of Strawberries for
the season. The Exchange received
prices ranging from 81. so to $50, the
latter price having been received the
first of the season. The closing price
was So. 30 crate.
The Exchange is now busy shipping
cherries.