The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-11-25
P.-P.I. E. News


Though Oregon is certain TO capture
many gold medals on fresh fruit en-.
tries, the grand sweepstakes on apples
has gotten away from US. Just be
cause a measly little worm, probably
not in the apple when it started from
the Oregon orchard, showed up about q
quarter of an inch in the calyx end OF
a Newvtown Pippin when the jury cui
1t open, Washington. that state made
famous by Seattle rather than apples,
captured the sweepstakes on Wipesaps.
In other words, Okanogan, think of it,
Okanogan county, bad on display the
best FIVE box exhibit at the big show.
Everything was sailing along glori-
ously for the Oregon fruit, and up to
the time that dinky little wormlet put
in its dastardly appearance. Oregon ap.
Piles had scored SO points. Oregon ap-
Piles looked better than the best-they
had the proper color, the size was uni
form, there was no blemish apparent.
the bulge was exactly SO, and the pack
from all view points was nothing less
than championship calibre-but Just
before the jury had entirely finished its
work one of the experts decided that
be wanted to taste an apple from that
wonderful display of Newtowns from
Oregon.
They all looked alike and all we're
beauties. Even as he gazed with a
magnifying glass there was no evil
dence that the apple of bis choice was
anything but perfect, but neither did
Eve have any suspicion Of the result
when she selected an apple and gave
to Adam. In both cases the worm was
there and fatal was the aftermath.
When the jury man slashed into the
Oregon apple with bis cutlery he gave
yell of dismay and Director Ravlin,
in charge of the Oregon showing, got
just one glance, had fit and fell over
in 1t. When he came to, he swan out
of the room in his tears, and left the
scene to the worm and Okanogan. AT.
ter this 40 apples were cut open, but
nary another worm. However, one
was enough: in fact, too many. A
worm before an horticultural Jury Il
even more out of place than a woman
at an exposition ball with clothing
above the waist line or below the
knees, and in this instance it proved tC
be the straw that broke the camel's
back; that, SO to speak, relegated Us
to "innocuous dessuetude" SO far as
sweepstakes are concerned.
A worm, any sort of a worm, long,
short, slim, wriggly, quiescent, OF
otherwise, counts just five points
against the possessor thereof, and thu
loss of those five points was JUS
eisough to let the Washington frui
nese out. The wcrst part of it is tba
it makes no difference to whom th,
worm originally belonged. If the oex
act fact be told there is strong sus
picion among Oregonians here tina
that dinky little worm was not borl
and bred in Oregon, but instead tina
it spent its early days in Washington
and was brought to the exposition fo
the purpose to which it lent itself S,
effectively.
The Washington pavilion in the Pal
ace of Horticulture is just across thu
aisle from the Oregon showing, and j
is believed that that worm had beer
kept in hiding for several weeks and
night had been trained to find its way
to the Oregon fruit. At the psyche
logical moment his wormship wa
started on his way and told to do hi
dastardly work. and he did it. Tha
this was no Oregon worm needs n,
other evidence than that he had entered
the apple scarcely more than quartz
of an inch. An Oregon worm in al
Oregon apple would have eaten from
calyx to stem and back again 40 time
in the 80 days since the fruit left tn
Oregon orchards. There is one thin
Eabout Oregon worms-they are rea
worms, full of life and are of the get
up-and-go variety; that's the spirit O
the country. There is nothing aenemi
about an Oregon worm, while this par
ticular specimen was, as said before
dinky, weak, completely devoid of vir
ility and wholly lacking in anythin,
that would give it the appearance o
health. Still. it did healthy servic,
| for Washington and Washington ex
perts here have asked for him that he
or she, may befittingly be honored a
the states greatest friend.
Speaking of the matter today, Drec
tor Ravlin, of HOOD River, said: "It
useless to cry over spilled milk. W,
wanted that sweekstakes award, bu
fate and worm had decreed other
wise. | went over the matter CAREFUL,
with the jury. found that body thor
0ughly competent in all phases of il
judging and we have no kick coming
The jury says that it never saw fine
exhibit of apples than was submitted
for competition, and that Oregon frui
should measure so perfectly until tha
worm showed up simply proves ou
class. Of course. this is but one aware
and we are counting on winning severa
of the gold medals. Other states
Idaho, Montana, Missouri, Utah. Ar
kansas, etc.-wili get all swelled up i
they win any of these, so there is n,
reason why we should not be so."
| Touching upon points learned during
the years experience here, and during
the judging now going on, MIR. Ravlil
says:
"Packers should realize the import
ance of making the outside of thei
boxes as attractive as the pack of tn,
fruit itself. A spliced box is not bo,
to 60 before jury. nor is one that hal
the label or lettering on at an angl'
wholly acceptable. The outside shoul'
be as neat as the inside. note ais,
that this jury is inclined to discoun
the bulge in the pack. They say per
feet fruit is damaged by bulge an,
careless handling, and that they be
Iieve it will not be long until we shsl
pack apples as we do peaches. M.
experience here is that the creates
damage has been done through tn
bulge and tight pack. If fruit hauler