The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-02
COUNCIL PLANS AN
AID TO PEACH men

According to II. F. Davidson, who
has Just returned from North Yakima,
where he has spent the summer assist
ing peach and pear Orchardists in the
marketing of their crop, following
plans outlined by the Northwestern
Fruit Growers Council, the Council has
been Of inestimabe benefit to the
growers of the eastern Washington dis
tricts.
"The growers of these communities
are gratifed with the success of this
season." says MIR. Davidson. at is
generally conceded that except for the
plans inaugurated by the Council, the
pear market would have dropped to
such point that the cost of harvesting
the fruit would have been as great as
the returns received, and as for the
peach market, the price would have
gone even lower.
For several years peach growers
have allowed from third to a fourth
of their crop to 20 to waste in the
fields. This season the peaches will be
picked clean. Both the crops of peach
es and pears will he harvested and sold
at profit to growers, despite the dis
couragement met with at the beginning
of the season and the obstacles met
With in moving two big crops of fruit
simultaneously. While the prices at the
beginning of the season opened lower
than usual. there was far less of de
cline than formerly. In my estimation,
the plans of the Growers Council, if
wisely managed, will continue to be of
the greatest benefit to the Northwest
ern fruit growers.
MIR. Davidson, who has resigned from
his active duties in connection with
the Growers Council and the Shippers
League, he having been president of
the latter organization, will spend sew
eral days here looking after his private
orchard interests. He will leave next
thursday or Saturday for New York,
where he will open an office to handle
the export and Atlantic coast business
of the Apple Growers Association.
During this week the peach and pear
markets of the eastern Washington sec
tions are in charge of W. II. Paulha-
mus. chairman of the executive com
mittee of the Growers Council. and
Geo, G. Corbaley, of Spokane, one Of
the instigators of the plan. Truman
Butler, member of the executive
committee of the organization, is also
present to observe results being OBJ
tained by the Councils plans.
MIR. Davidson says that as yet it is
difficult to make any prediction as to
export shipments.
Space will be hard to secure, he
says, "and the market will be limited
to the British Isles. We are not count
ing on getting any fruit to amount to
anything to the Continent. hope to
secure some space on my arrival in
New York, While a good part of our
export apples we're shipped to New
York last winter by way of the Panama
canal, we have not contracted for any
space by this route this season. The
crop is small, and despite the discour-
aging export outlook, we look for fair
prices.
"Other districts have sold a good
many of their later commercial varie.
tie. The Association has made no sales
of this class of fruit for we will not
sell as cheaply as marketers of the
other districts.
Mr., Davidson says that the peach
growers of Yakima and adjoining dis
tricts have received an average of 25
cents net per box for their fruit this
year. Pear growers have been getting
around $3.50 per ton for their product.