The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-01-07

on valley and Ashland districts, and
who is in the city this week, declares
that the system used by the central
selling agency is of great benefit to
| growers.
Mr.. Cash said: 81 was in Hood Riv-
er one day last October. watched
with great interest the rigid inspection
given the fruit as it was unloaded from
wagons. The greatest value of the
Distributors to the grower it seems to
me is the fact that the growers conf
dence is gained and he works in COM
plete harmony with his local organiza-
tion as to time of picking and packing
and in the uniformity with which the
grading rules are interpreted and en-
forced.
''ln my experience this last season,
| found that the growers, especially
those who had not been in a shipping
organization before, were inclined to
doubt our knowledge of conditions gov
erning time of picking and preferred
to pick when in their judgment the
proper time had arrived. They mostly
used their own ideas as to picking. |
think they were sadder and wiser men
afterwards.
"And in grading and packing find
it is impossible to gain results COM
mensurate with the Importance of the
industry unless close local inspection
system is used. 1t is a curious fact,
but very true, that some growers will
put out poorly colored, diseased fruit
under an extra fancy brand and then,
when it is reported they Immediately
proceed on the assumption that the
party so reporting it is scoundrel and
the truth is not in him. But, when led
up to the box, or boxes, complained of
and shown their inferior work, they are
perfectly amazed that they could have
let such fruit go into that grade and
are almost inclined to make the accus-
alton that the fruit has been changed.
To paraphrase David Harum, there is
as much human nature i'll a fruit grow
er as IN other men, and sometimes
more.
After 20 years spent mainly in the
fruit business, beginning with the cit
rus end of the business in southern
California, | maintain without fear of
successful contradiction that the most
hopeful event to the apple and pear
growers of the northwest was when
the Distributors was organized. STAY
with them; overlook any apparent
faults and remember the organization
is only two years old and gaining in
experience every day.
And in conclusion | should like to
say that you people in Hood River are
we'll served both by nature and your
organization. Your fruit seems to have
keeping qualities denied in part to
some of our varieties further south,
and your inspection system is very
good. helped put in the Distributors
display at the Land Products Show in
Portland and Hood Rivers contribution
to that display was taken right out of
storage stock awaiting shipment. |
was surprised and delighted to open up
box after box and find real exhibition
apples. have also watched your ap-
pies on Front street this fall and WIN
ter and have invariably found your
fruit coinciding to your brand. This is
result well worth a lot of hard
knocks to attain. Some of our new To-
Gals in Willamette valley, ETC., have
long way to 60 to attain such results.
but | believe they fully realize that
without this kind of work you are ac-
complishing here, they will be wasting
their time; that the only way to make
a profit today on fruit ranch is quail
ity and pack, quality and pack, and
again quality and pack.