The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1915-09-30
APPLE MEN
OPTIMISTIC
EARLY ESTIMATES ARE ERRONEOUS
NOrthweSt'S Entire Crop viii Reach More
than 5000 Carloads Rise in
Price Predicted

Fruit growers of the Mid.Columbia
district are now more closely allied in
their work of distribution than ever
before IN their history. The bulk of
the crops of the three districts, Hood
River, Underwood ard White Salmon,
the latter two in southern Washington
just across the Columbia, will be
handled this year by the Apple Grow
ers association. Of this city. This alH-
ance of the neighboring districts has
resulted from a get-together movement
on the part Of the Washington growers
themselves, and from the decision of
both to withdraw last spring from the
North Pacific Fruit Distributors. The
growers of the Underwood and White
Salmon sections, which are divided by
the White Salmon river, who had for
merly marketed their fruit through
separate selling agencies. last spring
formed a JOINT agency, under the
charge of single management This
jOlnt agency contracted last spring
with the local association for the sale
of the strawberries Of the two dis
tricts. The satisfactory returns on
berries has resulted in the combination
of the sales agencies for the handling
Of the years apple deal.
Conservative estimates of the Wash
ington apple districts place the years
apple crop at 80 carloads. The Hood
River valley will ship about SEQ car
loads.
Local apple growers have not been
more optimistic since the days when
apple land was booming and prices for
the fruit were eXorbitant eXcept for
the special extra fancy trade. Because
of the erroneous and high estimates
given out earlier in the season market
men are predicting rises in the apple
market later in the season when the
fruit of earlier varieties in eastern and
middle western districts has been elm
mated.
One of the busiest offices in the city
now is that of Wilmer Seg, sales man
ager of the association, who with his
connections in different parts of the
United States and in the Northwest,
has been busy the past several weeks
gathering estimates on which to base
quotations, Mr.. Sieg declares that the
wise apple buyer will be that man who
lays in his supply of winter apples i'm
mediately.
"A careful canvass among the best
posted people, says Mr.. Sieg, LEADS
me to believe that apple estimates this
year are all in error. The government
reports are the cause of much Of this
understanding. In fact, these reports
always are, because they are taken
from random estimates from all dis
lH,a 20 90 ks,2 L.,
fruit is of commercial value. Less
than 25 per cent of the apples shown
in government reports are ever dis
posed of commercially,
''ln the northwest it was predicted
several weeks ago that we would have
10000 carloads of apples. ! do not be-
lieVe row our maximum for Idaho.
Montana, Oregon and Washington will
exceed 5000 carloads OF this quantity
but about 25 per cent will be of extra
fancy variety, 40 per cent fancy and 35
per cent G grade or choice. The guam
tity in all the northwest is less than
was handled last year by two large dis
tributing agencies.
"Reiable information from the apple
sections of the east and middle west
pOiiNS w q SIop iui BGiy VI ibll NuiiG-
ties. This fruit will be eliminated in a
certain period of time by rottage,
forced sales and forced consumption,
and when it is gone the marketer of
apples will come to serious realization
of the real scarcity of the long keeping
varieties of winter apples.
Mr.. Sieg declares that he expects
Portland to use a good block of first
grade apples from the local districts
this season.
The quality of the apples of the mid
Columbia district is better than antici-
pated earlier in the season. The har-
vest is showing larger percentage of
fine fruit than estimated. Inspectors
report that the apples have reached
size most desirable by the trade, and
the red varieties are coofing beauti-
fully.
Never has the management of a local
shipping association made greater en-
deavOrs to maintain a standard pack of
high quality than this year. To obtain
this desired results inspectors will be
stationed al every car shipped, and
the name of every grower shipping in
the car, as we'll as number of boxes he
sends, will be determined. Packers are
not going to be allowed to rush their
work. In fact, the extra fancy fruit
shipped from this section will be made
as near perfect as possible by cOnsis.
tent grading and packing.