The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-06-15

VI tthGcp otoHpiuk ucf WoEh ~ lubcfNdfe
to bend over with barred breasts and
feed the potential brave awakened by
the pangs of hunger.
Until this year most of the visiting
berry pickers have come to Hood River
by Columbia steamers. Formerly the
river boats would be crowded with
families, their wagons and teams, en-
route to the berry fields. Boat traffic
this season has been light; for the
journey has been made by way of the
Columbia River highway. Scores of
wagons have arrived in single day,
and it has been learned that no small
percentage of the berry hands rid in
automobiles. At least score of fami-
lies, seeking work in the berry fields,
have travelled up from Portland over
the Columbia River highway this sea-
son in their own motor cars.
Strawberries are handled with the
utmost care. The fruit must be picked
just at the right time and packed care
fully, even a Clark Seeding, il it 10
expected to make long journey with
out deterioration.
In the packing shed of every grower
member of the Apple Growers Associa-
tion is posted the following rules:
Extra fancy Strawberries: This
grade shall consist of all perfect ber-
ries, Clark Seeding variety, picked at
the proper stage of ripeness for ship
ping. All berries must show at least
three-fourths red. Nothing smaller
than 5ax5a (meaning berries not less
than ( of an inch In diameter) and no
stemless berries in this grade. Pack
each cup firmly, without bruising the
fruit, SO that there will be no settling
of the berries.
Picking: Berries must not be picked
when there 10 moisture on the vines.
Berries must be picked ripper in cool
weather than in warm. Pickers must
not be permitted to hold several berries
in the hand at the same time. Pick all
berries with stems of an inch long.
Berries off the stems decay quickly and
cannot be accepted In this grade. Do
not pick green berries-this is reck-
less waste. Do not step or kneel on
the vines. Study specifications care
fully. Do not allow carriers or crates
to stand in the sun or wind: the wind
is more damaging than the sun. The
strawberry is probably our most deli.
cate. most perishable fruit and must
be handled with the best of care from
the time of picking until it reaches the
consumer.
Packing: Berries brought in from
the field by the picker must be emptied
by the packer on sieve of cloth, to
allow the dust to fall away from them.
Face the top of the cup with berries as
uniform in size as possible. placed in
rows across the top according to their
size. Fill the cups so that the top
layer will show 1 of an inch above the
top of the cup. In no event will Der.
ries be accepted il smaller than I of an
inch in diameter, or in which more than
Is per cent of the berries below the
facing are smaller than the facing or
in any way inferior. Be sure that
when the covers are placed on the
crates they fit closely to the top layer
of berries, but In no event should the
covers press on the berries in such way
as to bruise them. IL the cover cannot
be placed on the crate without bruising
the berries, cleats must be nailed to
the top Of the boxes unde the cover, or
the berries repacked.
Hauling and Marketing: Haul only
on wagons with good springs and keep
the fruit covered with canvas to keep
out the dust. The state law requires
the growers name and location where
berries were grown on each and every
case Of fruit placed on the market.
Strawberry picking begins as soon as
morning dews have vanished. 1t usu-
ally continues throughout the day, the
berries being packed as fast as brought
in from the vines. The fruit begins to
arrive at shipping warehouses about
four o'clock in the afternoon, and from
that time until eight string of wag-
ons is lined up, sometimes so il num-
ber, the growers awaiting their turns
to unload the precious freight. This
four hour period of the day is the busi-
est of all the year in the fruit ware
houses. As fast as inspectors have
gone through the crates they are hus-
tied into cold rooms and thence into
express refrigerator cars. Strawber-
ries travel first class on passenger
trains. The eastbound passenger trains,
which carry the most of the local berry
crop, pass through Hood River at $50
and sos respectively. The crates Of
fruit are not just thrown into any
shaped heaps in the cars. They must
be nailed together, and the connecting
supports are fastened to the sides of
the car. Often the men, engaged in
preparing a car will not be through
with their work when the switch en-
CINE comes for it. Despite the shunt-
ing of the engine they keep right on
with their task. Ii the crates are in
shape at the time the train is pulling
from the local yards they grasp their
hammer and nail boxes, fasten the
ventillator doors, as they stand on rods,
and jump to the ground. If not, they
proceed with the train to the nearest
station to the east.
Growing Strawberries 10 a profitable
business, and has been the means OF
enabling many orchardists in develop
ing their tracts and securing an income
during the six years it takes apple
trees to come into bearing. Berry
tracts yield an average of ITO crates to
the acre. The average returns will run
at some figure between 500 and $3.50
per acre. In exceptionsl cases straw
berry growers have made as much az
$500 per acre from their tracts.
A rivalry 10 springing up between the
growers of different local districts.
Some are endeavoring by careful selec.
Ion Of mother plants to increase the
productivity of the Clark Seeding. and
others give careful attention to the
quantity of the fruit. The growers OF
the Dee Flat district have begun q
campaign this year to determine what
the ultimate consumer thinks of bis
product, and in the bottom of each Der.
ry box is placed cardboard slip, ask
ing condition of fruit on arrival, date
consumed, price, city. state and gener'
al remarks.
at is our mutual advantage, states
the slip, that you should be entirely
satisfied with these Hood River valley