The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-03-30
EXCHANGE HOLVE;
ANNUAL MEETING
TWO MORE DIRECTORS ARE NAMED
Gwin Suggests Central System Of Pack
ing Mckay in Report Urges
Growers to Kill Fungus

E. E. Stanton, +. P. Friday, j. o.
Mark. Kenneth Mckay, all reelected;
W. r. Warner, 3rd, and D. M. Bailey.
Following the meeting of stockhold-
ers the newly elected directors met and
renewed the contract with the North
western Fruit Exchange for the han
ding Of the 1916 crops.
W. F. GWin, manager Of the central
who with A. Prince, sec
retary. and DR.. e. A. Macrum, of Mo-
sier, state horticultural commissioner.
was here for the meeting. addressed
the growers, suggesting that they de-
liver their frnit to their association at
tree-row ends, in case that roads pen
etrated the fields, in order that it might
be hauled with the quickest dispatch to
central packing houses and placed un-
der refrigeration as soon as possible.
"After picking" said Mr.. Gwin,
'apples should be under ice in "a
hours. Northwestern apple men have
been losing hundreds Of thousands Of
dollars each year because of inefficient
methods of handling their crops. APP
Piles have been allowed to become too
ripe on the trees, and then after the
harvest have been allowed to remain
in ordinary packing houses, thus de-
stroying their value and killing de-
mand on the market, after the over
ripe stock had once been handled by
the buyer"
MIR. Gwin suggested that the organ
ization award contracts for the trans
portation of the fruit from orchards to-
central packing plants to motor truck
concerns of Portland.
In his address to growers. Mr.. Gwin
told of the origin of the Skookum
brand of apples and the success of ad-
vertising campaigns waged in New
York City. From tonnage of 38, 600
boxes three years ago, Skookum brand,
composed of commercial extra fancy
grade of eleven standard varieties,
grew last year to 1901 boxes. Be
cause of the advertising campaigns,
$40, 600 having been expended in the
three years. MIR. Gwin declared that
the brand Skookum had sold for at
least 25 cents per box more than any
other brand on the New York market.
1--WE picked New York city," said
Mr.. Gwin, "as a place to experiment
and determine the value of distinctive
brand advertising. In the future we
plan to carry on a campaign of national
advertising"
the following is part of the report
of Manager Mckay:
Each year for the past few years has
showed up with new and peculiar con-
ditions, and the season just closed was
no exception. To begin with, the crop
was decidedly short in the northwest.
while the east was just little less
than normal. The midcla west, how
ever. including Nebraska, Iowa and
Illinois. showed up an exceedingly
heavy crop. Such was the size of the
apple crop. Let US now look at the
quality.
We already know that the large ab-
normal crops raised each year in the
east. while mediocre and below our
northwest standard, nevertheless find
popular market because of their cheap
ness. and cause the sale of our north
west apples many serious obstacles and
handicaps, the greatest of which is the
differential in freight, amounting to so
cents per box. The seriousness Of this
is felt, when very often these eastern
apples sell for just what our freight
amounts to. Our only salvation, our
only chance of competing with the
east. is in quality, quality of product
and quality of package.
Taking the northwest as a whole,
this past season. our quality was decid-
edly below average. Never before were
worms so rampant in one section, a Sc
we're drought affected another section,
while here in Hood River we were con-
fronted with the most serious and the
most damaging to the reputation and
sale of our fruit, namely. scab.
While we have been affected more or
less by this pest in the past year or
two, never before did it show up as bad
as last year. Growers are not generally
TO blame for this condition. These new
elements will arise. and have to be met
and controlled, and it is encouraging
to note that the Hood River grower is
entering the conflict armed fully with
the energy and animation that will as
suredly bring US relief.
The forcing of these fungus apples
on the trade is process like pulling
teeth. While the apples are sound. the
appearance is decidedly against them,
and the fact of their creating an unfa-
vorable impression was clearly shown
by receiving no repeat orders, and the
almost impossibility of selling to the
same man twice. These are just the re-
verse of conditions that are wanted,
and we are putting these matters be-
fore you, because this is your business
and you ought to know conditions as we
have faced them. and conditions we
can help to avoid in the future.
We cannot urge you too strongly to
cooperate with your state help. with
your organizations, with yourselves. in
the effort to rid our fruit of past handi-
caps, ,land place it on the quality pima
Gle of the past.
Is it not the fused to be- we have
to deal with as much as the "going to
bes?"
Taking a review of the local organiz-
alton since our last annual meeting, we
show very substantial growth and
much more solid footing.
At our last meeting we had rs mem
bers. At this date we have 1877 mem
bers, an increase of SAC per cent, which
we confidently expect to greatly in
crease before the coming season.
Despite the fact that the tonnage
from Hood River was about one-half Of
1914, we have shipped this year so, 500
boxes against So, 1923 boxes in 1914. a
differential of only per cent. while
the valleys differential shows practi-
cally 80 per cent.
This splendid increase and growth
shows the popularity among growers to
have an alternate in case of dissatisfac.
tion, as 1t now recognized in Hood
River that the past year has demon
strated better service to every grower
than ever before.
Looking for q minute to the future,
our increased strength will place US for
the first time on a really competitive