The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-03-16
EXCHANGE HURRY
ing TO CLOSE POOLS

The Fruit Growers Exchange is
busy winding up the seasons pools in
an effort to live up to their policy of
getting returns back to their growers
in the shortest space of time, and wind
ing up their seasons business before
their annual meeting. which is held on
the 9th of this month.
Kenneth Mckay, the manager, says !:
Returns for the season are very graf
flying, in keeping with the grades, and
| am very certain that Exchange men,
bers will feel the benefit of their sell
ing methods. which will again show by
results the saneness and correctness Of
these methods.
alarmed at bearish talk of extremely
nigh prices at the beginning of the
season. at not being able to reconcile
them with actual market conditions
but we kept our adopted policy of sell.
ing rs per cent of our better grades at
the time of harvest at the highest
prices obtainable. This we accom-
plished by participating in the famous
Skookum sale early in the season.
only wish our growers would be al
lowed to include all our extra fancy
apples under this brand, which amply
proved to US this year its success by
selling on the same market as other
lesser advertised brands at 80 cents
per box advance.
IL believe when Hood River growers
realize the true nature of this Skookum
selling method, and understand how
greatly Hood River preserves her own
identity absolutely, that they will take
to it exclusively. It's results that the
grower looks to nowadays, not argu-
ments held on the street corners.
''Scab has proved the thorn in our
flesh this past season, caused especial
ly by providing grades to take care of
It, but not having uniform grade
names. Having SO many scabby ap-
Piles this year four records show that
nearly rs per cent of apples shipped
last year we're so Infected), forced US
to look for and develop close markets,
as we could not compete with eastern
markets with inferior fruits. With, the
aid of our central agency, we adopted
numerous and new methods for forcing
he sale of this fruit, to an>extent that
was beyond even our expectations, and
with results that the methods will now
be adopted entirely throughout the
hole selling system.
1--WE will have all business cleaned
up, and returns on everything, with
the possible exception Of Newtowns,
sent to our members by the end of this
month.
Looking to the coming year. we
confidently figure on handling 300 cars
of apples. which will place us in a
position now to have all our methods
on comparable basis. We are fully
equipped for handling this amount, and
naturally our expenses will decrease
all the time, with the added tonnage
which we have actually got signed up
for this year.
"As to Strawberries, we are more
than enthusiastic over our prospects
and are gratified at the new straw wberry
tonnage signed this year, which in.
cludes voluntary unsolicited tonnage
from Japanese growers. In this mat.
ter also, I'VE shall not be under the
handicaps of the past, due to small
tonnage.
we are extremely gratihed to hear
that the Milton association has also
signed with the Northwestern Fruit
Exchange, for they competed with us
at lower prices last year, and now we
will be assured of orderly control and
mutual understanding. in the same
manner as we now have with oul
friends over at Mosier, who, although
using the same system as ours, anc
producing the same varieties. undel
almost the same conditions, have nevel
conflicted with US, but rather has ther,
been actual coordination.
''The snow and excessive moistur,
this winter is encouraging to our grow
ers. and with all cooperating in a sens
ible campaign against diseases, whicl
will assure US of better fruit and cor
respondiugly better prices, the outlool
for the coming season is very hopeful.