The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1916-11-09
CROP ESTIMATES
FAR TOO Low
YIELD EXCEEDS 100000 BOXES
Small Portion Of Apples on the East Side
Remains in Orchards Community
Packing House a Success

BY leaps ana BOUNDS the estimates OF
Hood Rivers banner 1916 apple crop
have jumped from 900, 900 boxes, pre-
harvest figures. to a total Of over L.
200. 600 at the present time, and when
all the fruit is finally under cover and
in storage plants the figures will prob
ably materially exceed this amount. In
numerous instances growers found that
they had failed by so per cent to order
| enough boxes to take care of their
crops. On the East Side Aug. Paasch
estimated his total yield at Is, 600 box
es. When his picking was over he
found that be had close to 40. 900 boxes
of fruit, and 80 the yield went, in a
lesser degree, over the entire East
Side.
Never have Hood River apple grow
ers had such obstacles to contend with
as this year. simultaneously they were
struck by shortage of laborers and a
shortage of cars. The story of how the
| Hood River business men and students
of the high school assisted in saving
the crop needs no retelling.
With the increased demand for boxes
because of the unexpected tonnage the
box shortage was made very acute. 1t
was reported by sales agency officials
that the mills had plenty of recepta.
cles on hand. but the car shortage made
it impossible to get them here. Hun.
dreds of growers visited the Apple
Growers Association and Fruit Grow
ers' Exchange warehouses praying and
begging for boxes. The situation. to a
great degree. has now been relieved.
Many growers, however, picked their
fruit and placed it in heaps in. the
fields. Mrs. Roy Brock, of the East
Side, picked about 1000 boxes. placing
the fruit in pyramids on the ground.
She says that she lost practically none
of her apples so handled.
| Several thousand boxes of fruit are
still unpicked and in fields on the East
Side. The fruit is practically all New
towns and Ben Davis. With leaves all
fallen, trees of Ben Davis on the Sears
& Porter place along the East Side
macadam present pleasing picture.
The trees are SO loaded that the
branches are bent to touch the earth.
The fruit is we'll colored and the patch
of red can be seen for a long distance.
Despite the loaded branches, the ground
is a veritable carpet of apples.
| Although some trouble was expert
enced at the beginning of the season.
before the crews of men and women
we're properly organized, the East Side
community packing house. which has
33 members, growers of the district, is
now running smoothly. packing an aver
age of approximately 2, 900 boxes every
1 ka MI trnIar tbo ofG 4
superintendent of Peter Mohr, Jr., is
running a night and day shift Of pack
ers and sorters. A total of rs men and
women are employed at the plant.
An example Of the magnitude of the
crop is shown at this warehouse. The
grower members of the concern in the
early season estimated that they would
have approximately 100000 boxes of
fruit. Mr.. Mohr says that the ESQ
acres of orchard included in the COM
munity system will pack out over
$50, 900 boxes of fruit.
G. s. Crego, official photographer for
the Portland Chamber of Commerce,
here Monday to secure typical apple
harvest scenes, was taken to the East
Side community packing house by E.
o. Blanchar. MIR. Crego also took pic
lures of the loaded Ben Davis trees on
the Sears & Porter place.
The problem confronting the growers
and sales agency officials now is that
of shortage of refrigerator cars. But
one car was received here by all ship.
pers last Saturday. Monday all con.
Germs received nine cars.
I'VE are only able to take care of
about six per cent of our business. "
says Wilmer Sieg, "and the situation is
becoming very critical. We have ap-
pealed to the officials of the O..W. R.
& N. Co. and the Pacific Fruit Express,
and we have their assurance that ev-
erything In their power will be done to
relieve the situation. Union Pacific
officials, however, have told Us that
the railways lack the motive power to
relieve the congested condition of east.
ern terminals"
Local apple sales officials heard that
two solid train loads of refrigerator
cars were moved from Washington
districts last week. This news resulte d
in a telegram urging the railway mer
to pay more attention toward relieving
the local situation.