The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1917-03-08
FROST DAMAGE
WAS SEVERE
DAVIDSON VIEWS APPLE MARKETING
Transportation Companies, Says New York
Agent Of Association, Must
Better Service

uOfiol iooos
81 do not make this statement out
of any antagonism for the railway
companies" says Mr.. Davidson. ''The
lines have endeavored to help all they
can. Conditions, however have been
such the past fall and winter as to
show the railways woefully lacking in
equipment to handle the Northwestern
apple crops. do not think it will be
necessary for me or any other fruit
grower to do more than give the rail-
ways a hint, for it means much to
them that the apple industry is main
tanned on paying basis, for North
western railways haul no freight that
pays them better revenue than ap-
pies.
because of the car shortage last
fall it was impossible for the rail way
companies to move enough of the
fruit to eastern storage to supply the
winter market. Consequently these
apples were transported in Decembe r
and January, just at time when the
severest weather was prevailing over
the entire distance traversed. Much
of the fruit arrived in New York in a
frozen condition, and in addition to the
actual damage, caused depression of
the market. l believe that the cars of
apples, with frozen fruit in them, de-
spite the fact that the larger portion of
the product was unhurt, sold for 25 per
cent less than if none of the apples had
been frosted. Most of the shippers
availed themselves of the heater SER
vices provided by the transportation
companies, but even so these apples
were hurt almost as badly as those
shipped under the old tariffs, which
provided no heaters. A considerable
portion of the fruit arrived badly
tainted with the taste of oil or gas,
and the eastern barrel apple men were
given a fine chance to advance their
old story to the effect that Northwest
ern apples lack the fine favor of the
eastern product.
Practically all of the damage was
caused by freezing through the floors
of the cars. And besides this, because
of the heater service much of the fruit
would arrive showing numerous discol-
oration spots of the size of dime.
The car floors are not properly insulat-
ed. If railway companies are going to
carry apples in the dead Of wintertime,
lit will be necessary to put In better
floors. In my opinion a cork filling
could be placed in the floors at no very
great additional expense. Unless these
frost proof cars can be provided by
the transportation companies it will be
necessary for them to haul in the late
fall to eastern storage terminals a
sufficient quantity of the fruit to feed
the markets from December Is to
March l"
Mr.. Davidson pays the highest COM
pliments to Northwestern growers fol
their strict observations of packing
rules the past year. He declares that
the fruit has never given the dealers
better satisfaction from this stand.
point.
While the British embargo has Great
ed a great speculation among North
western fruit men, and while the con.
dition will seriously affect their bust
ness, Mr.. Davidson declares, basine
his assumptions on general trend OF
the market conditions of all food prod.
ucts and the shortage that prevails,
that Northwestern growers should by
no means be thrown into panic.
"The food shortage is so severe, he
says, "that all products are selling al
extremely high prices. In comparison
with the staples, such as potatoes
bread products, cabbage and onions
apples have been selling at moderate
figure, and yet at price that is bring
ing in the grower profitable return
Unless the crop of next years apples
is phenomenally large | believe that i
will be consumed and that the price!
paid will be profitable to dealres anC
growers alike. Except among the very
poorer classes of people, who aftel
they have purchaed the actual necessi
| ties of life have no funds left, apple!
are being bought in larger quantities
than usual. The condition is assisting
us fruit men in our campaign of edu
eating the great mass of consumers Il
the food value of fruit, and thus th'
future distribution of apples is beinl
advanced to just that much create
degree.
"Yet, don't care how poor famil,
is, have noticed from my observation
through New York's East Side the pas
winter, that they nearly always man
age to buy little fruit. | have seel
vast quantities of the poorest kind o
apples on the stands down in the Eas
Side districts being sold from the frui
stands at penny piece and eve
cheaper. The quantities of such frui
moved are really surprising"
Mr.. Davidson says that he has trans
ported so per cent more apples the pas
season than of the 1915 crop.
"And if the British embargo had no
been clapped on. I" he says, 81 woul
have exported at least another $50 car
loads of apples. have shipped tots
of 300 carloads of Hood River apple
to England this season. We have los
25 carloads of fruit, four cargoes, fror
German submarine raids. Twenty car
of this fruit were from Hood River
All, however, were well protected b
insurance.
mot long ago the rate on apple
across the Atlantic was raised fror
66a cents to 9lA cents per box. Will
most shippers declared the rate wa
exorbitant, | stood for the raise an
shipped heavily with the result that
am having large quantity of apple
arriving in England now. Because Q
the embargo, have already receive
word that an advance of two shillings
so cents per box, has been made in az
pies. Hood River has about 25 cal
loads of varieties in eastern storag
that should be exported but that wi
have to be sold on the domestic maj
ket. But through the increased pric
we will receive for the fruit exporte
and just now reaching England "
will more than break even"