The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-01-02
FRUIT RETURNS
PAST 100000
VALLEY IN PROSPEROUS CONDITION
Many Records Have Been Broken in
1918 Deal-Pear Crop Nearly
Pays For Place

being broken and the gross total of
fruit receipts, the highest in the val
/ ley's history, will exceed $1,000, 600
/ the growers are doing little talking
1 this year, Just taking the good tidings
as the merited dues of those who have
weathered severe storms during the
/ past SIX years.
| Figures on returns for all classes Of
fruit compare favorably with those of
days when Oregon apples. cherries and
Strawberries We're selling in small
quantities as novelties on very few
markets. Not since 1910 have apple
returns been any better. While the
! cost of production has been consider
ably heavier than in 1911, the final net
returns to growers this year will ex-
ceed anything since that year. While
growers and market men are engaged
IN no particular celebration over the
years business, perhaps for the reason
| that they have come to consider their
product as one of the cOuntry's COM
moditles, the community's prosperity
is shown in the trend Of general bust
ness and in bank statements. The
two banks show total deposits of
81 $50, 600, the high water mark for
the season.
The Apple Growers Association re-
ports the following returns on fruits
Cherries, S33, 500; strawberries,
Sl6l, 900; pears $l09. 600. Thersales
agency has already distributed S4O0, 900
of apple money to growers. 1t esti-
mates that its totals. received for the
1918 apple crop, will exceed ST. 225, 600.
The total tonnage of the 1913 apple
crop reached LOO, 600 boxes, more
than rs per cent of which was handled
by the Association. The remainder
has been divided among the Hood
River Fruit Co., Dan Wuille & Co.. j,
the Hood River Apple & Storage Co.,
Kelly Bros, and other independent
shippes.
One of the features of the 1918 crop
has been its movement to a large de-
gree directly from valley assembly
points on the Mount Hood R. r. line.
Agent Brazeau reports that the valley
line has hauled 1900 refrigerator cars
this season, greater by 35 per cent
than any number of a former year.
Every former season a firm of ship.
pers in the Yakima Valley has topped
the market with its averages on
D 'Anjou pears. This season the Yak
ina concern reported an average of
$2.95 per box, while the Apple Grow
ers Association returned $2.88.
! The satisfactory pear returns, il is
stated, result from the system of hav-
ing the fruit hauled directly from the
trees to refrigeration plants and packed
in cold storage rooms. Through this sys
TEN the Association has had no pears
arriving at markets in an overripe
state.
Some of the authenticated reports or
pear returns sound like the real estate
agents report of fruit boom days.
asst spring A. j. Graft and Leroy
Childs purchased for Sl4, 900 80 acre
place from F. A. Jones on Dee Flat
! Twelve acres of the tract is in bearing
pear orchard. The men have Just re.
ceived from the Association a net tota
of 50, 664 IA for their 1918 pear crop,
almost rs percent of the purchase
price. Both have gone with theil
families to California to spend the
winter.
The Sears & Porter orchard of the
East Side reports receipts of sail
for the three grades of packed boxes
of d 'Anjou pears from three-quartel
acre tract. The trees are - years old
This was increased by at least another
500 by pears sold in the cooking
grade. J. c. Porter, manager Of the
Fast Side orchard. also has report t,
make that will bring respect to The
Ben Davis variety Of apple. He re
ports that he harvested 1850 boxes
from an acre of this much abuse,
variety. The fruit was sold through
the Association, netting Mr.. Portel
$l.35 per box.
.'And in addition to the fruit, says
Mr.. Porter, 81 raised 25 tons of ha!
from the tracts occupied by the BeI
Davis and D'Anjou trees. ! figured
that this was worth $625. ~
The incomes of Hood River valley
orchardsts will be increased by add
tional hundreds of thousands of dollar
this season through sales of grain
livestock, hay, cream and potatoes
While it was formerly the custom TO
hay to be imported here in grea
quantity. many growers have beef
shipping out the product this season il
carload quantities.
More than 1000 tons Of Gull apple
have been sold by growers this season
for s8 per ton to cider and vinega
manufacturers.