The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-01-16
VEGETABLES ARE
IMPORTED HERE
OPPORTUNITIES AWAIT TRUCKERS
Despite Stimulus Of War Campaigns and
War Gardens the Valley Still Does
Not Produce Enough

Despite the fact that production was
increased more than 200 per cent dur
ing the past two years, as a result of
food production and conservation cam
paigns. in scores of vacant lots and
backyard war gardens, Hood River
merchants still find il necessary to
import large quantities of vegetables.
Except for potatoes and such staple
crops, ranchers continue to buy vege-
tables.
Those who have made a study Of
markets say that excellent opportun-
tiles await the energetic truck garden
er who undertakes to farm local tracts
on scientific basis. The valley has
but two truck farms of any extensive
scale. j. H. koberg, operator Of the
Twentieth Century Truck Farm. in
addition TO asparagus on which he
specializes. ships string beans, cab
bages and other vegetables in ton
quantities. Mr.. koberg, who has made
Pacific Coast record for his green
asparagus is perhaps the largest grow
er of the succulent vegetable in Ore
gon. His product is shipped by the
ton to Seattle and Portland, where it
always demands fancy price. The
quality of his product has created a
keen demand for Hood River aspara-
gus. and the Hood River Produce Ex-
change, in charge of P. L. Tompkins,
announces that profitable market ON
asparagus could be built up. Mr..
| Tompklns, who engages in a general
commission business, shipping out fruits
and vegetables. and supplying local
merchants. says that Hood River could
demand good out of town vegetable
market, if covers would produce suffi-
cient quantity to ensure a steady sup
ply. Mr.. Tompkins also says the de
mand for small fruits raspberries,
blackberries and loganberries would
Justify much heavier planting Of
those fruits here.
Harry Monemoto, Japanese. farm
ing the lowlands of the Button place,
supplies the local market and ships
many vegetables.
| Except for the increase noticed in
production of wheat, which jumped
| from practically nothing to 5000 BUSH
els, the war stimulated bean gowng
here more than any other crop. Scores
of orchardists planted small tracts of
beans, and the Hood River Produce
Exchange has shipped from last
seasons harvest total of 5000
pounds, While many growers of the
Lower Valley, discouraged as a result
! cf the overplanting in 1877, cut their
Fpotato acreage last season, the Upper
Valley produced AN average crop of
tubers of fine quality. The Mt. Hood
r. X. Co. reports that 80 carloads of
potatoes were shipped from Parkdale
over its line. large portion of the
Upper Valley potatoes sold in Califor-
MIA for premium prices. The Hood
River Produce Co. shipped but four
carloads Of potatoes throughout the
season
While Bruno Franz and 7. d. Calkins
on former years shipped celery in car
load quantities, this industry has gone
to the discard here, and the local cell
cry supply is imported. Mr.. Franz
celery won the reputation of being
sweeter and crisper than that of the
famed Michigan celery belt, and calls
still come here for the product. 1t is
predicted that the product may again
be grown on Columbia river bottom
land west Of here, where the soil is
peculiarly adapted to celery.