The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1919-05-01
1918 APPLE DEAL
CALLED SENSATIONAL

(By Robert Ringer. of Portland office
of Bureau of Markets.
The 1918 apple season of Oregon has
closed with total shipment from the
state of 2lS0 cars, a decrease of l26S
cars from the 1917 record when 344S
cars were shipped. The decrease is
accounted for by the late frosts Of last
spring which cut the yields of Hood
River and eastern Oregon seriously and
almost wiped out the prospects Of
Rogue River valley and western Ore
gon.
On August q, 1918. the local bureau
of markets gave the yield to be eX-
pected from Oregon as reported by the
bureau of crop estimates as follows:
Conditions in the Hood River valley
continue favorable. The season is
three weeks ahead of last year The
apples are free from insect and disease
injury and will be Of good size and
quality. About 1900 cars, $50 boxes
each, almost exclusively Newtowns
and Spitzenburgs are estimated for
1918, 10 per cent increase over last
year. The apple crop in other Oregon
districts is light Four hundred cars
will cover the Rogue River and west.
ern Oregon production" "
AS matter Of fact, conditions i'm.
proved slightly in the Hood River val
ley as later report announced and il
really shipped 1854 cars. OF the re-
naming 496 cars Rogue River valley
and western Oregon shipped only 240.
Milton shipped ll9 and Mosier and
other towns east of the mountains ac-
counted for the balance
1t was the most sensational year in
the apple industry of the Northwest
ever experienced. In spite of big in
crease of production in the east and
prohibition of export shipments exist
ing at that time, the market in Sep
tember did not open at the bottom but
rather where it left of the year before
and scarcely weakened single day
until it wound up this month with sales
of Winesaps in carlots f. o. b. shipping
point, S4 per box.
Prices opened in September win eX-
ira fancy stock of Winesaps bringing
$l.85 and 81; Jonthans, $l.85 and
So. Is; Arkansas Blacks. $2.25; Rome
Beautys. $l.75; Spitzenburgs, $l,90
and $3.50; Delicious and Winter Ba-
nanas, $2,65 and SO; Ortleys, $l.70 and
1926; Newtowns. 81 70 and 81 25, and
Ben Davis $l.45 and 80.
Prices held a steady level with many
wondering when the break would
come. All speculated on the effect the
new citrus crop would have but the big
II az aHC ~
ued and by the new year Winesaps
were selling at shipping point for 81, so
and S2.l0. Rome Beautys at $2 and
1926 and Spitzenburgs 81 and 81. 10.
No particular demand existed for New
towns and they alone hung back
In the meantime it had developed
that although the Northwest apples
looked as we'll as ever they did not
have the keeping qualities of former
years. The dry and early season had
its particular effect upon them and the
pieces early. Rome Beautys did not
keep so well and the Spitzenburgs gen
orally softened a month early. The
Winesaps and NewtoWns were not so
much affected and displayed almost
their usual storage qualities and an
unusual demand began to force their
prices up. BY the middle Of January
Newtowns We're bringing $2.35 at
Hood River ana Arkansas Blacks $40,
while in the Yakima valley Winesaps
were going al 81 50 and 81. 70.
The removal Of export prohibitions
and the availability of space in ships
to carry apples to Europe furnished all
the incentive needed to boost the mar
ket then and by the middle of Febru-
ary Winesaps were bringing So. 50 and
$3.75 in straight cars. Newtowns So
and 3.25 and extra fancy Ben Davis
$3.50.
Those prices prevailed practically
the balance of the season and brought
apples at retail in the cities almost to
the prices of oranges. A few sales
were made after April at 50 per box
and one car is reported unotficially to
have brought $4. 80 at Yakima.
October and November were the
banner shipping months and practical
y two-thirds of the crop rolled then.
Hood River leads as a shipping point
with 100 cars and Odell and Van Horn
rank second and third. Milton is the
shipping center of eastern Oregon and
Medford of the Rogue River valley.