The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-01-08
RAWBERRY INDUS
TRY IN OREGON

Written by ". H. Walton. editor Of
Be ter Fruit for Oregonian New
Years Annuan
IF the bush fruits, the strawberry
III il the last year, was the largest
nt lme-pToducer IN Oregon, but the
le W planting of lOganberries has now
u ned II back into second place. The
Ia ie Of Oregon as strawberry pro-
ID ing state has largely rested on the
u rk seeding. produced SO extensively
n he Hood River valley ard TO some
aX- ent in other sections Of the state.
Ii berry, which mas no superior as
b pper, has been sold successfuy all
W. the middle west when marketing
co ditlOns made 1t necessary and has
~ ELY advertised Oregon and its
ST. wberries.
rom now on. however. the reputa-
liOl of Oregon as strawberfy-pro-
iu ing state will not be confined to
th4 limited area in the Hood River
q ley, as the erection of canning and
processing plants throughout the state
: causing extensive plautings in west
Ell Oregon and thousands of pounds Of
this fruit, canned and put up in the
form of Jams and jellies, will be
sh pped TO all parts Of the world.
N 1919 Oregon produced about five
Pc cent of the total tonnage of straw
berries grown in the United States.
for which the growers received in the
ne ghborhood of 81, Goo GOO. OF this
amount the Hood River district which
sh Dped over 100 cars received $500 600.
In fact. the net returns to the growers
tbs year were the highest ever known
m the history of the industry. The
other large producing districts were
western and southern Oregon and those
parts of eastern Oregon where there is
irrigation or the rainfall is not too
light to prevent the fruit from matur-
ing.
While great success has been
achieved IN producing Strawberries IN
The Hood River district, the big devel
1pment in this industry in the future
Will be in the willamette valley and
other sections of western Oregon.
where the soil and climate are partic
Ilarly@@ adapted to the propagation Of
tins berry and where fixed markets
nave been made for it by establishing
canneries at most of the central points
u this territory. such as Salem, Al
Jany, Roseburg and Eugene.
Ia fact the creation Of cooperative
marketing organizations and the cree
non of processing plants, coupled with
profitable returns, is stimulating the
ouch fruit industry to such an extent
that Clatsop, Coos and other counties
IN the western and southern part of
the state that heretofore have grown a
limited quantity of Strawberries are
low entering lhe industry and will be
neaVy producers in the near future.
.his year the demand for this popular
-rult at the highest prices ever known
VAS far greater than the supply and
10 shipment was too small to attract
The buyer.
Planted on the right kind of soil and
given reasonable care, the strawberry
rows to a perfection in both quality
and yield in Oregon not eXcelled else
where There are many hundreds Of
acres of the bench lands Of western
oregon that can be purchased at
easonable figure that present the
opportunities for the prospective
trawberry grower. Distance from
market, which was formerly bar to
dsing berries in many of these see
lions, is no longer much of factor,
aving been overcome by the ntroduc-
ion Of motor trucks. many of which
re now operated by the purchasers of
he fruit and call daily at the growers
atch for the berries.
The varieties of strawberries that
nave been the most widely raised in
he eastern Oregon district are the
MARSHALL and Wilson. The Marshall is
mld-season berry of fine quality, not
i very good shipper and is therefore
algely consumed in local markets
he Wilson, which should be grown on
ich soils. is fine canning berry and
glven care is one of the heaviest pro-
ucers. The Magoon, Gold Dollar and
)regon are some Of the other import
ant varieties that are being success
ully produced in the western section
# the state.
Some of the long ffuiting varieties
ne row being recommended for this
md a considerable planting of these
ver hearing varieties is expected to
take place next spring. East Of the
Cascades the Clark Seeding, which is
Doth a superior shipping and canning
berry, is grown almost to the exclu.
ion of any other strawberry Here it
thrives and brings rich returns to the
grower, although not such heavy
producer as some Of the varieties
grown in the wetern section Of the
state.
Like the other bush fruits, the straw
berry at the present time offers fine
opportunity for an investment in fruit
raising in Oregon. With new mar
kets, stabilized prices and only limited
capital necessary the careful grower
should get big returns