The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-03-04
SHiPPE= URGES
BETTER SERVICE
ADEQUATE REFRIGERATORS NEEDE1
Davidson SAYS Losses of the Past Nnt,r
Have Been Terrific Rail Companies
Asked 10 Cooperate

Lack of sutable cars for moving az
pies in the wntertlme IS the most ser
Gus ob tacle against the future succe
OF the apple business. according TO H.
+. Davidson, who writes
The losses sustained al Hood River
alone On account of damaged apples
shipped during the 1919 20 cold weather
has tCen sufficient 10 equip enough r.
trgerator cars to move the entue
quantity necessary to be shipped dur.
ing the cold weather in crop like that
Of last fall ! presume the same an
plies t. Yakima Wenatchee and Idaho
districts | believe It IL time TO begin an
active campaign to see If pressure can
be brought to tear to interest the rail
road companies to provide satisfactory
retr orator ears in which to transport
apples In Wlutertime. -
Mr. Davidson declares that the use
of kerosene and coke heaters has left
fruit consumers prejudiced against
Northwestern apples because of the
dlsagreeable flavor given the fruit from
smoke and gas Mr.. Davidson has re-
Gently mailed letters TO prominent rail
way officials asking their cooperatlon
for betterment of the service. In his
appeals he says.
Cars which have come through un.
der heater service are Just as apt to
show heavy frost damage as cars
winch were not heated. both beng
shipped practically the same dates.
Therefore, the actual protection has
been almost nil
Apples which come through in cars
where coal oil or coke heaters have
| been used are really ruined because
| the fumes from thse heaters generate
gas or odor which spoils the flavor Of
the apples, with the result that North.
western box apples are rapidly falling
! from grace, and unless something is
done by the transportation companies
TO protect apples from freezing during
the winter season, il is fair to assume
that the apple industry in the Pacific
Northwest will very soon be on the de
cline. 1t is impossible for the railway
companies to move the heavy tonnage
before danger Of frost damage. Fur.
| ther, It is often impossible TO secure
storage space IN the east for these APP
pies.
1T would be the sheerest folly to
undertake to market the entire quantl-
ty upon arrival if they could be ship
ped a. fast rs harvested. II is also in
consistent to think Of trying to put
such varieties as Newtowns, Winesaps,
Arkansas Blacks and Ben Davis INTO
con, umption during the early part Of
the season. Therefore it seems to me
that the most important problem
ahead of the transportation companies
Is 70 provide cars that will actually
protect ,he fruit. Whether this Is done
by insulation or artificial heat ia OF
small ton equence. Artificial he~t is
dangerous, unless it is automatically
controlled ar taken care of by special
me eager in charge of the cars. Re.
Gently we had a talk with Mr.. Moor
hea0, who is now connected itn the
En- K. X. Co., who has invented an
| eqmpment for protecting perlsha0les
agalaSt frost 10y use of steam from the
osom5tINe. According to his evpiana-
taa e ystem is entirely autou .tic.
Heat OF this chAacter Wouid not
destroy the flavor of the fruit. and if
properly controlled would not overneat
the cars. If properly controlled, heat
for preventing damage to a tralnload
OF fruit would be small in comparison
to that necessary for warming pas
sengel tram.
"As you are no doubt aware, the
most serious damage up to the present
time has come from penetration Of
frost through floors. The bottom lay
err OF boxes coming through in severe
weather have been more or less frosted
ard the losses have been terrific. -