The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1920-10-07
RAIL OFFICIALS
ARE IMPRESSED
GROWERS AND SHIPPERS CONFER
Conference Held With Railway Executives
In Appeal for Modification Of
Freight Increase

ber of a delegation of apple shippers
and growers who were at Yakima the
first of last week to attend a confer
ence of orchardists and shippers with
exectives of railways penetrating the
Northwest, the sessions will have
beneficial effect. II. f. Davidson says
that the railway officials expressed a
sympathy with the appeals of fruit
growers, who declare the rates dis.
criminatory and harmful to the apple
industry.
1.-THE consideration we received from
the railway officials, declares Mr..
Davidson. twas gratifying in the ex-
treme. They, however, could give us
no promises of any modification of the
increased freight rate. They will pre-
sent our data to conference of heads
of eastern and western railways to be
! held at Chicago Tuesday. We are
hopeful of getting some beneficial re-
suits from this Chicago meeting.
Mr.. Davidson, who read one of the
most comprehensive reports of the ap-
pie conditions presented to the Yakima
meeting, according to his fellow dele
gates, qualified to testify on the fruit
business by saying that he has beer
engaged as an orchardlst IN HOOD
River since 1893 and is now the princl-
pal factor in ownership and operation
of 400 acres of orchard in Oregon. lie
has charge of 100 additional acres.
"Thus," he declares, 81 have hac
! the opportunity to observe and expert
ence the results of periods of unproflt'
able operation of apple orchards. "
Mr.. Davidson showed that the pres.
ent actual cost to a grower here. OF
delivering box for shipment, allow
ing for reasonable interest and de
probation charge and under present
cost conditions, reached $40 per box
| He reached this conclusion by using
cost figures found by the Department
of Agriculture in 1915 and adding the
subsequent increase in cost OF produc
ton and harvesting. Mr.. Davidson
says
''To keep an apple orchard in a con
tinuous productive condition and main
tain its value, the owner must have
sufficient amount of cash to enable hin
to make diligent, practical application
of the most scientific and practica
methods of pruning, spraying, cultiva
| ton, fertilization and irrigation, whicl
he can employ through his own person
al knowledge and experience togethe
with such assistance as he can seeur
from the agricultural colleges, expert
ment stations and other institution
and bureaus which are supported b.
the government and states for assist
ance of this industry. 1t goes Wlthou
saying that conditions are quite slmila
in all the principal northwestern frui
growing districts in these particulars.
at has been demonstrated that orch
ard trees are highly perishable them
selves, because of the multitudes o
diseases and insects which attack botl
fruit and trees, consequently neglec
for only short period of time is reas
onably certain in permanent lnlur'
which cannot be repaired. Apple pro
duction in the Pacific Northwest ha
not reached the high maximum tina
was estimated on a basis of the plant
ed acreage which was growing in 1918
for the reason that there were severa
unprofitAble seasons since 1912 an
many growers were unable fnanciall
to give their orchards the necessar
care and were compelled to abando
them entirely while many grower
suffered substantial loss in productive
ness of their orchards, which is sti
apparent.
"Orchard paintings have been yer
limited since the low price season Q
the 1912 crop (the first unprofitabl
season during the pior eering period
C Consequently practically all the appl
trees of the Northwest that are no'
planted have reached the bearing age
and nature seems to have made a prC
vision that a new apple tree cannot b
successfully grown on the same grounl
where another apple tree has alread
grown TO maturity. Therefore, loses
of trees i'm the future will be for tn
most part permanent both to the onwe
of the owner Of the orchard and col
sequent loss OF tonnage to transports
tion companies.
"On account Of several unprofitabl
seasons during the past eight years
is very unlikely that much, If any, ne
acreage will be planted in the Pacifi
Northwest for several years, as it wi
take number of fairly profitable SET
sons to establish confidence in bein
able to market the product from II
incI eased acreage at prices that wi
warrant newplanting. So any losst
sustained for some years to come al
apt to be permanent to the industr.
Ii is fair to state that apple trees al
considered to reach full bearing stat
at 10 to IL years old and that trees b'
gin to show depreciation at IL TO
wears. If the owner has sufficient II
come to warrant him in giving h
trees the necessary care, he can kee
them in good bearing condition from
to 25 years thereafter, which wou
make the orchard 30 TO 40 years old
that time.
eff a railroad tie rots out or a ra
wears out, it can be replaced at th
cost of labor and material and mad
Immediately as good as new. Tt
same rule applies in manufacturing II
dustries. But this is not true Of {
apple orchard. When the orchard
depleted the owner must get into son
other lines Of business. Consequent
the loss of an apple tree is a perm
nent loss.
Lumber tonnage is very heavy fro
an acre of timber, but when the crop
once removed it is from so to 100 yea
to the next crop. An apple Urchal
continues to furnish tonnage TO Il
TRANSFORMATION company year aft
year. 1t is delivered at convenie
sidings, already constructed. and do
not require extending branch lines IN
out Of the way places, necessary In q
veloping lumber areas"
Other fruit men at the Iakiu
meeting were A. w. Peters, l..
fTxaIend aud & ~ MrCulIaph