The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1921-12-08
COMMENT ON
CREW ARTICLE
C. R. BONE MAKES SUGGESTION
Each Purchaser of Land, Says Pioneer
Developer, Should Take Both I'M
proved and UnCIeared Acreage


club, for the series being run by the
Portland Telegram for the purpose of
stimulating community upbuiIding,
has attracted wide attention here, Mr..
Crews suggestions having been re-
printed in the Glacier and this given
the widest dissemination.
The local commercial club secretary,
while he offers no solution, other than
to suggest that the clearing of logged
off land might be stimulated by apply
ing the principal of national or state
aid as in reclamation through irriga-
ticn, cites that one of the greatest
needs of the Hood River valley is for
an additional population and the clear
ing of logged off lands. For nearly a
decade orchard development has re-
mained practically at a standstill. The
clearing of new land each year has re-
mained nominal.
Mr.. Crews article was noted by c.
Il. Bone, pioneer orchard developer,
who is especially qualified to indulge
in expert comment. Mr.. Bone, who
since he began 25 years ago to set out
young apple trees, to care for them
until they had progressed to the point
of returning living profit to purchas-
ers and then to sell them to prospec-
tors attracted to the pursuits of horti-
culture in the Hood River valleys en-
virons. appealing from the standpoint
of climate and surrounding natural
scenery, says that those promoting
sales of valley landlhave erred in push
ing exclusive sales of improved land.
"The community itself would be bet
| ter off today and buyers of property
would have Jared better" says Mr..
Bone, eff each purchaser had been en-
couraged to take along with his acre
age of improved land a percentage of
uncleared property. The barring acre
age would at once furnish an income,
and the purchaser would be able to APP
ply all surplus time and resources to-
ward clearing that portion of his prop
eTty still in the rough.
"Indeed, this principle sis our only
salvation today. We can hope for no
immediate relief from such reclama-
tion project as Mr.. Crew suggests.
Orcharding is still attractive to many
men of limited means, if they could
support themselves during the long
period of developing fruit tracts. If
we adopt a plan of selling bearing
acreage along with plots of adjoining
the logged-off areassof the Upper Val
lev coming into cultivation within the
next few years. If we take hold of
the proposition in a constructive way
we may find place in our newer
orchard belts for a fair percentage of
| the ex-soldier POPULATION, who are in
position to benefit from Etne state
bonus measure. Most of the large
scale land colonization schemes for eX-
service men, call for the application of
heavy percentage of the loan money in
tiding the beneficiary of the bonus law
over his first few years of develop
ment. In the local case, where the
soldier would own an acreage of bear
ing orchard, which would begin i'm
mediately to return an income, he
would be free to apply a greater por-
tion of his funds to the.actual purchase
price, and utilize his ready returns for
current expenses and perhaps as an aid
in clearing up his acreage of rough
land.
"Not only have we logged off land in
the Upper Valley, but we also have
considerable area of willow brush land,
which can be cleared with compare
tiveIy little expense. This land is sec
ond to none for the development of
strawberries, which will bring in i'm
| mediate cash returns. Our Upper
Valley country, where most of our
available raw land is situated, has
proven itself as commercially success
ful in the past few years. Especially
have growers who have planted heavily
the earlier varieties of apples found
their returns gratifying. But, leaving
hgp Int lu ont Of
tion, it offers excellent opportunity for
pears. This species of fruit seems es-
peciaIly adapted to the area of avail
able logged oil land. Pear culture, too,
has inducements that seem to be re-
sultng in making it more popular here
at present than the planting of apples.
Growers, as they observe the immense
area of commercial apples in nearly
every section of the country, say that
fatal diseases and climatic conditions
have practically limited commercial
near growing TO the Pacific coast
Dread fire blight and similar diseases.
which have rendered pear culture IN
profitable in the eastern area of the
nation. have been kept out of the sec
tions west of the Rockies.
"The Upper Valley land will be
DIONLdDlt II plduicu Viig ~ pOldApto
or to hay. 1t is practically all under
irrigation, and irrigation systems have
been constructed at comparatively
nominal cost. As a region for success
ful hay and grain farming the Upper
Valley offers more hattering induce
ments than does any eastern or central
Oregon section. | do not see why
some enteTprising man could not turn
this uncleared area into a profitable
stock farm.
Mr.. Bone. in his 25 years as an orch
ard developer here. has probably pre-
pared and sold to different individuals
an aggregate of about 500 acres Of
bearing tracts. He ended his com
ments by saying:
I'VE must practice, with regard to
our land, the same policy that apple
sales concerns have adopted. They
make their extra fancy apples aid in
the selling of theiE fancy and C-grade
stocks. When a buyer calls for a car
load of apples, he is made to pay a
good premium, If he demands the
higher grade exclusively. He is en-
couraged TO take along with the extra
fancies, some of the lower grades in I
each car. If we have prospective set I
tiers who demand exclusively land that +.
has already been developed, let them /
have it. but make them pay
premium. Let's encourage. however. /
the policy Of having the buyer take /
scme Of our uncleared land along with .
the income producing. full bearing /
acreage.