The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1922-02-16
H0MESTEADERS In
THE FRUIT GAME

(By Flora A. Morgensen, of Mosier
in Better Fruit.)
Something like 20 years ago my hus
band and found it necessary to NOV,
TO Hood River for the summer W.
moved there in March and were there
during the strawberry season, staying
through the long bright summer and
until the rosy checked apples were har'
vested.
Hood River was then famous for its
strawberries as it now is for its apples.
During the summer my husband, in
! these surroundings, became enthused
over fruit growing. While on a busi-
ness trip into the big wheat country. 100
miles further out, he discussed the pos
slbilities OF growing fruit for local con-
sumption, somewhere in the wheat belt.
''lt cant be DONE" the wheat men
said ''and, besides, wheat growers don't
buy fruit
at can be done and will show you"
said my husband.
The result was that before he returned
that boy husband of mine had filed on
lt0 acres of land in the edge of the
wheat belt, intending to show the wheat
men that he could grow and market
truit among them at a profit. | was
aghast. Neither of us knew anything
about farm life and had certainly not
included it in our plans for the future.
| had in my possession, however, a
copy of an excellent farm journal and
there were also in the house we were
renting piles of back numbers of several
fruit growers magazines OF these |
selected copies of Better Fruit and one
other standard magazine, for which we
subscribed. and early in November Of
that year we moved out on our home
stead, with youth, inexperience and de
termination as our chief assets.
We decided to build slowly, but well,
and the house was ready to occupy
early in December. A level place was
then cleared and set to straw berries.
Next large garden spot was cleared, as
we would depend largely on the sale
of vegetables the first year. Then, as
land could be cleared, it was set to rasp-
berries, backberries, loganberrles, cur
rants, gooseberries. etc. These are early
bearers and would be furnishing us with
cash, we figured, while We were waiting
for the orchard TO begin bearing. The
we set out as rapidly as possible.
We were pioneers in the fruit industry.
Experience was our teacher so we tried
out varieties very carefully, selecting
those best suited to our location and |
market. We planted largely peach,
pear, cherry, and apple trees, with a
goood sprinking of plums. prunes and |
apricots. Our location seemed especially |
suited for grapes, so one hillside was set |
TO early and late varieties, while row on |
row of beeshives were added with excel |
lent results.
The second year we had to begin |
hiring help to handle our berry crop. |
Our packages were standard and up-to-
date. We succeeded in finding not only |
A market locally, but our business circle
each season. At times we were
fairly mobbed by patrons. Some years
crops were engaged practically yearin
advance. We could not supply the de-
mand.
Products of our vines and tIees we're
winning blue ribbons at all the fairs in
.he country, and our farm was known
or good many miles around by It's
we'll selected name. OF course we had
Fps and downs, for this is no fancful
ketch, but as one after another of our
leighbors made final proof on their
in order to borrow money
o support their families, we were max
ng Improvements, building our home
md something more than supporting
ourselves, in the little sheltered valley
1t the foot of the wheat fields.
The love of nature and of making
beautiful things grow is eternal in the
learts of some, and we are still in the
in the land of the big red
pples, which go to the markets of the
world. And we have found it good
anne.