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VOLUME 8, NUMBER 47
HOOD RIVER, OREGON, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1912
SUBSCRIPTION, $1.50 A YEAR
THE HOOD RIVER NEWS
Local Crop This Season
About 70 Per Cent Full
Exception Taken to Report of Department of Agricul
ture, Which Gives Oregon and Washington Full
Crops--arowers Find Conditions Favorable Mere
for Heavy Yield Next Season.
Although the crop report of the de
partment of agriculture, JuBt publish
ed, gives the apple production In Ore
gon and Washington as 100 per cent
,of a full crop this year, local growers
take exception to this phase of the re
port so far as Hood ltlver Is concern
ed, declaring that the crop this year
la only between 60 and 70 per cent of
a full yield.
The crop reporter of the department
of agriculture gives apple production
69.9 per cent of a full crop as com
pared with 62.4 per cent last year and
51.3 for a ten year average. Quality
is placed at 83, against 78.2 last year
and 72.1 in 1910.
Apple production In both Oregon
and Washington equals 100 per cent
of a full crop this year; California,
90 per cent; the far western group,
91.7, he says.
In the average yield of all crops
combined, Oregon Is 116 as compared
with last year.
Local growers declare that what
a full crop for Hood River valley
means was Illustrated two years ago,
when the yield per acre averaged 425
boxes. This year the average will be
materially less than this, the only one
of the standard varieties to have a full
crop being the Newtowns.
Growers here are not lamenting the
fact that the yield Is not a full one,
however, In view of the fact that mar
ket conditions this year are less favor
able than they have been In other sea
sons because of the unprecedented
yield in all other apple producing sec
tions. In view of the crop conditions
here this year they are anticipating a
more nearly full crop next season If
weather conditions are favorable. Few
of the standard varieties having pro
duced a big yield this year, It is an
ticipated that the trees will be in pro
per condition to produce a large yield
next season. C. It. Hone, one of the
oldest growers In the valley, says:
"In reporting a full crop for Oregon
and Washington the department of
agriculture has probably been reckon
ing on the wrong basis by not taking
Into consideration the considerably in
creased acreage of bearing trees this
year. These have been sufficient to
bring up the total production but the
yield In general has probably not been
over 70 per cent.
"Next year the prospects Bhould be
favorable for a full crop, however,
and I believe that the million-box crop
predicted early this season may be
come an actuality next year."
That the apple crop In Washington
has not come up to earlier predictions
is Indicated by a report from Wen-,
Huge Engine Clears Acre
of Raw Land Every Day
Something distinctly new and decid
edly effective as a land clearing de
vice has Just been put In operation for
the first time In the Northwest by F.
J. Patterson of this city, who is clear
ing and developing a largo tract in the
eastern part of the county about eight
miles from town.
The device, which is said to perform
herculean feats In clearing the land of
roots, stumps and brush, was Invented
In Germany and a mechanic was
brought from that country especially
to construct the one which Is now in
operation on. Mr. Patterson's place
Simply stated, It consists of four huge
plows mounted on wheels, the: whole
weighing about 3,000 pounds. The
plows are automatically reversible and
are dragged back and forth across the
tract by donkey engines stationed one
at each end of the field.
Some idea of the effectiveness and
speed with which this device operates
may be obtained when It is stated that
It clears and plows approximately an
acre a day.
In preparing the land for treatment
only the big stumps are removed. The
brush and smaller trees are then
Blashed and burned. This done and
the machine is ready to do Its work.
At present It Is working across a ten
acre tract and Is clearing and plowing
two furrows 660 feet In length.
The four 16 inch plows are mounted
in pairs, each of the pairs being on
opposite sides of the axle. One set
are right-handed plows, the others
left handed. Upon reaching the end
of ft furrow the plows are reversed by
atchee which states that the apple
crop of that valley this season will
not exceed 3750 cars. Karly estimates
placed the crop at 4500 to 5000 cars.
The shipping season Is now practically
over and less than 3000 cars of fruit
have been moved. However, It Is esti
mated by buyers that 700 or 800 car
loads of fancy apples remain to be
shipped. 'The car shortage on the
Gret Northern Railway Is now Inter
fering with shipping and rain has hurt
harvesting operations for two weeks.
An interesting statement was issued
by leading shippers showing that
more Wenatchee fruit went to foreign
markets this season than ever before.
England will use at least 350 carloads
and Australia will receive over 500
carloads of Wenatchee apples. South
Africa will take 300 carloads and Can
ada 600 carloads. Practically half of
this year's crop made up foreign ship
ments as compared with less than a
fourth any previous year. Wenatchee
growers are now bending every effort
to further cultivate a market In Eur
ope, ahead of competing districts.
LOCAL TRANSFERS
OFjIEAL ESTATE
Katherlne Vreelnnd find husband
to A. Welch, eight acres south of
town.
I'nlted States to Alexandre Lcroux,
lotsl, 2, H and 0, (homestead) near
Mt. Mood.
Davit) M. Jackson to John Elder,
120ncres on Kant Side.
Humphrey Pugh to (). P. Dabney,
lot A, South Addition, Hood River,
$100.
J. H. Ferguson to Willis II. I'ullen,
lots 15 and 10, Mock 2. Park Addi
tion, $ 4."i0.
J. M. Culbertson Suggested
The election of Woodrow Wilson to
the presidency has caused great activ
ity among local Democrats who have
in view gathering some of the plums
that are to ripen In Hood River with
the terms of office now held. The
poBtofllee job Is the most attractive, as
It now pays $2600 annually. J. M.
Culbertson, a prominent Democrat of
the city, who led the fight for the
election of George E. Chamberlain and
Governor West, Is being groomed for
the position. Oregon Journal.
Mrs. O. T. Wedemeyer and children
and Mrs. A. A. Wedemeyer left Friday
for Palo Alto, Cal., where they wil
spend the winter.
the tension of the other cable and the
donkey engine at the opposite side of
the tract drags the device in that di
rection. The apparatus not only uproots all
trees and brush but plows furrows
from 18 to 20 inches In depth.
After the plows have done their
work the cables of the donkey engines
are attached to a large harrow. This
not only smooths the earth, but re
moves the roots and other debris, pre
paring the land for planting.
DEDICATION OF NEW
CHURCH ON DEC. 8
The Asbury Methodist Episcopal
church will be dedicated Sunday morn
Decetnber 8. Dlshop Richard Joseph
Cooke, D. D. LLD., the great scholar
and orator of Methodism, will preach
the dedicatory sermon. In the even
ing Dr. Benjamin Young, pastor of the
First Methodist Episcopal church of
Portland will preach.
Next Sunday the services will be
held as usual. Sunday School at 10
a. m. Preaching service at 11 a. in.
Theme: "Broken Vows." Epworth
League at 6:30 p. m.
All are cordially Invited to these
services.
Claude Thompson, who has been
employed In the office of J. H. Hell
bronner, lias accepted a position at
the Oregon Agricultural College nnd
will probably spend the winter there.
TICKET PROPOSED
BY HEIGHTS CLDB
At a meeting of the Heights Devel
opment Club held the last of the week
a ticket for the city election to be held
December 3 was proposed and accept
ed. The ticket as a whole was pre
sented to the meeting and on motion
of Nell Evans that it be accepted a
verbal vote was taken. Mayor E. O.
ISlauchar was endorsed for re-election;
George W. Dimmlck was endors
ed as a candidate for city recorder and
for councllmen the following were en
dorsed: James Stranahan, W. II.
Taft and W. J. Baker.
Two of the candidates endorsed for
councllmen are the same as those
nominated on the Republican and
Democratic tickets at the recent city
primary election. These two are
James Stranahan and W. 11. Taft. J.
M. Schmeltzer was the third candidate
for councilman nominated at the re
cent primaries. For his name that of
W. J. Baker was substituted by the
Heights Club. Mr. Baker was ap
pointed councilman several weeks ago
to serve out the unexpired term of L.
II. Huggins.
For the position of city recorder the
club endorsed George W. Dimmick.
This places a new candidate in the
field for that position, H. L. Howe,
the present recorder, having been
nominated on both Republican and
Democratic tickets in the recent pri
mary election.
Resolutions were passed petitioning
the city council to publish an itemized
statement of all fees received by the
city surveyor In the past two years on
"lblic and private contracts for clt
improvements.
Marketing Agreement Is
Urged By H. F. Davidson
Co-operation in Supplying flarket'5 Demands Neces
sary if Prices Are to Be Haintained at Growers'
EndExtension of Retailing Season Recom
mended in Order to Increase Consumption.
Declaring that co-operation between
the competing fruit districts of the
Northwest Is absolutely necessary If
demoralization of the markets Is to be
avoided and good prices obtained for
fruit in .future years, II. F. Davidson
delivered an address at the Spokane
Apple Show which struck a responsive
cord. Other apple men spoke along
the same line and the result was that
an effort Is to be made next month to
effect a working arrangement between
the leading sections.
In summing up his address, which is
too lengthy to reprint In full, Mr. Dav
idson said:
"It is fair to assume that a financial
success can be made in growing ap
ples only by experts who have orch
ards in favored sections; grow the
right varieties and use scientific meth
ods in growing and handling the ap
ples and then market the fruit through
the right channels, but no amount
or kind of storage houses, neither can
the transportation companies nor
shippers save from financial disaster
the many acres of apples already
planted on land better adapted to
growing hay, grain or other farm
crops than for growing apples, and In
order to win success in this business
growers, Bhippers and transportation
representatives must confer together
frequently, work in harmony, and
economize in every possible particu
lar without sacrificing the quality of
the goods nor the service rendered."
Cost of Production
Discussing the cost of production
and the amount that must be netted
back to the grower, Mr. Davidson
gave some Illuminating figures as fol
lows: "Down at Hood River It Is generally
conceded that the cost of producing a
box of first-class apples by economical
growers and putting It on board the
cars Is about 60 cents; thai land
worth from $150 to $250 per acre raw
and considered good orchard land
stands the apple grower at $1000 to
$1500 per acre with an orchard of
eight years old capable of bearing
average full crops of fruit and equip
ped with necessary buildings for liv
ing In and handling the crop and the
necessary teams, tools and equipment,
but to be conservative, put the valua
tion at $1000 per acre fully equipped
(which Is a price lower than the aver
age orchardlst wishes to admit as the
real value of his property) and with
money worth seven per cent Interest
and allowing a depreciation of three
per cent by calculating thnt apple
trees will bear not less than 33 aver
WOMEN VOTERS HERE
MUST BE SWORN IN
In behalf of those interested in get
ting out a representative vote of the
women at the coming election, A. W.
Onthank appeared before the council
Monday evening and Inquired what ar
rangements wer to be made to have
the women register. It was some
what of a surprise when City Attorney
Derby gave It as bis opinion that ev
ery woman who yotei next month
must be sworn in by six freeholders.
The registration books closed before
the general election and cannot be
reopened until two years hence, he
stated. Arrangements will be made to
swear In properly qualified women
who care to vote.
SWAPS WHEAT FARM
FOR ORCHARD HERE
D. L. Wylde of Culver, Crook coun
ty, has exchanged his 320-acre wneat
ranch located on Opal Prairie half a
wile from Culver for the ten-acre im
proved fruit farm of J. A. Hodges In
the Belmont district
The deal was consummated last
week, at which time Mr. Hodges and
family moved to Culver, while Mr. and
Mrs. Wylde took possession of their
new place here. The latter has seven1
acres set to trees and strawberries.
Both places which figure In the ex
change are Improved with houses and
farm buildings .
C. D. Thompson is spending the
week at Portland, where he is assist
ing at the Land Products Show.
age crops. We have a charge of ten
per cent on $1000 or $100 per acre.
; If the average crop of the lean and
! the fat years is 250 boxes per acre,
I which must be had to keep the cost
production down to 60 cents per box,
' and we then add $S8 per acre on a
250-box yield, or 40 cents per box to
cover interest and depreciation, we
have a cost of $1 per box before we
have made provision for taxes, water,
rent, insurance, gasoline for the auto,
unexpected repair bills or spring
clothes. Clothes, however, are not
a necessary .charge, as we might fol
low the precept of Father Adam and
grow fig leaves to serve this purpose.
With fancy and extra fancy apples
costing the grower $1 per box f. o. b.
cars and adding a 10 cent charge for
loading and shipping, 15 cents for
storage in the East or West, as the
case may be, 50 cents for freight and
10 cents for refrigeration we have a
total cost up to the point of delivery of
practically $2 per box.
"The Jobber who receives the fruit
needs . margin of not less than 10
per cent, with perhars some cartage
or other Incidental charges, and we
have a necessary selling price, In
round figures, of $2.25 per box to the
retailer. This Is the class of traders
who buy the apples now so commonly
sold at auction ir the cities of the
East at prices from 60 cents to $1.50
prevailing, and to call the average
$1.25 per box Is liberal, making a net
loss to be sustained by Borne one along
the line of about $1 per box. Who is
going to absorb this and continue on
the Job Is the question. Can the grow
er curtail this much expense and pro
duce the fruit for nothing instead of
at a cost of $1? No. Can the trans
portation companies absorb It by re
ducing their charges? No, because if
they moved the fruit to market at no
cost whatever there would still be
an enormous loss. Can the cost of
selling and hnndllng the fruit be re
duced to offset the loss? No, because
this charge covers but a small part
of the loss. Then what Is the solu
tion? Will a wid.i distribution ac
complish the result? Select dealers
in a hundred or five hundred cities;
wire or write them a price on Wen
atchee, Hood River, Yakima, or any
other mark of apples grown in the
well known apple producing sections
of the Northwest, offering to supply
them at a price that will net growers
25 cents a box margin of profit on the
fruit, and If you are fortunate enough
to get a reply It will bo that some
shipping concern has offered them
UNION NEARLY DONE
AT WHITE SALMON
The big 6Uxl00 building for the
White Salmon Fruit Growers Union
is nearly completed. It Is all en
closed, and the elevator for lifting
stock to the second floor Is being
put In.
The main ground floor supply
room Is 00x52, with an ofllce at the
northweet corner. Back of this sup
ply room lrt the apple room, 00x32.
with an average height of 20 feet.
This Is a frost proof storage room,
unless the weather should drop a few
degrees below xero, when a heater or
two could be moved In. It Is tightly
sealed, double boarded, double pa
pered, and has an air space. It Is
well ventilated. With a second floor
put In, which Is possible, the room
has a capacity of 0,000 boxes.
The second floor Is 60x52 and will
be used for warehousing feed, hny
and other supplies. The loading and
unloading platform Is on the north
Hide and is protected from rain.
There Is also a door at the west
front. Enterprise.
fruit at 50 cents to $1 per box less or
that they can buy cheaper on the auc
tion market.
"The transportation companies can
not be criticized for this condition,
for it would only Indicate that the
fruit is already moving too rapidly to
the markets.
"Don't blame your neighbor because
he is told that you are offering your
fruit for less than he offers his and
you are told that he is offering his for
less than you offer yours, with the re
sult that in the case of Jonathans and
other early maturing varieties which
must be marketed early there soon
gets to be a scramble for orders, and
when there are none, large shippers
patronize the auctions, which are con
sidered the dumping grounds for sur
plus stocks; the prices realized are ad
vertised to all the fruit world, and the
business is demoralized at somebody's
cost. Who? The grower.
Shouldn't Hold Early Fruit
"There is no question about the low
prices prevailing having a big influ
ence on the consumption of apples,
and it will be necessary for the visible
supply to be reduced to the extent
that holders can Bee a prospect of sell
ing their product at a material ad
vance over present market prices if
the original cost of the fruit is paid
back to the growers on this season's
crop
"I am also of the opinion that to
put the early maturing varieties in
cold storage to hold them beyond their
natural season, and later force them
on the market in competition with the
later maturing kinds only prolongs the
agony, Increases the cost and will not
benefit the grower, except In the sea
sons of a shortage of the later keep
ing kinds.
"We also thoroughly believe that
storage at the point of production is
far preferable to storage In market
centers, for the presence of large
stocks of perishable goods in market
centers has a very depressing effect;
the goods are In sight of the dealers;
they know that they must be market
ed or perish, and that as an alternat
ive to allowing them to decay, the cost
cannot be considered and the fruit will
be sold at any obtainable price to
make the loss as low as possible.
Must Extend Season
"It has been estimated that the pos
sible yield of apples in the U. S. and
Canada from orchards now growing
will exceed 100,000,000 barrels, or half
a million carloads, a little more than
double this year's yield, and in order
to consume the crop each one of
100,0000,000 people will have to eat
an average of about 2V& apples per
day during the five months of the ap
ple eating season. If this be accom
plished, It can be done only by keep
ing a sufficient quantity of apples In
proper storages and let the consumer
have a regular supply during the
whole apple consuming season, and a
very thorough and practical method of
distribution.
The Railroads' Duty
"The railroad companies will need
to make concessions in favor of the
growers in order to encourage them
to stick to the Job by giving them
lower freight rates, which can be
done without decreasing the earnings
per car or Increasing the tonnage by
providing cars that will be perfectly
safe for shipping during the cold win
ter season and hauling 40,000 pounds
of apples for the same money that
they now haul 30,000 pounds of apples
and lit, 000 pounds of ice, saving to the
grower 25 per cent of the present
charge, which will on the large vol
ume of business that Is bound to fol
low represent the difference between
he success and failure of many orch
nrdlsts."
Women voters are getting busy.
Association Will Put Up
City Ticket of Its Own
Home Protective Organization Holds Meeting, En
dorses flayor Blanchar and Recorder Howe, but
Decides to Name Candidates for Other Places
Want Stringeut Enforcement of Liquor Laws.
At a meeting of the Home Protect
tive, Association held at the Christian
church Sunday afternoon It was decid
ed to put up a complete ticket at the
coming city election and also to peti
tion the city council to pass an ordi
nance drawn up by the association cal
culated to effect a more stringent en
forcement of the liquor laws in the
city.
Mayor Blanchar and City Recorder
Howe were unanimously endorsed.
Professor Gibson presided and Al
bert Canfield acted as secretary. A.
W. Onthank brought up the question
of whether they would be justified In
going before the city council and ask
ing for an ordinance giving the city
authorities greater power to enforce
violations of the liquor laws. The
meeting expressed itself as in favor
of such action and the proposed ordi
nance was read. It includes provis
ions which are intended to compel en
forcement and heavy penalties are at
tached In case of violations.
Short talks on the local liquor
question were made by Leslie Butler,
A. W. Onthank, W. S. NIchol, Albert
Canfield, J. M. Wood, Mrs. J. J. Edg
Ington, Mrs. R. P. Orr and others.
The ladies of the W. C. T. U. main
tained that the principles for which
they stand should be represented on
the city council.
It was decided to appoint a com
mittee to select candidates. This com
mittee Is composed as follows: Les
lie Butler, A. W. Onthank, W. S. NIch
ol, and E. O. Hall.
W. S. Nichol proposed that a regis
ter should be kept by the drug stores
and that these registers should show
when and to whom each package of
liquor Is sold, also the doctor Issuing
the prescription. He also suggested
that the registers should be left open
for public inspection.
A committee was appointed to wait
on Representatives C. II. Stranahan
KELLY BROTHERS
BUILD WAREHOUSE
Kelly Brothers have Just completed
the construction of a large warehouse
on a lot purchased by them and locat
ed Just west of the vinegar factory.
The bilding is constructed of corru
gated iron and is 50 by 100 feet in size.
Messrs. Kelly Intend to use It for
storing their hay, grain, orchard and
other applies and it will materially
Increase their facilities for catering
to their customers.
Complete Reproduction
of Valley Seen at Show
Probably no other exhibit at the Pa
cific Northwest Land Products Show-
In Portland this week has attracted
more favorable comment and admira
tion than has Hood River's artistic
display showing an exact miniature of
the valley as viewed from across the
Columbia River. The reproduction of
the valley Is 12 by 14 feet In size and
it Includes a landscape at once beau
tiful and magnificent. It is striking
ly effective.
When the local Commercial Club
undertook to compete at the show by
entering an artistic display, the idea
of reproducing the valley came as a
happy thought and met with instan-
eous response. Prizes offered In this
class amount to $600 for the first
prize, $300 for the second, $200 for the
third and $100 for the fourth. The
cost of the Hood River display was
about $200 and this amount was guar
anteed by local business men.
The services of a competent and re
sourceful artist were secured In Port
land for two weeks and he has put all
his time upon this artistic display.
The reproduction of the valley is top
ographlcally correct, showing the floor
of the upper and lower valleys, the
river, roads, orchards, surrounding
hills, city and ranch houses, the latter
all reproduced In small models.
At the end of the valley, true to
nature, Mt. Hood 'ears Its snow cap
ped head. To complete the artistic
impression automatically controlled
lights throw varying shades of light
upon the scene. The replica Is en
closed on all sides and the impression
and J. E. Anderson and Senator R. R.
Butler In an effort to get them to
pledge themselves to support Gover
nor West in his fight for a stricter en
forcement of the prohibition law In
dry territory.
It was declared to be the most im
portant that a full vote of the women
in the city should be polled In order
to assist In the success o' the associa
tion's ticket The question of where
women should register was asked and
a committee was appointed to confer
with City Recorder Howe and get In
formation on the subject.
The executive committee, which will
frame the ticket, will report at a call
meeting to be held in the near future.
ROADS MUST HAVE
TIMETOJOVE GROPS
Problems in storage and transpor
tation was the principal topic dis
cussed at the conference of fruitgrow
ers in connection with the fifth Nation
al Apple Show at Spokane.
A feature was a communication
from Howard Elliott, of St. Paul, pres
ident of the Northern Pacific Railway,
in which he urged that since it has
been proved to be a physical impossi
bility for railroads to transport fruit
to market within a few weeks after
harvest, the pressing question now for
the growers is storage and how to
make profitable as by-products such
fruit as would not stand shipping.
A school conducted by experts to
teach up-to-date methods of fruit
packing was one of the main features
in connection with the apple show.
J. D. Sears, who has been spend
ing the summer here with John Weav
er, left Friday for New York. Mr.
Sears made many friends here who
will hope for another visit, '
DR. DYOTT TO TALK
FOR ASSOCIATION
Another meeting of the School and
Home Association will be held this
coming Friday evening at the High
School building at 7:45 o'clock. Dr.
Luther R. Dyott of Portland will speak
on "A New View of Boy Life." All
the patrons of the school are cordially
Invited to attend, and please remem
ber that the dues for 1912-13 of 25
cents are payable at any time.
conveyed Is remarkably lifelike.
Crowds of persons have been con
stantly before the exhibit
In order to comply with the require
ments of the contest an exhibit of
Hood River apples U to be seen Just
In front of the reproduction of the
valley, the display representing the
varieties especially grown here.
Points are to be counted In this ex
hibit on beauty of design, effective
presentation of apples, color harmony,
decorative material and general ef
fect. The idea Is to show first the ap
ples and then the valley In which they
were produced.
Secretary Scott of the Commercial
Club has taken an active interest In
this exhibit, having made several
trips to Portland to supervise the
various details and much of Its suc
cess is due to his effort.
MAYOR BLANCHAR
WILL BE CANDIDATE
A petition was circulated the last of
the week asking Mayor E. O. Man
char to consent to become candidate
for re-election to the office. This peti
tion was signed by all the leading busi
ness men of thn city. There were MR
names attached when It was present
td to Mr. Blanchar the first of thn
week. In view of the unanimous rv
quest that he becouiH a candidate Mr,
lllanchar expressed his willingness to
accept the nomina'lou.