36 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



heavier than ever before, and fully 100,000 crates of this luscious 

 fruit were shipped, which brought the growers about $135,000. 

 About 1,200 acres are now devoted to strawberry culture in the 

 valley. Pears do exceptionally well here, though as yet they re- 

 ceive but scant attention ; only about four carloads were put on the 

 market from here this year. I am convinced, however, that pear 

 culture will, in the near future, receive more attention, as par- 

 ticularly the heavier soils are splendidly adapted to the production 

 of high-grade fruit of this variety. Besides the above, cherries 

 and blackberries are quite extensively grown here. The approxi- 

 mate value of the Hood River fruit crop will this year reach the 

 magnificent sum of $275,000. 



Hosier is also steadily forging ahead as a fruit center, and is fast 

 making a reputation as a shipping point for fancy apples, cherries, 

 prunes, and strawberries. This year about 12,000 boxes of apples, 

 valued at $12,000, will be shipped from here. Further, we find 

 that 1,000 crates of strawberries were marketed at an average price 

 of $2.25 per crate, or $2,250 for the crop ; 3,000 crates of cherries 

 at 60 cents per crate, $1,800 ; 250 tons prunes, $3,750 ; 30 tons 

 plums, $500. There are at present about 300 acres devoted to 

 apples and 10 acres to strawberries, which is about 10 per cent of 

 the available area suitable for fruit culture in the territory com- 

 prising the Hosier country. 



The fruit crop at The Dalles was exceptionally heavy this year, 

 and all the numerous varieties of fruit grown here yielded abun- 

 dantly. In point of quantity, prunes are in the lead. The yield of 

 these was about 1,000 tons, value $15,000. Fifty carloads of the 

 above have found their way, in the fresh state, to eastern markets, 

 principally New York. Further, we have here 150 tons of plums, 

 value $2,250 ; 40,000 boxes apples, value $30,000. I will state here 

 that the apparent disparity in the value of Hood River apples and 

 those grown at Hosier and The Dalles is attributable to the larger 

 per cent of Yellow Newtown Pippin, and Spitzenburg grown at 

 the former place, which, selling at a higher price than other va- 

 rieties, naturally increases the average. 



Easily 50 tons of cherries found a ready market at The Dalles 

 canneries at $80 per ton, and fully 35,000 boxes of peaches were 

 disposed of by the gi'owers in this section; value about $15,000. 

 Peaches attain wonderful perfection in the soils of this locality. 



