Page 8 



BETTER FRUIT 



June igiQ 



largest filbert grower in Ainorica, be- 

 lieves that the Davidiana pollonates 

 both the Barcelona and DuChil]> per- 

 fectly. To insure results a few plants 

 of certain other varieties should be in- 

 cluded in the nut grove. 



The filbert tree is a rampant feeder, 

 and from observations in many groves 

 in the Northwest it yields more or less 

 in proportion to the size or growth 

 attained. Deep, well-drained river- 

 bottom soil is probably the best land 

 for the filbert. However, where moist- 

 ure conditions are good — the filbert will 

 not stand wet feet — it grows well in 

 other types of soil. The writer knows 

 of a small grove on the redhills in the 

 Willamette Valley, which produced $125 

 worth of nuts to the acre in 1918 at 

 seven years of age. The exact limita- 

 tions so far as soil requirements are 

 concerned is not known, yet it is known 

 that for maxinunn success the filbert 

 must have the best growing soil. 



Filbert literature contains two words 

 of an ambiguous nature. Reference is 

 made to "free" and "bush." Some 

 growers assert with vehemence that the 

 natural, and therefore the proper way, 

 to grow the filbert is in the bush form, 

 but the best practice seems to com- 

 mend the tree form as productive of 

 the most profitable results. The filbert 



is notorious for its suckeriiig projien- 

 sitles and a stranger to its habits will 

 throw up bis hands in disgust after 

 a few seasons of suckering, allowing 

 the plant to grow at will. If the tree 

 form is desired all sprouts should be 

 kept down constantly, as these suckers 

 act as a drain upon the older shoots 

 and grow at their expense. By strip- 

 ping the leaves off several limes during 

 the season the sprouts will become dis- 

 couraged, but a better method is to cut 

 them ofi" un<ler ground where they 

 leave the main roots, using a chisel for 

 the operation. 



Some growers save several shoots 

 rather than a single one to form the 

 tree, claiming certain advantages for 

 the system. New plants are secured by 

 removing such suckers as have rooted 

 after the growing season is over. If a 

 small thread or rootlet remains at- 

 tached to the shoot it will grow, but 

 where there is no vestige of a root it 

 will die if planted out. M present the 

 nurseries obtain their plants from suck- 

 ers not caring to risk propagation by 

 other methods. Filberts come true 

 from suckers from the roots, excepting, 

 of course, when grafted on seedlings. 

 This method is becoming popular, i. e., 

 of grafting the desired variety on 

 shoots raised from seeds. Seedlings do 



nol come true. The seedling grove 

 mentioned at the beginning of this 

 article produces every type of nut 

 imaginable from a thick hard-shelled 

 t>i)e to a long thin-shelled kind. Prac- 

 tical growers desire that the nurseries 

 will take up the practice of grafting fil- 

 berts in order to jjroducc more rapidly 

 a sufficient supply to lower the cost of 

 plants. 



It costs more to plant a filbert grove, 

 acre for acre, than any other kind of 

 fruit, because at twenty feet, 108 are 

 required to the acre. The price varies 

 from 20 to 50 cents apiece. At present, 

 however, the returns justify the ex- 

 penditure. Under good care an acre of 

 filberts should yield 1,000 pounds at 

 seven years of age and at ten years 

 over 2,000 pounds. Instances of 18 

 pounds of nuts from a five-year tree 

 are common enough to warrant confi- 

 dence in the early productivity of fll- 

 beits. Mr. George Dorris believes that 

 1,000 pounds to the acre at twelve 

 years is to be expected on river-bottom 

 soil. 



The filbert fits in well with the small 

 home orchard and should have a place 

 alongside of the walnut, grape and 

 cherry in every well selected family 

 orchard. 



The Northwest Apple-Growing Industry and Its Future 



AFTER canvassing the apple out- 

 look situation for the coming sea- 

 son in the Pacific Northwest sub- 

 sequent to my returning to the Coast 

 from a very busy season in New York, 

 I am inclined to the opinion that the 

 prospects are excellent and that grow- 

 ers have every reason to be optimistic. 

 For several years the average apple 

 grower in the Northwest has operated 

 at a loss, or at best at an unsatisfactory 

 profit, but the indications now are that 

 he will realize a satisfactory return for 

 his efforts and patience during the lean 

 years, and that Northwest apple or- 

 chards in the future will be a big asset 

 in the commercial life of this big section 

 of the United States that I consider the 

 finest, from every point of view, that 

 lies in Uncle Sam's domain. 



Reviewing the success of the past 

 season for the grower, there were sev- 

 eral features that very materially 

 helped the marketing of the 1918 crop, 

 notwithstanding the fact that until late 

 in the season foreign markets were 

 practically closed to American apples. 

 Unable to foresee the unexpected cul- 

 mination of the war, growers disposed 

 of their apple crops last year at better 

 early prices than usual, but in most 

 instances did not reap the benefit of 

 the heavy advance in prices which took 

 place later and which went to the 

 dealers. 



For the first time in the history of 

 the Northwest apple industry, buying 

 was heavy from the interior points in 

 the United States. Orders were re- 

 ceived from many sections of the 

 country that had never before bought 

 in carload lots, and instead of the fruit 



By H. F. Davidson. Hood River, Oregon 



moving to centers of distribution, like 

 Chicago and Omaha, to be shipped out 

 again at heavy cost, buyers placed their 

 orders with the shippers at producing 



-I 



11. F. DAVIDSON 



OF HOOD RIVF.R 



Formerly president of the North Pacifle Fruit 

 Distributors. Mr. Davidson is now at the head 

 of a company that owns 200 acres of bearing 

 orchard at Hood River and also maintains a 

 New York oirice where he engages in the tnnr- 

 keting of Northwest apples during the shipping 

 season. Mr. Davidson came to Oregon when 

 the fruit industry of the Northwest was in its 

 infancy. At various times lie has been identi- 

 fied with organizations that have handled all 

 kinds of fruits, and built the first cold stor- 

 age warehouse in the Hood River Valley. He 

 was also instrumental in securing the first 

 irrigation system for this now famous apple 

 raising district. 



points. In this way a larger proportion 

 of the 1918 crop went direct to the 

 small consuming markets than ever 

 before. 



Another feature which was of great 

 assistance in distributing the past sea- 

 son's crop successfully was the fact 

 that the supply of refrigerator cars, 

 being under government operation, was 

 much more efficient, although the move- 

 ment of cars was heavier during the 

 shipping period. A continued strong 

 demand from home markets, with rapid 

 shipping facilities, kept the movement 

 of the crop from becoming congested 

 before the export demand started. 

 When the latter opened, prices imme- 

 diately advanced and kept advancing 

 until the close of the season. The fact 

 that dealers found it necessary to pay 

 $1 a box and more for their supplies 

 of apples in January than would have 

 been the case if they had bought in 

 October or November of last year, in- 

 dicates that they will be inclined to buy 

 earlier this year. This fact .should 

 greatly stimulate buying at harvest time 

 and before and create a market in the 

 growers' favor. The concentration of 

 large acreages in strong hands, which 

 is now being reported to be taking place 

 in several of the Northwest districts, 

 should also help to stabilize the market 

 this year. 



Taking up the question of apple 

 growing from the grower's point of 

 view — that is, the point of view of 

 producing to secure a just and fair re- 

 turn — I firmly believe that the orchard 

 industry of the Northwest has passed 

 the experimental stage, and that from 

 now on the careful and progressive 



