16 FIELD OPERATIONS OF THE BUREAU OF SOILS, 1912. 



SO shallow as not to be adapted to tilled crops, wall doubtless be 

 put in orchards. 



In order to give an idea of the extent of orchard area and the 

 relative acreage of the different crops in the Hood River Valley, and 

 to determine, if possible, the relation between the plantings and the 

 type of the soil, a plat was made of all of the plantings in that valley. 

 The acreage devoted to the various crops was determined, but the 

 plat showed that there is, as has already been mentioned, scarcely 

 any relation between the plantings and the soil types as recognized 

 in tlie survey. 0^\ang to the less extensive development in the White 

 Salmon River Valley, no attempt was made to determine the crop 

 acreage in that section. 



The following figures have been taken from the plat and are appli- 

 cable only to that part of the Hood River Valley covered by the present 

 survey. 



Acreage devoted to the several crops produced in Hood River Valley. 



Acres. 



Forest, logged-off , and slashed land 52, 250 



Cleared and fallow land 610 



Apple trees 16, 425 



Strawberries 766 



Forage crops of all kinds 2, 186 



The acreage of forage crops includes only those areas where the land 

 was entkely given over to these crops. The larger part of the orchard 

 acreage is sown to some variety of cover crop each fall, which is com- 

 monly used for the feeding of farm stock, and as the larger part is 

 plowed under in the spring, it was impracticable to determhie the 

 acreage. 



The production of strawberries is practically confined to one variety, 

 the Clark Seedling. The single-row system of planting is followed 

 almost exclusively, and the plants are commonly allowed to bear for 

 three years before being removed. In setting the plants the rows are 

 generally made to follow the contour of the land, and irrigation is 

 thus facilitated. (PL III.) Most of the strawberries are grown 

 between the rows of fruit trees, and the revenue from the sale of 

 berries is a material aid in meeting the running expenses of the orchard. 

 The yields vary wdth the care and attention given the vines and wdth 

 the seasonal conditions. The yields range from 100 to 300 crates per 

 acre. The selling price of the berries is governed by the competition 

 they meet in distant markets, by their quality and size, and by the 

 dates at wliich they are marketed. The price is usually liighest at the 

 opening of the season and gradually declines toward the close. 



The larger acreage of berries is on the west side of the Hood River 

 Valley, largely because the yields are. better on the soils in that section, 

 while in the White Salmon River Valley the cultivation of this fruit 



