Leading Apple Regions of the United States 71 



River Valley, which stands out pre-eminently as the prin- 

 cipal apple-producing region in Oregon, and which must 

 be credited with approximately half of the state's com- 

 mercial production. In many ways the Hood River Val- 

 ley is not comparable with the other western irrigated 

 regions. Instead of a dry arid climate, it has a rainfall 

 equaling that of New York. The trees have a different 

 habit of growth and lower average yields are obtained 

 than in most other apple sections of the Northwest. 

 Lighter yields are very largely accounted for by the fact 

 that Yellow Newtown and Esopus (Spitzenburg), well 

 known as high quality but rather shy bearing varieties, 

 predominate. 



The development of the Hood River Valley occurred 

 simultaneously with, or slightly in advance of, that of the 

 Wenatchee and Yakima valleys. The Hood River district 

 lies almost entirely in Hood River County, the latter being 

 situated on the Columbia River at the northern boundary 

 of the state. The valley is narrow, varying from two to 

 eight miles in width, and the cultivated area extends from 

 the town of Hood River, south to Parkdale in the upper 

 valley, a distance of about twenty-four miles. This region 

 is divided into what are known locally as the lower, middle 

 and upper valleys. The lower valley contains the most 

 bearing fruit and the greater percentage of tillable land. 



The Hood River, a fast flowing mountain stream rising 

 at the foot of Mount Hood, divides the valley into the east 

 and west sides. The orchards are located on the benches 

 and rolling land on either side. For the most part, the 

 orchards are small and receive the same cultural treatment 

 which prevails in the Wenatchee and Yakima districts. 

 Irrigation, although not always necessary, has been found 



