59 



the cordial support of the local organizations, the company will be able to 

 market satisfactorily all the fruit that can be produced for years to come. 



This company does not believe in the auction sale of apples but is satisfied 

 that with standard grading and careful handling it will be able to establish 

 confidence in the product and secure f.o.b. orders for all that can be supplied. 

 An outstanding feature of their business is the promptness with which settlements 

 have been effected and net returns placed in the hands of the growers. One 

 of the difficulties in connect on with co-operat ve selling in some sections is 

 the delay which has frequently resulted in making settlements to the growers 

 for their shipments, thus causing more or less dissatisfaction. These delays 

 arise largely from lack of system on the part of the manager or insufficient 

 office help in connection with the company. When the membership consists 

 of a large number of growers whose ndividual output is comparatively small 

 and who naturally look for prompt returns, a failure to secure this causes dis- 

 content and dissatisfaction, especially where some competitive dealer makes 

 it a point to effect a quick settlement with independent shippers, and in this 

 way injures the co-operative association. 



Che further operations of this company should be carefully watched by 

 Canadian interests, in order that advantage may be taken of their experience 

 in organized co-operative selling. 



At the town of Hood River, so favourably known for its extensive shipments 

 of strawberries and fancy Spitzenberg and Yellow Newtown apples, several 

 of the important orchards were inspected. It would be hard to find a district 

 where greater care has been bestowed upon the orchards than throughout 

 this valley. Large areas are to be seen where every tree is the exact counterpart 

 of the other, the greatest attention having been paid to the pruning and shaping 

 of the trees, in order that they might be sturdy and symmetrical and capable 

 of bearing the heavy loads of fruit which are so common in this locality. 

 Although not more than twenty per cent of the plantings have reached the 

 bearing age, nearly 100,000 boxes were handled in 1910 by the Hood River 

 Fruitgrowers' Union alone. This company has a very extensive warehouse 

 on the main line of the Oregon Railroad and Navigation Company, to which 

 is attached a cold storage department maintained by a 70 ton compresser. 

 This warehouse has a large capacity and contained in November, 1911, fifty 

 thousand boxes of apples awaiting shipment. Mr. C. H. Sproat, the manager, 

 stated that, while there was a sprinkling of other varieties grown in the valley, 

 Hood River based its reputation on the excellence of three varieties of apples: 

 Yellow Newtown, Spitzenberg and Ortley, which are probably grown there to 

 as great perfection as any place on the continent. 



The first carload of apples was sent out from this station in the year 1900 

 and sold to a New York house at $1 per box, but on account of their fine 

 appearance were resold in the city of New York for $5 per box. In regard 

 to over-production, Mr. Sproat instanced the fact that he had at the present 

 time orders on the company's books which he was not able to fill, at prices 

 up to $2 per box f.o.b. Hood River. 



A visit to one of the packing houses was a revelation as to the possibilities 

 of becoming expert in the packing of apples in boxes through continued practice. 

 To the amateur box packing seems a very difficult and obscure operation. 

 Well defined systems and methods have, however, been carefully worked out 

 and many of the packers have become so competent that the work is done almost 

 automatically and with great ease. 



Reference may be made here of the very complete and exhaustive bulletin 

 on this subject, by Mr. A. McNeill, Chief of the Fruit Division, which may 

 be secured on application to the Department of Agriculture at Ottawa. Packing 

 schools have also been established in many parts of British Columbia and at 

 the Ontario Agricultural College and Macdonald College in Quebec during 

 the winter season. In this way instruction is being given by experts which 



