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BETTER FRUIT 



Page 7s 



A PROMINENT NORTHWESTERN FRUIT GROWER 



THE president of the Northwestern 

 Fruit Exchange of Portland, Oregon, 

 Reginald Hascall Parsons, was born 

 October 3, 1873, in Flushing, New York. 

 In 1880 his family moved to Colorado 

 Springs, Colorado. 



Mr. Parsons received his education in 

 private schools in the East and the Uni- 

 versity of California. 



While living in Colorado Springs Mr. 

 Parsons became interested in gold min- 

 ing in the Cripple Creek district, which 

 afforded an opportunity for a wide busi- 

 ness experience. Subsequent to his resi- 

 dence in Colorado Mr. Parsons enga<re.l 

 in the manufacturing business with 

 Bemis Brothers Bag Company at St. 

 Louis. From St. Louis he went to Sail 

 Francisco in the interest of the same 

 company, and in 1904 removed to Seattle 

 to establish a branch factory for the 

 company. Mr. Parsons contiued in the 

 general management of the Seattle 

 branch for several years, but the lure of 

 the land was always strong in his veins, 

 his ancestors for several generations 

 having been engaged directly and indi- 

 rectly in horticulture. It was natural, 

 therefore, that this life should appeal to 

 him, and he was particularly attracted to 

 the Rogue River Valley, in Southern 

 Oregon. He became the principal owner 

 of one of the largest and finest orchards 

 in America — the Hillcrest Orchard Com- 

 pany, at Medford, Oregon. 



The Hillcrest orchard, valued at 

 between $400,000 and .$500,000, is one 

 of the most famous in all the world, and 

 its brands are in eager request in all of 

 the principal consuming centers, being 

 particularly well known in New York 

 and London. The Hillcrest Orchard 

 brand of Comice pears holds the world's 

 record in price for car lots. A car of 

 this brand was sold in London two years 

 ago at an average of $10.08 per box. 

 This season a car of the same brand 

 averaged $10 per box. The Hillcrest 

 orchard comprises two hundred acres, of 

 which one hundred and ninety-two acres 

 are in trees and one hundred and fifty- 

 eight acres in bearing. There are one 

 hundred and five acres of pears, includ- 

 ing Bartletts, d'Anjous, Howells, Boscs, 

 Winter Nelis and Comice, and the bal- 

 ance — eighty-seven acres — are in apples, 

 the principal variety being Yellow New- 

 towns, and the balance Spitzenbergs and 

 other red varieties. There are about 

 11,000 trees in this wonderful orchard, 

 which is in the highest state of scientific 

 cultivation. In Mr. Parsons' office at 

 Hillcrest are found every modern feature 

 of orchard record and accounting. There 

 are maps of various kinds, some show- 

 ing land contour, water and air drain- 

 age, etc , and others showing the location 

 and variety of every tree of the eleven 

 thousand. Mr. Parsons is working on a 

 pathological record by which he will be 

 able to trace the history of every tree in 

 the orchard and keep a record of its 

 bearing from year to year. The Hill- 

 crest orchard has every modern mechan- 

 ical appliance. Packing houses, fire sys- 

 tem and barns were built on the most 

 modern lines. 



Mr. Parsons says modern orchardry is 

 practically manufacturing, and his busi- 

 ness is conducted accordingly. It is his 

 ambition to have the Hillcrest orchard 

 pass, undivided, to his children and his 

 children's children. He is not a land 

 promoter or real estate operator in any 

 sense of the word, but a fruit grower 

 first and last. 



It became apparent to him very soon 

 after becoming interested in fruit grow- 

 ing that the weakest side of the industry 

 from the growers' standpoint was the 

 assembling and marketing of the fruit. 

 Realizing the difficultier, of the indi\'idual 



REGINALD HASCALL PARSONS 

 President Northwestern Fruit Exchange 



grower, no matter how large a producer 

 he may be, in meeting the demands of 

 the increasing supply of deciduous fruit 

 produced in the Northwest, he became 

 instrumental in the formation of the 

 Rogue River Fruit and Produce Asso- 

 ciation at Medford. This step having 

 been successfully taken, it became further 

 apparent that without a consolidation of 

 the common interests of the entire North- 

 west in some strong, practical central 

 selling agency, it would be impossible to 

 conduct the marketing of the fruit in a 

 scientific and thorough manner. The 

 elimination of wasteful competition was 

 the main thing to be brought about, from 

 the growing of the fruit to the final con- 

 sumption of it. During the latter part 

 of July, 1910, the Northwestern Fruit 

 Exchange was organized, with Mr. Par- 

 sons as president and other prominent 

 and public spirited fruit growers, repre- 

 senting other important producing dis- 

 tricts in the Northwest, as officers and 

 directors. The Exchange has met with 

 phenomenal success, having been care- 

 fully organized and conducted with the 

 view of effecting a wide distribution of 

 the fruit, which would permit the avoid- 

 ance of the crowded centers and thereby 

 enable better prices to be obtained. 

 About seven hundred cars were put at 



the disposal of the Exchange during its 

 first season by various fruit growers' 

 associations, with results which have been 

 universally gratifying to the growers. 

 Mr. Parsons has cast his lot with the 

 fruit growers and producers of the 

 Northwest and is doing his best to aid 

 in solving the problems connected with 

 the industry. He has given a great deal 

 of time to the direction of the Exchange 

 and its success is largely due to his 

 public spirited work. 



In all of his previous business experi- 

 ence Mr. Parsons has shown his wide 

 public spirit. He is a member of the 

 Municipal League and Chamber of Com- 

 merce of Seattle and director in the Title 

 Trust Company of that city. Before 

 leaving Seattle for Medford he was 

 chairman of the "City Beautiful" and a 

 member of various municipal committees 

 engaged in solving some of the more 

 important municipal problems. 



FRUIT BOXES 



"Larch" Apple Boxes and 

 Strawberry Crates our specialty 



BUILDING MATERIAL 



We carry a complete line. Lumber, Shin- 

 gles, Lath, Plaster, Cement, Lime, Sash and 

 Doors, Brick, Roofing, Building Paper, etc. 



We solicit yottr patrotiage 



Bridal Veil Lumbering Co. 

 Hood River, Oregon 



Washington 

 Nursery News 



MAY, 1911 



Our big selling season for fall 1910 and 

 spring 1911 is now history. We have had 

 another record season of satisfied customers 

 and are gratified beyond measure at the many 

 compliments we have received for our stock. 



We do not, however, forget the customer 

 who may have a grievance, due to some mat- 

 ter over which neither of us have any con- 

 trol, and if there is anything unsatisfactory 

 in any order at any time, we want to know it. 



We appreciate the confidence and good will 

 of our thousands of satisfied customers more 

 than words can express. We want to merit 

 their continued good will, and if fair, honest 

 dealing will win and hold it we have no fears 

 of losing ground. 



Our 1911 spring plant is looking fine at 

 this date. We confidently look forward to 

 the biggest and best stand of trees we have 

 ever grown in Toppenish. We have our work 

 well in hand and as usual are sparing no 

 expense to grow the best trees that good soil, 

 sunshine, cultivation and moisture will 

 produce. 



Our new catalog will soon be off the press. 

 If interested drop us a line. 



Washington Nursery Co. 



TOPPENISH, WASH. 



Salesmen Everywhere ■ More Wanted 



WHEN WRITING ADVERTISERS MENTION BETTER FRUIT 



