IOO 
AMERICAN POMOEOGICAE SOCIETY 
hundreds of miles from all over the country for scions and young trees 
(yearlings selling at one dollar apiece) to set in their little door-yards or 
to start orchards, so that the trees were soon distributed all over the 
settlements of the valley. 
In 1851 and 1852 the home market showed the fruits of many of these 
trees which were eagerly sought at fabulous prices. Apples brought as 
high as $1.00 per pound by the box, and in Portland retailed at $1.50 per 
pound readily, and all other fruits nearly as much. Californians, fruit 
hungry, with plethoric golden purses, bid high for the surplus, and in 1853 a 
few boxes securely bound with strap iron, as was the custom in those days 
for protection against fruit thieves, were shipped to San Francisco and sold 
for $2.00 per pound. 
Marvelous Prices in ’49. 
In 1854 five hundred bushels of apples were shipped there and returned 
a net profit of from $1.50 to $2.00 per pound. In 1855 six thousand bushels 
vrere shipped and returned $20.00 to $30.00 per bushel. Young trees were 
now in full bearing and the export of 1856 was twenty thousand boxes. This 
year one box of Esopus paid the shipper a net profit of $60.00 
Our fruits were phenomenally large and highly colored. We then had 
no fungous or insect pests and consequently the fruit was a surprise to 
visitors, and in the market, then as now, brought the highest prices. In 
these later days Chicago, New York, and Boston pay fabulous prices for all 
our best fruits. You all know, at least by hearsay, of Hood River apples; 
of the Oregon Banana that brought ten dollars per box in New York; of the 
Yellow Newtowns and Esopus that bring nearly as much; and of Rogue River 
Pears leading the world’s market in quality and prices. 
To verify our claims of a superior product I wish to offer the following 
record of awards accredited to Oregon fruit exhibits at world’s expositions, 
and have it entered in the proceedings of the American Pomological Society. 
I do not know of any more reliable history of the superiority of Oregon 
fruits than the awards at seven great World’s Expositions, the judicial find- 
ings of the most distinguished fruit experts. 
Columbian Exposition, Chicago, 1893; two grand prizes, — the highest 
award; seventeen gold medals; thirty-four silver medals; twenty-one diplo- 
mas of honorable mention. 
Trans-Mississippi Exposition, 1898; six gold medals, highest award; 
eleven silver medals; sixteen bronze medals; seventeen diplomas of honor- 
able mention. 
Pan-American Exposition, Buffalo, 1901; eighteen gold medals, highest 
award; eighteen silver medals; fifty-two bronze medals; twenty-two diplo- 
mas of honorable mention. 
There was also awarded at that Exposition, by the American Pomologi- 
cal Society, the much coveted Wilder Medal “for excellence of flavor, form, 
perfection, and general superiority” of our fruits in competition with all 
fruit growing states. 
South Carolina Interstate and West Indian Exposition, Charleston, South 
Carolina, 1901-2; thirty-four gold medals, — highest award; fourteen silver 
medals; one bronze medal. 
