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The Hood River Glacier, Hood River, OR., February 8, 1906, page 8

OUR FINEST APPLES EVER

     We are indebted to our townsman, W.F. Laraway, for a copy of the Glenwood, (Ia.), Opinion which contains a letter from the pen of C.H. Towslee, a former Iowan, but now of Portland. The letter bears the caption "Scenes on the Pacific Coast," and is well written. From it we print a part which will no doubt interest the readers of the Glacier, which is as follows:
     "I visited the state horticultural exhibit first of the week and I must confess, while I have nothing against Queen Mills or Iowa, they simply are not in it when it comes to fine apples. I have never seen such fine apples anywhere. Mammoth in size, high color, absolutely sound, perfect and equal in flavor to any Iowa fruit. The principle varieties were Spitzenburgs, Northern Spies, Newton pippins, Baldwins, Greenings, Bell Flower, Winesaps, Jonathans and several other varieties I cannot recall now. Hood River made most of the display but I have seen just as nice fruit from Southern Oregon.
     Another industry being developed here is the raising of English walnuts and they have California beaten for quality and soundness. Their Italian prunes of which they raise large quantities are also very fine.
     Today's I attended the state poultry exhibit. That was on a par with the big red apples from Hood River. There were nearly 1000 specimens and all very fine. The different breeds I will not try to enumerate as in fruit. There was one variety however that my attention was called to as well adapted to the coast country and that was the Rhode Island Reds of which I had never heard and perhaps some of your chicken fanciers would be interested in. They also had about 100 specimens of pigeons from different places on the coast which attracted a great deal of attention. The dairying interests are very heavy and they have as fine cattle as they do apples and chickens.
     The state is going to develop very rapidly in the next few years as there is an immense amount of railway building planned for this year in fact between the Cascades and the coast in the Willamette valley where it hardly ever freezes they are building railways all year.
     Building goes on here in the city all winter and there are a great many business blocks going up and old ones being remodeled. Mechanics, especially masons and carpenters are always busy.
     One of the grandest views is had from Portland and Willamette Heights on the western side of the city. They give a fine view of the rivers and also Mts. Hood and Helen 60 miles away, and Rainier and Adams, 100 miles distant. They are all snow capped peaks and show up grand on a clear day.
     There is an immensity amount of the eastern capital coming in and being invested in railways, electric plants, trolley lines, saw mills and a great many different manufacturing enterprises. Power for manufacturing is plenty and cheap here as it is mostly electricity and that is all generated by water power instead of coal and steam.
     Very little of the products of the state seek the eastern markets; some lumber, garden fruits and wood going east but most of it goes across the ocean. All the best Hood River apples go to New York and from there lots of them are sent to Europe. The growers at Hood River received on track there $2.75 to $3.00 per box of 50 lbs. for Spitzenburgs by the car load and from $2 to $2.50 per box for Newton pippins, which goes to show that it pays to raise apples. They take good care of their orchards here, pruning and spraying them and fighting the insects.
     The southern part of the state raises very fine pears, peaches and grapes in fact wherever in the state fruit growing has been tried it has been very successful where properly handled.
     One county in the south part of the state shipped over $40,000 worth of turkeys alone for Thanksgiving and Christmas trade, the birds averaging $2.60 a head alive delivered at the railway stations. This is a very profitable industry as the markets are always good here for poultry and eggs. Poultry, eggs and butter are the only items living that are higher than in Iowa. Butter now is selling at 25 to 37½ cents per pound; fresh ranch eggs 35 cents per dozen.
     Meats of all kinds are as cheap as in Iowa, and as far as my experience goes a great deal better quality.
     The Lewis and Clark fair advertised this country well and as a result there is going to be a rapid settling up of the state.

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©  Jeffrey L. Elmer