48 AGRICULTURE OF MAINE. 



much as they do. If Virginia Bens are bringing $3 and $2.50 — 

 say $2.50, the normal price— if you get $2.50 for a New York 

 State Ben you are getting a good price. Now I look over that 

 report every morning at exactly eight o'clock. I have had that 

 report ever since the first one came out. I have them all on 

 file. If I have had a shipment on any market, either Chicago 

 or New York or Philadelphia, on any market, when my returns 

 come in I take the commission man's report and I turn back to 

 my file to the Government report for the day that shipment 

 was sold, according to the commission man's return, and I look 

 at the commission man's return for the grades of apples, and 

 the Government report, and I can get a pretty good idea how 

 the commission man treated me on that market on that day. 

 I do not blame the Government, I blame the growers for not 

 getting in on that report and reporting from more sections. 

 In New York State the Association is trying and does put out 

 an estimate every year. I spoke to Mr. Sanders last year 

 about the possibility of the growers' associations cooperating 

 with the Government so that in choosing their reporters they 

 could choose members of the association, because I think we 

 all feel that members of our association can be relied upon to 

 possibly a little greater extent than men we have never met 

 and do not know. I want to know if you think that is possible, 

 if the Government can do it? 



Mr. Sanders: Well, I have approached some of the asso- 

 ciations here in New England, about taking up as one of their 

 lines of activity and usefulness this matter of gathering data 

 about the crop, but I did not get a very cordial response. The 

 men said, well, they might do it, but probably they wouldn't 

 and they haven't. Of course, if I get the point of your ques- 

 tion, some local information in here about particular localities 

 is certainly helpful. Did I understand you correctly about 

 that? 



Mr. Mitchell: Yes, a buyer came to my place and wanted 

 to buy fruit ; he said the price was too high. I said, "All right, 

 when will you be back again?" He said, "I don't know, I am 

 going up to Maine." Well, I had no way of finding out what 

 he would be asked for apples in Maine. If that report had 

 had in it local conditions in Maine, apples $2 or $3 a barrel, 

 I would have known whether he would get them cheaper here 



