Fruit-Growing Industries. iiy 



the American fruit-grower is preeminent ; but in the former he 

 has made little more than a beginning. 



1 . The essence of these remarks is the fact that in the staple or 

 large -area crops, the demand regulates the supply ; whereas, in 

 products which are essentially luxuries, amenities and accessories, 

 the supply largely regulates the demand. 



The world's staples are breadstuffs, meats and materials for 

 clothing and building ; but in fruits there are some types or 

 varieties which are staples for that group, — staples in the 

 sense that they are adapted to cultivation over wide areas and 

 to be sold in the general and open markets. In apples, the 

 Baldwin and Ben Davis are staples ; Chenango and Lady are 

 accessories. 



2. It follows, then, that general or staple products find their 

 best outlet in the general and open markets ; special and accessory 

 products find their only outlet in particular and personal markets. 



This law is well illustrated in the market for glass-house 

 products. Persons are alwa^^s wondering that there should be 

 sale for forced tomatoes and strawberries after the southern- 

 grown products are in the market ; but the fact is that one 

 does not compete with the other. The accident that the pro- 

 ducts from the glass-house and from Florida are called by the 

 same name does not signify that they are purchased by the 

 same parties. There is a market for glass-house produce and 

 a market for field-grown produce ; if the glass-house produce 

 is offered in the other market, the prices are not sufficient to 

 pay the cost. Shall I grow apples on free stocks or on dwarfs ? 

 Whichever 3^ou like ; but with the dwarf-grown fruit you can- 

 not compete in the open market. You cannot afford to sell 

 dwarf-grown apples in barrels : such apples cost too much to 

 raise. You cannot afford to grow Baldwin or Ben Davis on 

 dwarfs, for apples thus grown cannot compete with large- tree 

 orchards ; and the gain in quaHty (due to the better care) of 

 such low-quality varieties when grown on dwarfs, costs more 

 than it is worth. The dessert apples can be profitably grown, 

 perhaps, on dwarfs, provided they are put into a dessert 

 market. The staples may be sold to the itinerent buyer, but 

 the special products must be handled by the producer or his 



