126 SIXTEENTH BIENNIAL REPORT 



But the tremendous settling of very large tracts by large corporations carried on 

 in the Northwest created suspicion that we were to he continually doomed to an 

 overproduction. It seems that buyers, dealers, as well as consumers, had com- 

 pletely lost their hetter judgment and had forgotten that Mr. Stark, one of the 

 late day pioneer nurserymen, had often said that only 10 per eent of all fruits 

 planted ever became a commercial quantity. 



Twelve years ago a representative of one of the large railroads called on the 

 writer for inside Information as to the probable Output of the orchards covering 

 a period annually from 1914 to the year 1920 in his locality. 



This was with a view to increasing the carrying refrigerator capacity Service 

 to meet the seemingly increased demands. 



He willingly showed his figures, which were about closed up and which showed 

 the total number of acres, each acre to bear a certain amount, the total of which 

 was for Idaho, Oregon and Washington, to be 220,000 carloads for the year 1920, 

 while as a matter of fact, if the three states raise 25,000 carloads in 1920 it will 

 be a bumper crop. It was such estimates as made by this representative that 

 excited the entire country and caused depressions each year at market time. 



During the past five years there has been neglect and slaughter of orchards in 

 the United States, until we are lower in acreage per capita than any time 

 for 75 years. 



Twice in the history of the Unitod States we have produced about 85,000,000 

 barreis, or 255,000,000 boxes. 



Prior to the European war our export business was 11,000,000 barreis greater 

 in apples than the entire crop in the United States this year. 



Prior to the year 1910 that portion of the United States lying between the 

 Rocky Mountains and the Alleghany Mountains produced about 50 per cent of 

 what they consumed. The same territory during the past five years has produced 

 only about 15 per cent of their consumption of apples, with a still lower decline to 

 follow. 



All the commercial orchards along the Kansas side of the Missouri River 

 have disappeared. Nebraska has lost her commercial orchards, likewise Iowa. 

 Missouri, with her once-famous Ben Davis orchards down in the Ozarks, ceases 

 to be even a remote quantity for her own consumption. 



Box Apple Best 



Naturally we ask, Why all this? It has been brought about by the North- 

 western box apple fighting its way, year after year. into their most valuable 

 markets, taking the cream of the markets, causing the home product to go begging. 



The farmers of those states, as well as Illinois, Indiana and Ohio, have grown 

 tired of taking their apples to town in sacks or in bulk to receive offers of from 

 25 to 75 Cents per bushel, while at the same time they see the Western box apple 

 perched high up in the show Windows, tagged and selling at $4 per box. 



Under such conditions is it to be wondered at that state after state has given 

 up hope and gone out of the business, until New York and the Virginias are all 

 that is left of the real commercial districts between the Rocky Mountains and 

 the Atlantic. 



To accomplish so much in so Short a time it has taken effort with a very fine 

 System behind it, yet we have not reached the limit that will be reachpd, and the 

 writer fully believes that 10 or 20 years hence the Oregon apple will be looked 

 upon as the greatest fruit producer of the modern age, grown in a climate where 

 rain and sunshine meets, especially created for that purpose. 



The pioneer stage of the game is now past ; we are face to face wäth figures, 

 facts and results, which teil us we are headed in the right direction, and the man 

 now having an orchard of any value who neglects or pulls it out will see his 

 mistake by watching the man that holds on and does his work systematically. 



